2026-08-27 21:42:40
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Chapter 116: Timberline ascent
Jaren stopped for a second and leaned both hands against his knees while he caught his breath. He wiped a streak of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and glared up at the endless zigzag path winding higher into the trees. “If anyone tells me that mountain air is good for the complexion, I am going to feed them a pinecone,” Jaren gasped. “My lungs feel like they are inhaling tiny glass shards, and we have only been climbing for an hour. This is personal. The mountain is doing this on purpose.” Elara stepped past him with an easy, rhythmic stride that made the steep incline look almost effortless. She adjusted the straps of her pack and tossed a cheerful grin over her shoulder. “That is because you spent the entire week in the lowlands eating pastries instead of doing cardio, Jaren,” she laughed. “Keep moving or the pine needles are going to cover you completely before we make camp. I will not dig you out. Fair warning.” Jaren pushed off his knees and forced his legs back
Chapter 115: The echo of the wild
Asher knelt beside a clear stream. He cupped his hands and splashed cold water over his face as the midday sun beat down on the open meadow. They had spent the last week wandering through the sunny lowlands and sharing campfires under the stars. But a strange restless feeling had been pulling at the edge of his thoughts since morning. The comfortable towns and rolling pastures were peaceful. Yet a part of him still belonged to the rugged untamed ridges where the air was thin and the world demanded full attention. Jaren walked over with an apple in one hand and leaned casually against a mossy boulder. He took a crisp bite and grinned. “You have been staring at those distant pine mountains across the valley for the last two hours, boss,” Jaren said. “Either you are plotting a very strategic shortcut, or you are thinking about packing our bags for the high country again. I know that look. I have seen it before.” Elara stepped up beside the stream and wiped the dust from her jacke
Chapter 114: Endless journey
Asher planted his hiking boots firmly on the sun baked gravel of the summit. His heavy leather pack shifted against his shoulders as he looked out across the wide view. Spread out below them for fifty miles in every direction was a massive, waving sea of green grass, old oak groves, and winding silver rivers that flowed toward a hazy blue mountain range on the far horizon. Jaren marched up beside him and let out a long, dramatic whistle of pure awe as he took in the view. He shaded his eyes against the bright afternoon glare with one hand. “If anyone suggests we turn around and check the mileage back to the stone arch, I am throwing them into the nearest blackberry patch,” Jaren declared. “Because if we go back now, I might actually lose my mind. Look at that. It just keeps going. No end in sight. I like it.” Vane dropped his gear pack onto a flat boulder and wiped a layer of trail dust off his glasses.
Chapter 113: Ancient stone
Asher stopped on the green turf. His eyes fixed on the tall stones rising ahead of them. Half covered by crawling ivy and worn by centuries of rain, a huge archway of grey granite stood in the middle of the rolling landscape. The top was carved with fading symbols from a time long forgotten by the modern world. There were no surveillance cameras blinking red. No security fences humming with power. No automated guards checking papers. It was just an old relic of a forgotten past standing quietly in the sunlit hills, waiting for four travelers to walk right through its shadow. Jaren walked up to the massive stone pillar and ran a hand over the rough, mossy surface. He squinted up at the faded carvings near the top. “If that archway starts glowing blue and tries to teleport us to another dimension, I am turning around and going back to the meadow camp,” Jaren declared. “Though I have to admit, it makes a pretty impressive backdrop for a royal coronation photo. We should take one. F
Chapter 112: Meadow camp
Asher dropped his heavy canvas pack onto the soft emerald moss beside a small brook. He let out a long breath as the cool mountain water rushed over smooth river stones. All around them the wide green valley stretched toward the horizon. Swaying grass and blooming wildflowers moved softly in the evening breeze. There were no flashing sirens. No search grids. No shadows of the void waiting in the dark. It was just an open hollow, a sky full of early stars, and four travelers ready to set up camp for the night. Jaren dropped his gear with a loud thud and rubbed his cold hands together. He dropped to his knees near a pile of dry driftwood and pulled out his flint striker. “If someone does not start a fire in the next two minutes, I am going to turn into a frozen statue right here beside this creek,” Jaren announced. “And do not look at me like that, Vane. I hauled the heavy kettle all day, which officially earns me fireplace exemption rights. I checked the rules. They are very clea
Chapter 111: Endless horizon
Asher pulled his boots to a sudden halt on the sun baked stone summit. His heavy pack shifted against his shoulders as he stared out across the wide view. Spread out below them for fifty miles in every direction was a vast stretch of golden grasslands, ancient forests, and winding blue rivers. The land ran all the way to a hazy mountain range on the distant horizon. Jaren marched up beside him and let out a loud whistle of pure awe as he took in the view. He shaded his eyes against the bright afternoon glare with one hand. “If anyone tells me we need to turn back and check the map again, I am officially hiding their boots in the nearest ravine,” Jaren announced. “Because if we go back now, I might actually cry. Look at that. It just keeps going. No walls. No fences. Just more of everything.” Vane dropped his gear pack onto a flat boulder and wiped a layer of trail dust off his glasses. He pulled out his pocket watch, clicked the brass cover open to check the hour, and then sn
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