THE RESONANCE OF THE HUNT

At the edge of the jungle, the air changed. Behind them lay the ordered geometry of roads and lanterns; ahead, a wall of living density that swallowed sound, light, and certainty alike. Even the moonlight seemed to hesitate at the threshold.

Luis was waiting with the advance team where the packed earth gave way to roots and undergrowth. The moment he spotted Sals coming out of the dim trail, his shoulders dropped in visible relief.