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Sky’s tail swished nervously as he glanced around once more. “Because you fucking idiots are being watched!” He threw his arms wide. “Why the fuck did you flash around two whole gold coins for?! You lot haven’t even been here a month! You’d be lucky to have two silver to rub together!”

I felt my face grow hot with embarrassment.

We had been careless, drunk on our newfound wealth and the thrill of discovery.

Our intentions were pure though, a fat lot of good that did us.

We only wanted to survive and maybe live a little too.

But before I could respond, Sky continued, his voice a harsh whisper.

“Look, I don’t know how you got that gold, and I don’t know who ratted you out, but whoever it is, they’re no friend of yours.

Frankly, I don’t want to know either. But the RSB isn’t stupid.

They’re watching you now, trying to figure out where your sudden influx of wealth came from.

They probably suspect illegal activities of some sort, though I’m not sure what. ”

Kai’s eyes widened in understanding. “So that’s why Captain Boromia sent you with us. To spy on us? To figure out our secrets?”

Sky nodded grimly. “That’s part of it. But I’m not here just for them. I...” he hesitated, his ears flattening against his head. “I owe you. For saving my life in the cavern. So, consider this my way of evening the score.”

I felt a mixture of relief and confusion wash over me. Sky’s words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The tense silence was broken only by the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

“So, what now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Are you going to report back to Captain Boromia about us?”

Sky’s piercing blue eyes met mine, a flicker of something - was it concern?

- passing through them. “No,” he said firmly.

“I’m here to help you survive this mission and keep your secrets safe.

But you need to be more careful. The RSB isn’t known for their forgiveness when it comes to. .. unauthorized activities.”

“But we’re not doing anything illegal!” I shot back. “We just found?—”

“No!” Sky barked, cutting me off. “Don’t tell me! There are truth spells out there, you know? If I know, they can get it out of me. So keep your mouth shut.”

Kai stepped forward, his usually soft voice taking on a steely edge. “We appreciate the warning, Sky. But how can we trust you? You’re working for them now to try to get us in trouble.”

Sky’s tail twitched in agitation. “I’m not working for them,” he growled. “ I’m doing what I have to do to survive, just like everyone else in this godforsaken place. I wasn’t lying about that.”

He took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. “Look, I don’t expect you to trust me. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you do. But right now, I’m your best chance at getting through this mission alive and keeping whatever secret you’re hiding. The Whispering Woods are no joke.”

I glanced at Kai, seeing the conflict in his brown eyes.

We’d come to rely on each other over the past few weeks, and now we were being asked to put our faith in someone we barely knew.

But something in Sky’s intense gaze made me want to believe him.

And, of course, I felt my heart surge at the idea of being around him for an extended period of time.

I’d been hoping for a while that we’d run into one another by accident.

I wanted desperately to see him again, I just wished it was on better terms.

“Alright,” Kai said finally, his voice soft but firm. “We’ll work together. But no more secrets. If we’re going into the Whispering Woods together, we need to trust each other.”

Sky nodded curtly, his tail flicking behind him. “Fair enough. But remember, the less I know about your... situation, the better for all of us.”

I stepped forward, trying to diffuse the tension. “So, what can you tell us about the Whispering Woods? Captain Boromia mentioned something about not listening to whispers?”

Sky’s expression darkened. “The Captain wasn’t wrong about that. The Whispering Woods are... different from anywhere else in Cindersea. The trees there, they speak. Or at least, that’s what it sounds like.”

Kuro raised an eyebrow. “Talking trees? What kind of stupid shit is that?”

“It’s not stupid at all,” Sky replied, his voice low.

“It’s more like... echoes. And they’re deadly.

Whispers that seem to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

” Sky’s eyes narrowed as he continued, his voice taking on a haunted quality.

“Those whispers... they get inside your head. They promise you things - power, wealth, your deepest desires. But it’s all a trap.

The more you listen, the more you lose yourself.

And before you know what’s happened, everyone is dead and you’re sinking into a bog, watching the light of the world fade away. ”

A chill ran down my spine at his words. The Whispering Woods suddenly seemed far more sinister than I had imagined.

“So how do we protect ourselves?” Kai asked, his hand unconsciously tightening on his bow.

Sky reached into his pack and pulled out several small, intricately carved wooden pendants.

“These will help,” he said, handing one to each of us.

“They’re imbued with a silencing charm. It won’t block the whispers completely, but it’ll muffle them enough to keep your wits about you.

” He paused for a moment as he pressed a pendant into my hand.

“Captain Boromia doesn’t know I got these for you, but I couldn’t let you go in unprepared. ”

A tingle shot down my spine as his fingers brushed against mine. I pulled my hand away instinctively, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed me lingering for too long.

I turned the pendant over in my hand, feeling the intricate carvings beneath my fingertips.

The wood was smooth and warm, as if it held some inner energy.

“Thank you,” I said softly, slipping the cord over my head.

The pendant rested against my chest, a comforting weight against the danger we now faced.

Sky nodded curtly, his sharp eyes scanning our surroundings once more.

“Don’t thank me just yet. We still have to make it through the woods alive.

” He gestured towards the path ahead, where the trees seemed to grow denser and darker.

“We should keep moving. The entrance to the Whispering Woods is still a few hours’ walk from here. ”

As we set off again, I couldn’t help but notice the change in Sky’s demeanor. Gone was the standoffish loner we had first met in the cavern. In his place was a focused, alert guide, his ears twitching at every sound and his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.

The forest grew denser as we walked, the trees closing in around us until the sky was barely visible through the canopy.

An eerie silence settled over us, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the occasional rustle of unseen creatures in the underbrush.

Kai and I led the way with Mira clinging to Rhia’s side not far behind.

Bringing up the rear was Kuro. For once, he was silent, a rare sight indeed.

But as the forest grew dark around us, he drew his sword, both hands clasping the hilt, ready for anything.

“We’re getting close,” Sky murmured a couple hours later, his voice barely above a whisper. “The entrance to the Whispering Woods is just ahead. From here on out, we need to be on high alert. Watch each other’s backs and don’t wander off alone.”

As if on cue, a faint sound drifted through the trees - a whisper so soft it was barely audible. I instinctively reached for the pendant around my neck, feeling its reassuring weight.

“Did anyone else hear that?” Mira’s timid voice broke the silence, her blue hair almost black in the dim light.

Sky’s ears twitched, his body tensing. “It’s starting,” he growled. “ Remember, don’t listen to the whispers. Focus on each other’s voices, on the sound of your own footsteps. Anything but those damn whispers.”

He strode forward carefully, beckoning for us all to follow.

Kai nodded and fell in step behind him. I let out a sigh and followed too, knowing there was no other choice.

For some reason I’d been expecting a gate or a marker of some sort to show the bifurcation between the normal trees and the cursed ones.

But there was nothing. The woods were just trees, going on and on into a never-ending twilight beneath the dense canopy above.

“God of the Twilight,” I whispered under my breath. “Please keep us safe.”

And into the woods we went.