#Chapter 115 – Worth a Try

Lila We rolled to a stop at the edge of a narrow forest path, the crunch of gravel fading into silence as the wheels stilled. When the door opened, a wave of cool, pine-sweet air swept in, replacing the closeness of velvet cushions and stifled breath with something older. Wilder. I stepped down, and ahead, tall silver-pine trees formed a natural archway, their trunks pale and straight, their needles whispering even though the wind had stilled. “This way,” Asher said softly, gesturing to a barely visible path. “It’s just ahead.” His voice was different here. Stripped of the arrogance I’d come to know. It made me wary. Still, I followed. The forest felt thick with memory and I felt as though I was being watched. As if it remembered every footstep that had ever pressed against its roots. The air was charged, heavy with scent—wet earth, old bark, a faint trace of crushed petals. Asher walked ahead with easy familiarity, and he seemed less guarded here. Carved stones li