Chapter 22: The Scarred Lands

The eyes stared back at Mia from the depths of the pool, glowing with an eerie intensity that made her breath hitch. The whispers in her head swelled to a crescendo, their insistent voices overlapping until they became a single command: Follow.

"Mia!" Zoe's sharp whisper jolted her. She turned to see her sister approaching, her knife drawn and her expression wary.

"What are you doing?" Zoe demanded, glancing at the pool.

"I saw something," Mia said, her voice shaking. "In the water."

Zoe didn't look convinced. "We've got enough to deal with without adding hallucinations to the list."

"It wasn't a hallucination," Mia insisted. She turned back to the pool, but the glowing eyes were gone, leaving only her distorted reflection staring back at her.

"Whatever it was," Zoe said, her voice softening slightly, "you can't let it distract you. We need you focused."