The familiarity of these walks lulled Wade, comforting him with a sense of belonging he had never quite found in the city. That night, however, the tranquillity cracked. As Wade clipped the leash onto Milo’s collar and stepped outside.
The air felt different—heavier, charged with an undercurrent of unease. The sun had already sunk behind the peaks, leaving lingering traces of twilight. Milo paused on the threshold, ears pricked as though sensing a disturbance in the darkening wood.