The relentless hum of the SUV's engine was the only sound echoing through the jagged, pitch-black mountain passes. All through the night, the vehicle pushed deeper into the unmapped northern territory.
Chen Ying and Chen Yan traded places behind the wheel without a word, navigating treacherous, unpaved logging trails and steep off-road declines that would have stranded any standard civilian vehicle. By the time the first pale, gray ribbons of dawn finally broke over the jagged peaks, the towering pines gave way to an isolated, mist-heavy valley.
Hidden Cloud Ridge was frozen in time. There were no paved roads, no power lines, and an absolute, suffocating silence hung over the stone and timber dwellings.
