Chapter 41Malakai POVI reached the outskirt of the strange land and slowed my steps. The air here was heavy, almost thick enough to choke me. Woods stretched endlessly in every direction, the trees tall and shadowed, their branches like claws trying to rip the sky. Beyond them rose mountains, steep and rough, and I could see cliffs dropping into nothingness. The place felt wrong. It felt like no map could hold it.I adjusted the strap of the bag in my hand and scanned ahead. A man was standing not far from me, arms folded, waiting like he had known the exact moment I would arrive. His stance was calm, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that made me uneasy.“You must be Ryder,” I said, more as a statement than a question. My voice carried across the stillness.The man nodded once, his face unreadable. “Yes. Follow me.”I frowned. No greeting. No smile. No explanation. Just an order. My instinct told me to turn back, but I forced my feet forward.“What is this place?” I asked as I w
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