Chapter 17: 17. Unspoken Truths
*"Did you hear that?"* Ava whispered, her voice barely audible.
The campfire had burned down to embers, casting long shadows across the group. They sat in a tight circle, their backs to the dark forest that seemed to close in around them. Tension crackled in the air like static, every snap of a twig sending their nerves on edge.
Tristan, who had been staring intently into the dying fire, looked up. *"Hear what?"*
*"That sound… like something's out there, watching us."* Ava's eyes darted to the darkness beyond the firelight, her pulse quickening.
Harper scoffed, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her fear. *"It's probably just an animal. Or the wind. You're getting paranoid, Ava."*
*"Or maybe she's right."* Nate's voice cut through the tension like a knife. He hadn't moved since the conversation had ended, his gaze fixed on something unseen. *"We don't know what's out there. Or who."*
*"Can we not do this?"* Julian muttered, raking a hand through his hair. *"We're already on edge, and now we're talking about some invisible stalker? We need to keep it together."*
Ava felt a flicker of frustration, but she pushed it down. Julian was trying to keep the group sane, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong—deeply, terrifyingly wrong.
*"Maybe we should go back to the cabin,"* Harper suggested, glancing at the others. *"It's late, and sitting out here isn't helping anyone. We're just scaring ourselves."*
*"No,"* Nate said, his tone firm. *"We need to stay together. Out here, we can see what's coming. In the cabin, we're sitting ducks."*
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The safety of the cabin had once been unquestionable, but now it felt like a trap—a place where they could be cornered, where the walls might close in around them at any moment.
*"We can't stay out here all night,"* Ava said softly. *"But Nate's right. We need to be careful. Maybe we take shifts, keep watch or something. At least until sunrise."*
*"Great,"* Julian said, standing up and dusting off his jeans. *"We'll play babysitter while we slowly lose our minds."*
*"Julian, don't,"* Ava warned, her voice gentle but firm. *"This isn't the time for jokes."*
*"Who says I'm joking?"* Julian shot back, his frustration boiling over. *"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of sitting around waiting for the next disaster. If something's out there, we need to confront it, not hide from it."*
*"And what if it's someone we know?"* Harper asked, her voice trembling. *"What if it's someone in this group?"*
Her words hung in the air like a noose, tightening around each of them. The idea that one of their own might be responsible for the fear and paranoia that had consumed them was almost too much to bear.
*"We don't know that,"* Ava said quickly, trying to maintain the fragile peace. *"But we can't rule anything out. We need to trust each other, but we also need to be smart. If anyone has anything to say, now's the time."*
Silence. The crackling of the fire was the only response as the group shifted uncomfortably. No one was willing to break the uneasy truce that had formed, but the weight of unspoken truths pressed heavily on them.
Nate finally sighed, running a hand over his face. *"We can't keep dancing around it. If anyone knows anything—anything at all—we need to hear it. Now."*
Tristan opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated. His gaze flickered to Ava, then back to the fire. *"There's something… I should have told you guys earlier. Before everything got this bad."*
The group turned to Tristan, their attention fully on him now. Ava felt her heart skip a beat. Tristan was usually the quiet one, the steady presence in the group who never made waves. If he was hiding something, it had to be serious.
*"What is it, Tristan?"* Ava asked, her voice gentle, trying to coax him into sharing.
Tristan took a deep breath, his expression conflicted. *"I've been keeping something from you all… something about the cabin."*
Julian frowned. *"What about the cabin?"*
*"It's not exactly… random that we ended up here,"* Tristan admitted, his voice low. *"I didn't know everything when I booked it, but there were rumors. Stories about this place. About people who came here and… didn't come back."*
Ava felt a chill run down her spine. *"You knew? And you didn't say anything?"*
*"I thought it was just local legend stuff—urban myths, you know? I didn't think it was real. But then, when things started happening, I realized…"* Tristan trailed off, guilt and fear etched into his face.
*"Realized what?"* Harper asked, her voice a thin thread of anxiety.
*"That maybe there's more to those stories than just superstition,"* Tristan finished, his voice barely a whisper.
Nate stood abruptly, anger flashing in his eyes. *"So you brought us here, knowing it could be dangerous? Knowing that people might have died here?"*
*"I didn't know!"* Tristan shot back, his own frustration rising. *"I didn't know it was real. I thought it was just a cool story, something to scare us with. I never imagined…"* His voice broke, the weight of his regret hanging heavy between them.
*"It's too late for regrets now,"* Julian said harshly, his anger barely contained. *"We need to figure out what we're dealing with. If there's something—or someone—out there, we need to be ready."*
*"Or maybe we need to get the hell out of here,"* Harper muttered, her eyes wide with fear. *"Before it's too late."*
*"We're not leaving without answers,"* Nate said firmly, his gaze sweeping over the group. *"We've come too far. We need to see this through."*
Ava felt torn between the need for safety and the pull of curiosity—the desire to uncover the truth, no matter how dark it might be. But one thing was clear: their journey was far from over, and the night was still young.
As the fire crackled softly, the group made a silent pact. No more secrets. No more lies. Whatever was out there, they would face it together.
But as Ava glanced into the shadows beyond the firelight, she couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was already watching them, waiting for the moment to strike.
And when that moment came, she feared they might not be ready.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone