Chapter 23: Sacrifice

"Eden, wake up!"

Stacy's voice jolted him awake. Eden blinked, disoriented, his mind still half-trapped in the nightmare that clung to him like a thick fog. His body ached, and his breaths came shallow, as if the dream had sapped his strength.

"Get up!" she hissed, tugging his sleeve. Her face was pale, her eyes darting toward something ahead.

Eden followed her gaze, and his stomach churned. Just a few paces away, two wolves crouched over what was left of last night's monster. One had a coat of mottled brown, the other a sleek, ghostly silver. Blood matted their fur as they ripped into the flesh, their jaws crunching through bone with unsettling precision.

"They're scavenging," Stacy whispered, her voice barely audible. "But if they notice us…"

Eden nodded, swallowing hard. The wolves hadn't noticed them—yet. Their focus remained on their grim feast.

"We need to leave," Stacy continued, her voice shaky but firm. "Before they finish."