The Deepwood rose before them like a wall of green.
Unlike Lythandar's cultivated beauty, this forest was wild, ancient, and actively hostile. Trees grew so close their branches intertwined into impenetrable canopies. Roots created natural barriers that shifted when approached. The very air felt heavy with attention — as if the forest was watching, judging, waiting.
Hilda stopped at the tree line. "I'll wait here. The Deepwood doesn't welcome dwarves."
"Any particular reason?" Odessa asked.
"We mine. They grow. Philosophical differences that go back a few thousand years." Hilda found a comfortable rock and sat there, tinkering on her orb. "Take your time. I'll be calibrating."
The party stepped into the forest.
The change was immediate as the Sound around them dampened and light filtered to green dimness. The path behind them seemed to close as roots shifted to block their retreat.
"How comforting," Leah muttered.
But Uru pulsed nervously on Yuki's shoulder.
