Daniel adjusted his backpack straps, inhaling the crisp scent of damp earth and pine. Evergreen Trail had become his sanctuary, a place to clear his head. His job as a teacher drained him, and his recent breakup left him restless.
The familiar rhythm of his boots against the packed dirt was comforting. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting shifting patterns on the forest floor. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and a soft breeze carried the scent of damp leaves. This was what he needed—fresh air, solitude, and the steady pulse of nature around him.