The children stumbled along behind Onyx, their steps hesitant and unsure. But each time one of them made a sound—whether it was a footstep too loud or a gasp of panic—Onyx's response was swift. He didn't yell. He didn't need to. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, told the children everything they needed to know.
Stay quiet. Or else.
Kail's legs burned from the pace, but he didn't dare fall behind. The forest was unfamiliar, its trees looming like silent witnesses. Shadows moved at the corners of his vision, and his chest tightened with a mixture of fear and frustration. He hated this feeling—the helplessness of it all. He wasn't used to being this powerless.
"What's going to happen to us?" a small voice broke through the silence. Kail glanced over to see a girl no older than eight, clutching her brother's arm. Her face was pale with fear.
"I—I don't know," the boy murmured, his voice cracking as he glanced back at Onyx. "But I don't want to be here."
Kail's teeth clenched. He could feel the same fear gnawing at his gut, but there was no time to dwell on it. He had to keep moving. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, but all he could think of was survival. The whole situation felt wrong, like they were already in a trap, and there was no way out.
Dial, who had stayed close to Kail since the moment Onyx appeared, was now holding his younger sister tightly. Elara's face was buried against his chest, her small body trembling in fear. Dial's jaw was tight, his eyes narrowed with a mixture of defiance and worry.
"We have to stick together," Dial whispered urgently, though his voice had a tremor to it. "Whatever happens, we stay close."
Kail nodded without saying a word, his eyes scanning their surroundings, his senses on high alert. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves sent a jolt through his system. It was too quiet—too still. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, but he couldn't put it into words. Not now.
"What do we do if something attacks?" Lian, a boy who had been in the same group as Kail at the village, asked. His voice was barely more than a breath, and his eyes were wide with panic. "What if we can't fight?"
Before Kail could respond, a sound broke the tension—a low growl that rumbled through the trees.
It was close. Too close.
Kail froze, his blood running cold. His heart pounded in his chest as the growl echoed in the air. The sound wasn't just an animal in the woods. It was deliberate. And it was moving toward them.
Elara's breath caught in her throat, and she clutched Dial tighter. "What's happening?" she whispered.
Dial didn't answer. His eyes were wide with fear, but he quickly turned to Kail, his expression hardening. "What do we do?" His voice was low but urgent.
Kail swallowed hard. He wanted to tell Dial to run, to take everyone and just get out of here, but there was no way. They were trapped. And whatever was out there? It was hunting them.
Another growl. Louder this time.
Kail barely had a second to react before a shadow moved through the trees. A figure, large and menacing, stepped into the clearing. Its fur was pitch-black, its eyes glowing like embers. A wolf. But not a normal wolf.
It was massive—larger than any animal Kail had ever seen. Its jaws were lined with sharp, gleaming teeth, and its body was rippling with muscle, each movement precise, predatory. And it was coming straight toward them.
"Run!" Dial shouted, pulling Elara by the hand, the urgency in his voice sending a chill down Kail's spine. He didn't need to be told twice. Kail spun on his heel and dashed after them, his legs pumping as fast as they could go, but the beast was fast, far too fast.
The others scrambled behind them, their breaths coming in panicked gasps. Kail risked a glance over his shoulder—just in time to see the wolf snap its teeth, missing Lian by mere inches.
"Faster!" Kail shouted, but his own voice was barely more than a rasp in the air. He didn't know how long they could keep running.
Dial was ahead, his grip tight on his sister, his body cutting through the trees like a shadow. Kail's heart beat faster, not from exertion, but from the fear that was slowly suffocating him.
The creature was still behind them, and it wasn't slowing down.
"Where do we go?" Lian cried, his voice cracking. His eyes were wide with terror as he stumbled to keep up.
"I—" Kail's mind raced. He glanced around quickly, but there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to turn. The trees loomed like towering walls, their shadows making it nearly impossible to see clearly.
Dial's voice came back to him, low but urgent: "This way!" He veered off to the left, pulling Elara with him. Kail followed without thinking, the others on his heels.
They reached a narrow space between two massive trees—too small to fit the wolf, but it was the only place to hide. They pressed themselves into the gap, their breaths shallow and ragged. The wolf was right behind them, and Kail could hear its heavy footsteps, each one echoing through the air like a drumbeat.
"Stay still," Dial hissed through gritted teeth. "Don't move."
Kail's chest heaved as he fought to keep quiet. His mind was a blur of fear, his heart thumping in his ears. The wolf was so close now—its hot breath brushing against the backs of their necks.
The silence stretched on, broken only by the creature's growls. Kail could feel Elara's tiny hands clutching his arm, her body trembling against his.
Then, just as the wolf's growl grew louder, Dial made a snap decision. He picked up a rock and threw it with all his might, sending it skittering across the forest floor. The wolf's attention snapped to the noise.
"Go!" Dial barked, and the group bolted forward.
The beast roared, its massive form shifting as it gave chase once again. But they were faster now, faster because the element of surprise was on their side. Kail's legs burned, his muscles screaming with exhaustion, but he couldn't stop. They couldn't afford to.
"Get to the trees!" Kail shouted, his voice hoarse with panic.
Dial nodded, pulling Elara along. "This way! We can make it."
But Kail knew better than to feel relief. The forest was full of dangers they couldn't see—full of creatures that would stop at nothing to finish what had been started.
And the night had only just begun.