I didn't sleep much after that dream. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard that woman's voice again begging, breaking, and fading into static. By morning, Yan was already awake, packing up the camp like he hadn't slept either. His movements were almost too calm. The kind of calm that hid something sharp beneath.
"Nightmares?" he asked without looking at me.
"Just a bad dream," I muttered, rubbing my face. "The usual cosmic horror stuff."
He hummed quietly, which probably meant you're lying but I won't push. And I was grateful for that.
We headed east, down a narrow mountain path where the mist clung to our legs like ghostly vines. The forest grew thicker, the light dimmer, and the silence felt heavier than it should have.
That was when I sensed her.
Not with my eyes, but through that strange sixth sense the system had baked into me like a heartbeat under the earth.
[Warning: Unregistered energy source detected.]
"Yeah, no kidding," I muttered.
Yan paused. "What?"
