Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Securing the Sanctuary

The first light of dawn filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft glow across the dusty floorboards of the mansion's grand hall. We were up early, too restless to sleep in after the night we'd had. The mansion had given us a place to regroup, but it was still far from secure. If we were going to make this our home, we needed to fortify it, and fast.

"Okay, let's split up and see what we're working with," Raven said, her voice steady and businesslike, though I could hear the underlying edge of urgency. "Elijah, you take Marcy and check the perimeter. Make sure there are no weak points outside that we need to reinforce. George and I will handle the interior."

Elijah nodded, already moving toward the door with Marcy close behind. I caught Marcy's eye and gave her a quick nod of encouragement. She returned it with a small smile, though I could see the worry lines creasing her forehead. None of us had forgotten about the creatures we'd faced last night, and the possibility of more lurking outside was enough to keep everyone on edge.

As Elijah and Marcy headed out, Raven turned to me, her expression softening just a bit. "You ready, George? We've got a lot of ground to cover."

I shrugged, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Ready as I'll ever be. Let's see what this old place has in store for us."

We started in the main hall, where the grand staircase led up to the second floor. The house was quiet, the only sound the creak of the floorboards under our feet as we moved from room to room. Despite its age, the mansion had held up surprisingly well over the years, though there were clear signs of neglect, cracked walls, peeling wallpaper, and windows that rattled in their frames with every gust of wind.

As we worked, I couldn't help but notice how close Raven and I were. We moved in sync, almost as if we'd been doing this kind of thing together for years. At one point, while I was trying to pry a particularly stubborn nail from a window frame, Raven stepped in to help, her hand brushing against mine as she took the hammer from me.

"Here, let me try," she said, her voice low and confident. I watched as she positioned the hammer just right and gave the nail a firm tap, dislodging it in one smooth motion. She handed the hammer back to me with a satisfied smirk.

"Show-off," I teased, though I couldn't help but be impressed. Raven was good at this, no, she was great at this. And the way she moved, with such purpose and grace, made it hard to focus on anything else.

"Hey, you loosened it for me," she shot back, her eyes sparkling with a hint of amusement. "Besides, you're doing pretty well for someone who claims not to be handy."

"Claims?" I raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "You saying I've been underselling myself?"

"Maybe a little," she said with a grin. "But don't get too cocky. We've still got a lot of work to do."

As we continued to work, the banter between us flowed easily, each playful jab met with a quick retort. There was something almost electric in the air between us, a charge that seemed to build with every passing minute. It was as if the more we worked together, the more aware I became of her presence, her movements, her voice, the way she seemed to read my thoughts before I even had a chance to voice them. I found myself staring a bit too long as she bent over to grab a fallen nail. I quickly glanced away and pretended to be eyeing the nail so I could attack it at the best angle.

We moved to the large dining room next, where a set of tall, ornate windows overlooked the overgrown garden outside. The glass was cracked in several places, and the wood around the frames was starting to rot. It wasn't the most secure, but it was nothing we couldn't fix.

"I'll grab the boards and start reinforcing these," I said, moving toward the pile of old wooden planks we'd found in one of the storage rooms. "Think you can handle the other side?"

Raven gave me a mock salute. "Roger that, boss."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You know, you're not exactly the submissive type."

She flashed me a wicked grin. "And you're just figuring that out now?"

I shook my head, still chuckling as I picked up the first board and carried it over to the window. But as I set it against the frame, I felt Raven's gaze on me, intense, like she was studying me. I turned to meet her eyes, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

There was something there, something unspoken but undeniable. The way she looked at me, the way her lips quirked up at the corners, it was like she was daring me to acknowledge what was happening between us.

"Raven," I began, my voice softer now, "I…"

Before I could finish, the window behind us rattled violently, as if something had slammed against it from the outside. We both jumped, snapping our attention to the glass. The tension in the room shifted immediately from something personal to something far more dangerous.

"Did you see that?" I whispered, inching closer to the window. Raven was already by my side, her hand reaching instinctively for the crowbar tucked into her belt.

"I saw it," she replied, her voice tense. "Let's check it out."

