They should have turned back sooner.
That thought came too late.
The deeper they moved through Eldergloom Forest, the more something felt… wrong.
At first, it was subtle.
Easy to ignore.
The wind had quieted.
The leaves no longer rustled the same way.
Even their footsteps—once accompanied by the distant hum of life—now sounded too loud.
Too alone.
"…It's getting quiet," Tovin muttered.
No one answered immediately.
Because they had all noticed it.
Rynel slowed his pace, his usual carefree energy fading into something more cautious.
"…We didn't come this far before, right?"
"We didn't," Liora replied.
Her voice was calm—but quieter than usual.
Measured.
Her eyes moved constantly, scanning the trees, the shadows, the spaces between them.
Kael said nothing.
He was listening.
Not with his ears.
But with something deeper.
That feeling again.
It wasn't sharp.
It wasn't clear.
But it was there.
A faint pressure at the edge of his awareness.
Like standing too close to something unseen.
"…We should go back," Tovin said, more firmly this time.
Rynel nodded. "Yeah. This place is starting to feel creepy."
Liora didn't argue.
She turned slightly, already preparing to retrace their steps.
Kael followed—
Then stopped.
"…Wait."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it cut through the silence.
"What is it?" Liora asked immediately.
Kael didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed ahead.
On nothing.
And everything.
"…Do you hear that?"
They listened.
At first—
Nothing.
Then—
A faint sound.
Soft.
Almost unnoticeable.
A step.
Not theirs.
Tovin's breath hitched slightly. "That wasn't—"
Rynel raised a hand, signaling him to stay quiet.
Another sound.
Closer.
A low rustle.
Then—
Silence again.
But this time…
It felt different.
Heavy.
As if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Kael's grip tightened around his wooden sword.
His pulse slowed.
Not from calm—
But from focus.
"…Stay behind me," he said.
Rynel blinked. "Wait—you're serious?"
Kael didn't respond.
His gaze shifted slightly—
Left.
Then right.
Then forward again.
The feeling was stronger now.
Closer.
Whatever it was—
It was watching them.
And it was no longer hiding well.
Liora stepped back slightly, pulling Tovin with her.
"…Kael," she said quietly, "we should leave."
"We are," Kael replied.
"But not yet."
Rynel swallowed.
"…Why not?"
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Because it's already here."
The words had barely settled—
When the bushes ahead exploded.
A dark shape burst forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
Tovin froze.
Liora pulled him back instinctively.
Rynel stepped forward—but too late.
Kael moved first.
His body reacted before thought.
The wooden sword came up just in time—
Clack!
The impact sent a shock through his arms.
Heavy.
Far heavier than before.
The creature landed a short distance away, its form finally visible.
A wolf.
But not a normal one.
Larger.
Its fur darker than shadow itself, as if it absorbed the light around it. Its eyes glowed faintly—unnatural, cold, and fixed entirely on them.
On Kael.
The air shifted.
Pressure.
Danger.
Real danger.
"…What is that?" Tovin whispered, his voice shaking.
No one answered.
Because the answer didn't matter.
The wolf lowered its body slightly.
Muscles tensed.
Its gaze sharpened.
Locked.
Kael stepped forward.
Just slightly.
Positioning himself between it and the others.
His heartbeat steadied.
His breathing slowed.
Everything around him seemed to sharpen—
The ground beneath his feet.
The distance between them.
The tension in the creature's body.
"…Don't move," he said quietly.
The wolf's lips curled back slightly.
A low growl escaped its throat.
Then—
It moved.
Faster than before.
A blur of dark motion cutting through the space between them.
Kael stepped in to meet it—
And the forest, once silent—
Exploded into motion.