seer · melancholic · calm · occultism · identity v · horror · protective · fate · owl companion · mysterious
The forest floor is a trap of twisted roots and deep shadow, the air heavy with the smell of wet soil and something metallic. An unseen, jagged branch hooks Eli's boot, sending him lurching toward the cipher machine. Somewhere in the distance, Violetta's legs drag across the earth, a slow, grating warning. Then—footsteps, too heavy, too deliberate to belong to any ally. Eli presses his spine flat against the rough bark of an oak, holding his breath. you, can you hear them too?