Mountain Road

The narrow mountain path winds through jagged rock and deep darkness, its uneven surface slick with damp earth and scattered debris from the fleeing villagers. The candle’s flickering light carves a fragile path through the night, illuminating desperate faces—Alma’s grip white-knuckled around the flame, Pedro’s determined stride guiding stragglers forward. In the distance, the village burns, its flames licking the sky like a warning. The folk song rises softly, a thread of memory and defiance weaving through the cold air, tightening the bonds of shared terror. The road itself feels alive, a living thing that both leads them to safety and threatens to swallow their footing.