We approached the window cautiously, peering through the cracked glass into the garden beyond. The overgrown bushes and tangled vines swayed gently in the breeze, but there was no sign of movement, no indication of what might have caused the window to shake like that.

"Could've been the wind," I suggested, though even as I said it, I didn't fully believe it.

"Or something else," Raven muttered, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area. "Let's finish up here and check the perimeter. I don't like the idea of something lurking around out there."

We worked quickly to secure the windows, both of us on high alert now. The playful banter from earlier had faded, replaced by the sharp focus of people who knew they were in potential danger. But even as we worked, the tension between us didn't disappear, it just simmered beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to rise again.

When the windows were reinforced to our satisfaction, we grabbed our weapons, me with my metal pipe and Raven with her trusty crowbar, and headed outside to meet up with Elijah and Marcy.

The garden was eerily quiet as we stepped out, the morning light casting long shadows across the tangled foliage. Elijah and Marcy were already by the outer fence, checking the rusty iron gates for any signs of forced entry.

"Anything?" Raven asked as we approached.

Elijah shook his head. "Nothing so far, but we should do a full sweep. Make sure there's nothing hiding out here that we didn't see last night."

Raven nodded, then turned to me, her expression serious. "Stay close, George. Let's make sure we cover every inch of this place."

"Got it," I replied, falling into step beside her as we started our sweep of the garden.

We moved methodically, checking behind bushes, under overgrown ivy, and in the small shed at the far end of the property. The garden was dense with vegetation, and every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig had us on edge.

As we worked, the flirtation from earlier returned in small doses, an occasional playful nudge when we squeezed through a narrow path, or a smirk when one of us had to duck to avoid a low-hanging branch. It was like the danger had only heightened the awareness between us, making every glance, every touch, that much more charged.

At one point, as I crouched to inspect a patch of overgrown grass near the fence, Raven knelt beside me, her shoulder brushing against mine. The contact was brief, but it sent a jolt through me, and I could feel her pause, her breath catching just slightly.

"Find anything?" she asked, her voice lower than usual.

"No," I replied, turning to meet her gaze. "But I'm starting to think maybe we're overreacting."

"Maybe," she said, but she didn't move away. Instead, she lingered there, so close I could see the flecks of green in her eyes, the way her dark lashes framed them. For a moment, it was just the two of us, the world narrowing to that small patch of grass, the tension between us growing heavier with each second.

I swallowed, feeling my heart rate pick up, not from fear, but from the intensity of the moment. "Raven, I…"

Before I could finish, a loud crash echoed from the other side of the garden, followed by a shout from Elijah. We both snapped our heads in the direction of the noise, the spell between us breaking instantly.

"Come on!" Raven said, springing to her feet, her crowbar at the ready.

We bolted toward the sound, weaving through the overgrown bushes and dodging low-hanging branches as we raced to reach Elijah and Marcy. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of adrenaline and worry fueling my steps.

When we rounded the corner, we found Elijah and Marcy near the crumbling stone wall that marked the edge of the property. Elijah was standing over a large, twisted mass of vines and branches that had collapsed onto the ground, his crossbow aimed at whatever was beneath it. Marcy was beside him, her face pale but determined, a small hatchet gripped tightly in her hands.

"What happened?" Raven asked, skidding to a stop beside them, her eyes scanning the area.

"Something's under there," Elijah said, his voice tense. "We heard it moving, and when I tried to clear the vines, it… attacked."

Marcy nodded, her gaze fixed on the mass of vines. "I think it's one of those creatures, but it's caught in the branches. It's still alive, though."

I tightened my grip on the metal pipe, ready for anything. "Should we dig it out?"

Raven shook her head, her expression grim. "No. If it's one of those creatures, it's better off staying trapped. We'll just finish it off."

Elijah adjusted his stance, aiming his crossbow at the spot where the vines were thickest. "Everyone stand back. I've got this."

We stepped back, giving him space. Elijah's hands were steady as he took aim, his focus intense. There was a brief moment of silence, then the twang of the crossbow as the bolt shot forward, disappearing into the mass of vines. A high-pitched screech erupted from the pile, followed by a violent thrashing as whatever was trapped beneath it tried to break free.

