The night was long and restless for Elena, who couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She lay awake, staring up at the stars, listening to the sound of Nikolai's breathing as he slept.
As the first rays of dawn filtered through the trees, Elena finally drifted off into a fitful sleep. But her rest was short-lived. She was awakened by a rustling in the bushes, and she sat up, alert and ready for danger.
Nikolai was already on his feet, his sword drawn. Elena looked around, but she couldn't see anything. The rustling had stopped.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure," Nikolai replied, his voice low. "But we should be ready for anything."
They stayed on high alert for the rest of the morning, but nothing else happened. They broke camp and set out into the forest again, following the map deeper into the woods.
As they walked, Elena couldn't help but feel as though they were being watched. It was as though the forest was alive, and every tree and bush was watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake.
Eventually, they came to a narrow path that wound its way between the trees. The air grew thick and humid, and the trees seemed to close in around them.
"This is it," Elena said, her heart pounding in her chest. "This is where the map leads us."
Nikolai nodded, his eyes scanning the path ahead. "Be on your guard," he warned. "We don't know what we might find."
As they walked, the path grew darker and darker, until they could barely see their hands in front of their faces. The trees were so close together that they had to squeeze through narrow gaps between them.
Just when Elena was beginning to feel as though they were lost, the trees suddenly parted, and they emerged into a small clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a strange statue, carved from a dark, twisted tree trunk. The statue depicted a hooded figure, its face obscured by shadows.
Elena felt a shiver run down her spine. "What is this?" she asked.
Nikolai approached the statue, his hand resting on his sword. "I don't know," he said. "But I have a feeling we're getting closer to our destination."
As he spoke, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the clearing, sending leaves and twigs flying. Elena stumbled, and Nikolai caught her, pulling her back to her feet.
But when the wind died down, something had changed. The statue was no longer there.
"What the..." Elena began, but she was cut off by a sudden scream.
It was a woman's scream, filled with pain and terror. Elena and Nikolai exchanged a glance and set off in the direction of the sound.
They ran through the forest, following the sound of the screams. Finally, they burst into a small clearing, where they found a woman lying on the ground, clutching her leg.
"What happened?" Elena asked, kneeling beside her.
The woman gasped for breath, her eyes wide with fear. "I don't know," she gasped. "Something attacked me. I couldn't see it, but it was like a...like a shadow."
Nikolai drew his sword, scanning the trees for signs of danger. "We need to get out of here," he said. "It's not safe."
Elena helped the woman to her feet, and they set off through the forest, moving as quickly as they could. But they could feel the presence of something watching them, following them.
As they emerged from the forest, Elena felt a sense of relief wash over her. They had made it out alive.