Chapter 25: The Promise of Tomorrow

The Hollow breathed with life. Days turned into weeks, and the forest slowly returned to itself — the twisted roots untangling, the blackened soil healing. Wildflowers pushed through the dirt, their petals soft and bright, and the air smelled of pine and earth instead of ash and death. Birds returned to their nests, their songs echoing through the canopy like a hymn to rebirth, and small animals scurried through the undergrowth, reclaiming the land as their own. Lucien stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the pack move through their drills with quieter determination. The urgency was gone, replaced by steady discipline. They trained because they wanted to be ready, not because they feared the forest would swallow them whole. The rhythmic thuds of bodies hitting the dirt, the sharp clang of weapons clashing, all blended into the symphony of their survival. It was a small victory. But a victory nonetheless. Serena jogged toward him, sweat glistening on her skin, her chest risi