CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-EIGHT BE PREPARED

LUCA'S POV The moon was still hanging low in the sky as Enzo and I made our way through the dense forest, moving as silently as shadows. The scent of damp earth and pine filled my senses, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside me. Every crack of a twig underfoot, every rustle of leaves, set my nerves on edge. We were deep in enemy territory, and the risk of being caught was higher than ever. Enzo and I exchanged a quick glance, the tension between us palpable. We didn’t need words to communicate; we’d been through too much together. I knew he could feel my unease, just as I could sense his. “Almost there,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. Enzo nodded, his eyes sharp and focused. As we crept closer to the camp, the sounds of the enemy began to reach us: low murmurs, the clinking of weapons being prepared, the shuffle of boots on the ground. I signaled to Enzo, and we both dropped low, moving with careful precision toward the edge of the camp. From our hidin