But the struggle didn't last long. Within moments, the thrashing subsided, the screeches fading into a low, pitiful whine before falling silent altogether. The creature, whatever it had been, was finally still.

Elijah lowered his crossbow, his expression unreadable as he stepped closer to inspect the remains. "I think that did it," he said quietly.

Raven approached cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she peered into the tangled mess of vines and branches. After a moment, she nodded. "Good shot. Let's clear this away, just to be sure."

We worked together to clear the vines, using our weapons to cut through the thick, twisted branches. As we uncovered the creature, I couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease. It was similar to the others we'd encountered, small, pale, and twisted, its limbs unnaturally long and thin. But this one seemed different, more aggressive, as if it had been driven by something more than just instinct.

"Why are they still hanging around here?" I wondered aloud as we continued to clear the debris. "I thought they'd move on after last night."

"Maybe this place is special to them," Marcy suggested, her voice thoughtful. "Like it's part of their territory or something."

Raven frowned, wiping a strand of hair from her face. "If that's the case, we need to be extra careful. We're in their territory now, and they're not going to give it up easily."

I nodded, a sense of unease settling over me. "We should finish securing the perimeter, just in case."

Elijah agreed. "We'll need to set up some defenses too. Traps, alarms, anything that will give us a warning if they come back."

When we finally finished clearing the vines and securing the area around the old wall, we regrouped near the mansion's back entrance. The sun was higher in the sky now, casting long shadows across the garden, but the warmth did little to ease the tension in the air.

"We should head inside and regroup," Raven said, her tone all business once again. "We need to figure out a plan for securing this place long-term."

We all nodded in agreement, exhaustion beginning to creep in as the adrenaline started to wear off. The mansion loomed behind us, its dark windows reflecting the sunlight, making it look more imposing than ever.

As we moved back toward the mansion, Raven fell into step beside me. "George, thanks for sticking close," she said, her voice quieter now that we were away from the others. "It helps, knowing you've got my back."

I glanced at her, surprised by the sudden sincerity in her voice. "Of course, Raven. We're a team."

She looked at me, her expression softening for just a moment. "Yeah, we are."

We walked the rest of the way in silence, the unspoken tension between us stronger than ever. I could feel the weight of her presence beside me, the way her shoulder occasionally brushed against mine as we walked. It was distracting, and I found myself wishing we could be anywhere else, just the two of us, without the constant threat of danger looming over our heads.

When we finally reached the mansion, Elijah and Marcy went ahead to start setting up in the main hall. Raven and I paused by the back entrance, taking a moment to catch our breath.

"Listen," she said, turning to face me fully. "About earlier… by the window."

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light, even though my heart was beating faster.

"I…" She hesitated, searching for the right words. "We've been through a lot, and I know it's not the best time for… whatever this is, but…"

"But it's there," I finished for her, my voice low.

She nodded, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. "Yeah, it is."

For a moment, we just stood there, the weight of the unspoken feelings between us pressing down like a physical force. I wanted to reach out, to close the distance between us, but I didn't want to push her, didn't want to risk breaking whatever fragile connection we'd formed.

"We'll figure it out," I said softly, hoping to reassure her.

She smiled, just a small curve of her lips, but it was enough to make my chest tighten. "Yeah, we will."

Before either of us could say anything more, the sound of footsteps approaching from inside the mansion broke the moment. Elijah appeared in the doorway, his expression serious.

"We've got company," he said, nodding toward the front of the house. "Someone's at the gate."

Raven and I exchanged a quick glance before following Elijah back through the mansion. The tension from before had shifted once again, replaced by the urgency of the new threat, or opportunity, at our doorstep.

When we reached the front entrance, we found Marcy standing by one of the boarded-up windows, peering through a small gap in the wood. "It's a man," she whispered, her voice laced with concern. "He's hurt. Looks like he's been out there for a while."

Raven moved to the window, taking a quick look before nodding. "We need to bring him in. If he's hurt, he won't last long out there."

"Are we sure it's safe?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities. "What if it's a trap?"

"It could be," Raven admitted, her gaze still fixed on the man outside. "But we can't just leave him out there to die. We'll bring him in, keep him under watch, and see what he knows."

