The wind whips through the sparse trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and impending rain. Perdy James shivers, pulling her thin jacket tighter around her, but it offers little protection against the encroaching cold. The last rays of sunlight have long since vanished, plunging the forest into a deep, unforgiving twilight. She stumbles over a gnarled root, her worn hiking boots struggling for purchase on the uneven terrain. Her stomach growls, a hollow ache that has been her constant companion for hours. Panic, cold and sharp, pricks at the edges of her composure, threatening to overwhelm the quiet resolve she usually maintains.