Cassian and Simon fell into complete silence, barely daring to breathe as they moved slowly among the branches. Neither of them knew who—or what—was approaching, and if it was a Circle Warrior, their senses might be sharp enough to detect them even up in the trees.
It wasn't much, but that slim margin of hope—that a few meters of height and good cover would be enough—was what they were gambling their lives on.
Anyone beyond the third defensive line was guaranteed to be stronger than them. That alone made this dangerous. But what unsettled them even more was the eerie lack of soldiers in the area. There was supposed to be a permanent camp nearby, marking the edge of the third line. It should've been crawling with personnel.
Instead, it was dead quiet.
Too quiet.
Finally, the rustling came to a halt—just beneath their perch in the trees.
Cassian and Simon held their breath as they peered down through the leaves… and there they were. The missing soldiers.
