2025-05-28 23:54:09
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86
The stars blinked above us, cold and distant like they didn’t care about our mess. The open field was quiet now, but none of us dared to relax.I sat on a fallen log, legs still trembling from the run. My heart was pounding like a drum solo gone wild, and I kept replaying the shadow-creature’s scream in my head. It was like the forest was trying to break us — to crush whatever was left.Caleb paced nearby, hands shoved deep in his pockets. “We can’t wait. Tomorrow, we move on. Find the source.”Davion leaned against a tree, watching the dark forest edge like it was some beast ready to pounce. “The longer we stay here, the weaker we get.”Wilson sat on the grass, quietly cleaning his scratched arm. “I keep thinking about that thing. What if it comes back stronger?”Reika’s voice cut through the silence. “Then we fight. We don’t have a choice.”I rubbed my arms, trying to keep warm and sane. “How do you fight something that isn’t even real?” I asked. “Like... it’s not flesh and blood.”
85
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
Chapter 84
The forest finally started to thin out, but honestly? I didn’t feel any better. If anything, my legs were shaking from the adrenaline, and my head was pounding like a drum.Caleb was in front, looking over his shoulder every few seconds like the forest might still be sneaking up on us. Reika was clutching her dagger like it was her lifeline. Wilson kept rubbing his arm where the wolf had scratched him. And Davion? He looked calm — too calm — like he was hiding something.I wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat. What could I even say? We’d almost been killed. We were all freaked out. And I still heard those damn whispers, swirling in my brain like a bad song you can’t get out.“Why did you really come back?” I blurted at Caleb when no one was looking.He stopped, surprised. Then his eyes got darker, like a storm rolling in. “I had to. I owe you all that much. And... I want to fix what I messed up.”“Fix it?” I laughed bitterly. “How? By dragging us deeper into t
Chapter 83
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
Chapter 82
The night felt heavier after what happened. No one really talked much, but the silence wasn’t peaceful—it was full of nerves, like we were all waiting for the next thing to go wrong.Davion stayed near the fire, sharpening his knife with slow, steady strokes. Reika sat close by, cleaning her bowstring, eyes flicking to the tree line every few seconds like she expected shadows to jump out at her.And then there was me, trying not to let my mind spiral into the dark places the whispers had shown me.“Liora,” Reika’s voice broke the silence. “You sure you’re okay? You look like you want to bolt.”I forced a laugh, but it sounded weak. “I’m fine. Just… tired.”Wilson nodded from where he was stretched out on the ground. “Same here. After what I saw, I’m lucky to even feel tired.”Davion stopped sharpening and looked at me, eyes sharp in the firelight. “You heard them again, didn’t you?”I hesitated. “Yeah.”He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t afford to lose you, Liora. Yo
Chapter 81
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
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