The sun was going down, and the cold was starting to bite. They all looked tired as they shuffled around the small clearing, setting up a fire that Reika had finally managed to spark with a flint stone she carried in her bag. Davion was fussing over the wood, and Wilson was sharpening a blade like he was in some medieval movie or something.“Do you think we’re gonna freeze to death tonight?” the narrator—who was trying to be brave—asked out loud. She shivered even though she tried to keep her voice casual. Her name was Liora, and she was definitely not feeling very brave right now.Davion snorted and looked up from the fire. “You won’t freeze to death. We’ll keep the fire going.”Liora pulled her knees closer to her chest. Her ankle throbbed, wrapped in a makeshift bandage. She watched as Reika checked the perimeter for the hundredth time. Reika always seemed so confident, like she was born to be in charge of everything. Liora kind of envied that.“I’m just saying,” she mumbled, tryin

The smell of old wood and musty air filled the cabin. Liora shifted in the chair, her ankle still throbbing but better than before. The others were moving around, checking out the shelves and corners for anything useful.Wilson found an old lantern and held it up, grinning. “Hey, this might still work.”Reika took it from him and fiddled with it. She managed to get it to flicker to life, the soft glow pushing back the shadows. The light made the place look less creepy, but it didn’t stop Liora’s nerves from buzzing under her skin.Davion was by the window, peeking through a crack in the boards. His expression was tight. “I don’t like this,” he muttered.Liora got up, careful not to put too much weight on her ankle, and joined him. “What do you see?”“Nothing,” he said. “And that’s what bothers me.”She didn’t really get it, but she trusted him. Davion had always been the one with instincts that kept them safe.“Hey, come look at this!” Wilson called from the back of the cabin.They al

The next morning, the sun barely cracked through the thick canopy, casting everything in a dull greenish-gray light. Liora woke up to the sound of Wilson humming—badly, she thought—while sharpening his knife by the fire.“Morning, sleepyhead,” he said without looking up. “You look like you didn’t get any rest.”She rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly. “You could say that. I think the forest hates me.”Davion stretched beside her and smirked. “The forest hates all of us. That’s why we’re leaving as fast as we can.”Reika joined them, tying her boots with quick, practiced movements. “We need to move before the sun gets too high. Shadows won’t hide us forever.”Liora glanced nervously at the tree line. The woods looked peaceful, but she knew better. Somewhere in those shadows, the whispers were waiting.“Wait,” she said suddenly, holding up a hand. “Before we go—what if the whispers are like a trap? Like, maybe if we ignore them, they won’t get us?”Wilson scoffed. “Yeah, ignoring a creep

The forest felt like it was closing in on us, every shadow alive and watching. My heart kept thumping so loud I thought maybe the whispers could hear it. I swallowed hard and tried to tell myself to be brave, but honestly? I was terrified.Davion was right beside me, his hand on his bow like he was ready to shoot anything that moved. “Stay close,” he whispered.I nodded, gripping my backpack tighter, wishing I had something stronger than just hope and fear to protect us.Caleb was quiet, walking a few steps ahead, his eyes scanning every tree like he expected something to jump out any second. I wasn’t sure if I trusted him yet, but I couldn’t deny he seemed serious.Reika and Wilson brought up the rear, and I kept stealing glances at them, trying to read their faces. Reika still looked tense, her fingers twitching near her dagger, and Wilson… well, Wilson looked like he hadn’t slept in days.“Why is this place so creepy?” I muttered under my breath.Davion glanced at me, smirking a li

We finally broke through the trees, and the edge of the forest spread out before us like some giant, scary promise. The open air hit my face, and for a second, I thought maybe we were safe. Maybe the nightmare was almost over.But the forest wasn’t done yet.“Wait,” Caleb hissed, holding up a hand.We all froze, eyes scanning the dark line of trees behind us.Something moved.A low growl rumbled through the air, and my stomach dropped.From the shadows, two glowing eyes appeared — bigger and meaner than anything I’d seen before.“Not again,” Wilson muttered, gripping his arm like it still hurt.Reika raised her dagger, muscles tense. “Stay ready.”The creature stepped out — not a wolf this time, but something worse. It was like a shadow with teeth, all twisting and shifting like smoke.“Is that even real?” I whispered, heart pounding.Davion’s eyes narrowed. “Real enough to kill us.”The shadow-creature lunged.Caleb fired an arrow right into its side, but it didn’t slow down. It snar