I nodded, trusting her judgment. Together, we unbarred the door and cautiously stepped outside. The man was leaning heavily against the gate, his clothes torn and stained with dirt and blood. He looked up as we approached, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and desperation.

"Help me," he croaked, his voice weak. "Please…"

Raven was at his side in an instant, slipping her arm under his to help him stand. "We've got you," she said firmly. "Let's get you inside."

As we helped the man into the mansion, I couldn't shake the feeling that our quiet sanctuary was about to get a lot more complicated. The mysteries surrounding this place, and now this stranger, were piling up, and I knew it was only a matter of time before we'd have to face whatever was coming.

But for now, we had a new priority: helping this man, and figuring out just what he was doing in the woods alone.

We guided him through the grand hall and into the main living area, where the fireplace was still crackling with warmth from earlier. Elijah had already set up a few blankets on the floor, turning the area into a makeshift medical station. Marcy hovered nearby, her expression anxious but determined.

As we laid the man down on the blankets, I took a moment to get a better look at him. He was in rough shape, his face was gaunt, his cheeks hollowed out as if he hadn't eaten in days. His clothes were tattered, stained with a mixture of dirt and dried blood. A deep gash ran across his left arm, the skin around it red and inflamed.

Raven knelt beside him, her hands gentle but efficient as she examined his wounds. "We need to clean this up," she said, her tone clinical. "Nana, can you get some water and bandages?"

Marcy nodded quickly and rushed off to find the supplies. I watched as Raven continued to work, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was so focused, so in control, and I couldn't help but admire her even more for it. Despite everything, she had this incredible ability to stay calm under pressure, to do what needed to be done without hesitation.

"Hey," I said softly, not wanting to break her concentration but feeling the need to check in. "You okay?"

Raven glanced up at me, her eyes softening just a bit. "I'm fine," she replied, but there was an edge to her voice that told me she was anything but. "I just… I hate seeing people like this. We've all lost so much."

"Yeah," I agreed, the weight of her words sinking in. "But we're still here. That counts for something, right?"

She gave me a small, tired smile. "Yeah, it does."

Before we could say more, Marcy returned with a bowl of water and some clean cloths. She handed them to Raven, who immediately began cleaning the man's wound with a practiced hand. The man winced, letting out a soft groan of pain, but didn't pull away.

"Easy," Raven murmured, her voice soothing. "We've got you. What's your name?"

The man's eyes fluttered open, focusing on Raven with an effort. "Tobias," he rasped. "Name's Tobias."

"Well, Tobias," Raven said, continuing to clean the wound, "you're lucky we found you. What happened out there?"

Tobias swallowed hard, his throat dry. "Got separated from my group. We were… ambushed. Came out of nowhere. Lost track of them in the woods, and then… I don't know. Just tried to survive."

"Ambushed by what?" I asked, feeling a chill run down my spine.

Tobias's gaze shifted to me, and I saw fear in his eyes, real, deep fear. "Creatures," he said, his voice trembling. "Not like the ones we've seen before. Bigger, smarter. They were… hunting us."

Raven and I exchanged a quick glance. This was bad, worse than we'd thought. If there were creatures out there that were more than just mindless monsters, we were in for a lot more trouble than we'd anticipated.

"Did anyone else survive?" Raven asked, her voice gentle.

Tobias shook his head weakly. "I don't know. I think… I think I'm the only one."

Marcy's face fell, and she looked away, blinking back tears. The weight of what he'd said hung heavily in the air, the implications sinking in. We were dealing with something new, something dangerous, and we were on our own.

"We're going to help you, Tobias," Raven said, her voice firm but kind. "You're safe here, with us."

Tobias gave a weak nod, his eyes closing again as exhaustion overtook him. Raven finished cleaning the wound and started to bandage it, her hands moving with practiced precision. I knelt beside her, ready to assist, but mostly just trying to process everything we'd just learned.

As we worked, I couldn't help but feel a growing sense of dread. The creatures we'd encountered before were bad enough, but now we were dealing with something far worse, something that could think, plan, and hunt us down. And if Tobias was telling the truth, these creatures were out there, somewhere in the woods, maybe even closer than we realized.

