They were about to give up—until the dog led them here.

The forest was a labyrinth of towering trees and tangled underbrush, its mysteries guarded by a relentless fog that clung to the ground like a jealous lover. For days, the search party had combed through the area, their hearts heavy with the growing dread that they might never find the missing child. Each day bled into the next, the hope that had kindled their initial efforts slowly guttering under the weight of exhaustion and despair.