Empyreal, Book 1

Chapter 2

The thicket closed in around Sarah like a living wall, the tangle of branches and underbrush clung to her clothes with every step. A dense fog hovered amongst the trees, turning the woods into an angelic entanglement. She pushed forward, her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps as she navigated through the woody maze that seemed determined to swallow her whole.

"Okay, Sarah, think," she muttered to herself, trying to pierce the pervasive greenery with her gaze. "Left at the gnarled oak, straight past the cluster of ferns." The words were a poor salve to her mounting frustration, but they helped to tether her to some semblance of a plan.

Hours slipped by as unmarked as the trees themselves, until the soft murmur of water drew her attention. A small creek meandered through the forest floor, its banks muddy and trampled by unseen creatures. Sarah's throat burned with thirst; it felt like swallowing sand. She crouched down beside the creek and scooped up a handful of water, her hands trembling with relief.

"Finally," she whispered, bringing the water to her lips, only to recoil as the scent of earth and decay assaulted her senses. The liquid was a cloudy brown, swirling with silt from the forest floor. Her heart sank like the sediment settling at the bottom of her palm.

"Great, just great," Sarah grumbled, the words spilling out into the quiet. Her gaze darted across the creek, searching for a clearer spot, but the water's tale was the same wherever she looked. She let the dirty water slip through her fingers in resignation, feeling the grit scratch against her skin.

"Survival 101, Sarah. Don't drink the murky water," she chided herself, her voice laced with self-mockery. But who was she kidding? She had been transported to this wild, untamed place with nothing but her wits—wits which were quickly proving insufficient.

She leaned back on her heels, her eyes closing for a moment as she drew in a deep, steadying breath. "There has to be a way out of this," she thought, determination flaring within her once more. She couldn't give up now; she had stumbled into this mysterious world, and she would find her way out, one cautious step at a time.

"Alright, if I can't trust the water, I'll have to trust myself." Her voice carried a new edge, a resolve born from the raw instinct to survive. Sarah rose from the bank of the deceitful creek, setting her jaw firmly as she prepared to conquer the wilderness that had become her adversary.

Sarah's heart beat wildly. Her breath came in short gasps, fogging in the chill air as evening began to wrap its cool fingers around the woods.

A defeated sigh escaped her lips. She was lost in a maze of green and brown, every direction looking the same as the last. Sarah's eyes scanned the tangled wilderness, seeking a sign, any marker that could guide her out.

Then, from somewhere behind her, came a faint rustling. Instantly, her body tensed, every muscle coiled like a spring. Sarah's mind raced—was it an animal? Another lost soul like herself? Or something far worse?

"Who's there?" Her voice was steady, betraying none of the anxiety that knotted her stomach. Silence greeted her challenge, but the rustling grew louder, closer. Adrenaline surged through her veins, and she pivoted on the balls of her feet, ready to confront the unknown.

"Show yourself!" she demanded, her fists raised defensively, her body angled to take on whatever threat might emerge from the shadows.

With a start, a figure burst through the underbrush. Sarah barely had time to register the flash of movement before she was tackled to the ground, the damp earth cushioning her fall. A mix of shock and anger flared within her as she struggled against the weight pinning her down.