"We need to double our defenses," I said quietly, not wanting to alarm Marcy but knowing that we couldn't afford to take any chances. "Whatever these things are, we can't let them get in here."

Raven nodded, her expression grim. "Agreed. We'll start setting traps around the perimeter. If they try to get close, we'll know."

Elijah, who had been standing quietly by the fireplace, stepped forward. "I'll take the first watch. Make sure nothing sneaks up on us."

"I'll join you," I said, feeling the need to do something, anything, to keep us safe.

Raven looked like she wanted to argue, to tell me to rest, but she didn't. She just nodded, her eyes meeting mine with an understanding that went beyond words. We were in this together, and we both knew what was at stake.

As Marcy stayed behind to keep an eye on Tobias, the three of us headed back outside, the cold air hitting us like a splash of water. The sun was higher now, casting long shadows across the garden, but the warmth of the light did little to chase away the chill that had settled in my bones.

We moved quickly, setting up makeshift traps and alarms around the perimeter of the mansion. Elijah and I worked in silence, the only sounds the rustling of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. Every so often, I'd catch Raven watching me from across the garden, her expression unreadable, but I could feel the tension between us, even from a distance.

When we finished, we met up near the old stone wall, where the creature had been trapped earlier. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, the light taking on a warmer, more golden hue. But the beauty of the moment was lost on us, we were too focused on the task at hand.

"Let's hope these hold," Elijah muttered, adjusting the last of the traps. "If anything comes close, we'll hear it."

"Let's hope we don't have to," I replied, though I knew it was a slim hope.

Raven joined us, her gaze scanning the tree line as if expecting something to emerge at any moment. "We'll rotate watches tonight," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Two of us awake at all times. We can't afford to let our guard down."

I nodded, already feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in. But there was no way I was going to sleep soundly tonight, not with the knowledge that something far more dangerous than we'd imagined was out there, waiting.

"George, you and Elijah take the first watch," Raven continued. "I'll join Nana inside and keep an eye on Tobias. We'll switch out in a few hours."

I didn't argue. I just nodded, grateful that she was taking charge, that she knew what needed to be done. There was something incredibly reassuring about the way Raven handled everything, as if she'd been preparing for this her whole life. It made me feel a little more confident, a little less scared, though the fear was still there, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.

As Elijah and I settled in for the watch, I couldn't help but glance back at the mansion, at the warm glow of the firelight spilling through the windows. I knew Raven was inside, probably sitting by the fire, maybe even thinking about the same things I was.

I wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, but I knew she felt the same way about me. We were in this together, and whatever was coming, we'd face it side by side.

The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the garden as the day turned to dusk. The forest around us grew darker, the trees closing in like silent sentinels guarding the secrets of the woods. I tightened my grip on the metal pipe, the cold metal a steadying presence in my hands.

The world around us was changing, becoming something darker, more dangerous. But we were still here. We were still fighting.

And as long as we had each other, I knew we'd find a way to survive.

The sun had nearly set by the time Raven and Marcy returned to the mansion, leaving Elijah and me alone in the garden to keep watch. The evening air was cooler now, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze. The light was fading fast, the sky shifting from soft pinks and oranges to deep purples and blues as night descended over the forest.

We stood in silence for a while, each of us lost in our thoughts, our senses heightened by the growing darkness. Every sound seemed amplified, the distant hoot of an owl, the whisper of the wind through the trees, the creak of the old stone wall as it settled. It was quiet, too quiet, and that silence only served to put us more on edge.

Elijah glanced over at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "You think we're ready for whatever's out there?" he asked, his voice low.

I hesitated, not wanting to sound too confident when I wasn't sure of the answer myself. "I think we've done everything we can," I said finally. "But we don't know what we're dealing with yet. We just have to stay alert."

He nodded, but I could see the worry in his eyes, the same worry that gnawed at the back of my mind. The traps we'd set, the defenses we'd put in place, they were good, but were they enough? If Tobias was right about the creatures being smarter, more organized, then we might be in for a lot more than we'd bargained for.

