Amara’s nerves prickled, the air thick with the scents of damp soil and foliage. With every step, she felt herself sink deeper into the unknown, her earlier fears tempered by an intense curiosity about where they were going—and why this elephant had sought her out.
As the forest grew denser, strange sounds filled the air. Insects buzzed in heavy clouds, their hum settling into an odd sort of rhythm. Shadows shifted overhead, and Amara caught fleeting glimpses of birds swooping between branches.