Chapter Fifty - As Friends should

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The first light of dawn crept through the dense canopy of trees, casting a soft, golden hue on the forest floor. The air was crisp and filled with the earthy scent of damp leaves and dew-kissed ferns. Birds stirred in their nests, their morning songs gradually filling the woods with a symphony of chirps and melodies.

Startled by Aidan's exclamation the group shot up from their makeshift beds, disoriented and alarmed. The clearing, once filled with the soft glow of the campfire, was now cloaked in bright light.

.Aret's hand instinctively went to her neck, where the mark of her bond with Mobali still glowed faintly. The realization hit her like a cold breeze - their horses had disappeared.

Velia, always alert, spoke first. "Are you sure they're gone? Maybe they just wandered off."

Aidan, his panic still fresh, stammered, "I... I tied them securely. There's no way they could have just wandered off."

Mobali clenched his fists, his protective instincts kicking in. "We need to f