The minutes ticked by, and the darkness deepened. The mansion behind us was a silhouette against the night sky, its windows glowing faintly with the warm light of the fire inside. I could picture Raven and Marcy sitting by that fire, talking quietly, maybe even trying to get some rest before it was their turn to take the watch. The thought of Raven, safe and warm inside, brought a small measure of comfort, but it wasn't enough to dispel the unease that had settled over me like a heavy fog.

I kept my eyes trained on the tree line, searching for any sign of movement. The forest was dense, the shadows thick and impenetrable, making it difficult to see anything beyond the first few rows of trees. But I knew something was out there. I could feel it, a presence, watching us, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Elijah," I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.

He turned to me, sensing the tension in my voice. "What is it?"

"I don't know," I admitted, my grip tightening on the metal pipe. "But something doesn't feel right. I think… I think we're being watched."

Elijah followed my gaze to the tree line, his body tensing as he scanned the shadows. We stood there for what felt like an eternity, straining our eyes and ears, trying to pick up on anything, any movement, any sound, that would confirm my suspicions.

And then, just for a split second, I saw it.

A shadowy figure, barely visible among the trees, just on the edge of the clearing. It was tall, its form indistinct, but there was something about the way it moved that sent a shiver down my spine. It was deliberate, purposeful, as if it was studying us, weighing its options.

"Elijah," I said again, my voice urgent now. "Did you see that?"

He nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the darkness. "Yeah. I saw it."

We didn't move, didn't dare make a sound. The figure remained at the edge of the clearing, just out of reach, just beyond our line of sight. It didn't come closer, didn't retreat, just watched.

"What do we do?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

Elijah's jaw tightened. "We wait. We can't let it know we've seen it, not yet."

We stayed there, frozen in place, our eyes locked on the spot where the figure had appeared. The seconds dragged by, each one more excruciating than the last. My heart pounded in my chest, the adrenaline coursing through my veins, making it difficult to stay still, to stay quiet.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the figure melted back into the shadows, disappearing into the depths of the forest. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, but there was no sign of movement, no sound to indicate that anything had been there at all.

But we both knew what we'd seen. We both knew that something was out there, watching us, biding its time.

"We need to tell the others," Elijah said, his voice low and steady, though I could hear the tension beneath it.

I nodded, already moving toward the mansion. "We'll need to reinforce the perimeter, set up more traps. Whatever that was, it's not going to give up easily."

As we hurried back inside, my mind raced with the implications of what we'd seen. The creatures Tobias had warned us about were real, and they were closer than we'd thought. The mansion, our sanctuary, might not be as safe as we'd hoped.

When we reached the main hall, Raven and Marcy were already there, their expressions alert and concerned as they saw the urgency in our faces.

"What happened?" Raven asked, her gaze flicking between us.

Elijah and I quickly explained what we'd seen, the shadowy figure at the edge of the forest, the sense that we were being watched.

"It was just standing there," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Like it was studying us. It didn't come closer, but it didn't leave either. It was… waiting."

Raven's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing as she processed the information. "Then it knows we're here. We need to prepare for whatever's coming."

Marcy looked worried, her hands twisting together nervously. "Do you think it was one of the creatures Tobias warned us about?"

"Maybe," Elijah said, his voice grim. "Or it could be something else. Either way, we can't let our guard down."

Raven nodded, her jaw set with determination. "We'll reinforce the perimeter tonight. Set up more traps, make sure every possible entry point is secured. We need to be ready."

As we moved to carry out her orders, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that had settled in my gut. The shadowy figure in the woods had been a warning, a sign that our fight was far from over. The creatures, whatever they were, had found us, and they weren't going to let us go without a struggle.

But as I glanced over at Raven, saw the resolve in her eyes, I knew we weren't going to give up either. We'd fought too hard, come too far, to let fear win now.

We'd be ready for whatever was coming. And when the time came, we'd face it together.

As the last light of day faded and the mansion was swallowed by darkness, I couldn't help but cast one final glance toward the forest, my heart pounding in my chest.

Somewhere out there, hidden among the trees, a pair of eyes watched us. Waiting. Planning.

And deep in the shadows, something moved.

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