The moment Valen stepped beyond the outskirts of Georgia's room, she noticed the faint smell of the corpse she was investigating.
Her steps slowed, then stilled completely, her head tilting ever so slightly as she drew in another breath, deeper this time, allowing the scent to settle fully within her awareness.
"Well," she murmured under her breath, her voice soft yet edged with intrigue, "that certainly saves me the trouble of wandering blindly."
She adjusted her coat, her entire being attuned to the invisible thread pulling her forward, and without another moment of hesitation, she followed.
The scent led her off the main path and into a quieter stretch of land where the trees grew denser and the shadows lingered longer, and with every step she took, the smell grew stronger, heavier, pressing against her senses until it was no longer something she had to search for but something that surrounded her entirely.
