Around her, the forest blurred. Alex stood nearby, uneasy and unsure. Samantha sat curled in on herself, grief pulsing through her like a second heartbeat. A small voice inside urged her to quit. Go home. Let go. Maybe this was where it was supposed to end.
Then Alex knelt in front of her, steady and grounded. His hands rested on her shoulders, his voice calm but cutting through the fog. “Sam, you can’t stop here. He’s your family. You’ve come too far. You have to keep going—until there’s nothing left to try.” His words struck deep.