Chapter 158. Encounter at Emberfang

Celeste’s POV

Arriving at Emberfang Village took my breath away. I had seen many settlements in my travels, but this one—nestled deep within the forest—might be the most beautiful I had ever encountered. Everywhere I looked, the scenery shimmered with a ruby-red hue: slender birch trees whose bark glistened like polished gemstones, and grass that seemed to glow softly underfoot, as though each blade contained a flicker of embers. Even the cottages and longhouses were crafted from the same luminous birch wood, so perfectly matched to the surroundings that they appeared to grow naturally from the forest floor.

I turned to Leon, still staring in awe. “So this place was truly hidden within the forest all along?” I asked, my voice hushed by wonder.

He nodded, stepping beside me. “Yeah,” he replied quietly. Then, with a sudden note of concern, he added, “But what would have happened if we’d lost that being back there?”

His question made my heart skip. I want