Day 12: Uneasy Silence
The air felt different after the encounter with the serpent. Everything seemed quieter, more oppressive, as if the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for something else to go wrong. Even the sky, still bathed in that eerie red glow, seemed to press down on them more heavily than before. Every shadow felt like a potential threat, every small sound made Eli's heart skip a beat.
Cass led the way, her movements cautious and deliberate. She hadn't said much since the giant serpent had passed through the city, but her body language spoke volumes. She was tense, her eyes scanning every corner, every rooftop, every broken street for signs of danger. Eli could feel the weight of her caution pressing down on all of them, making every step feel like it was on the edge of a knife.
Luke, too, was on edge. He kept his machete out, his grip tight as he walked beside Eli. Every now and then, he would glance around nervously, his eyes flicking to every small movement, every gust of wind that stirred the rubble.
They moved slowly, staying low and avoiding open streets. The serpent might have left them alone, but the knowledge that such a massive, terrifying creature was out there—along with the Wraithkin and the spiders—made it impossible to relax. Every decision was deliberate, every action careful.
"Is it always like this?" Luke asked quietly after what felt like hours of tense silence. His voice was barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would attract some unseen terror.
Cass didn't look back. "Sometimes worse," she said simply.
Eli felt a knot of tension in his stomach. He had asked himself the same question countless times since this all started. Was this just how the world was now? Constant fear, constant survival? There was no rhythm, no pattern to the dangers they faced. Some days, they barely made it through without being torn apart by the creatures that roamed the ruins, and other days it was like the world had forgotten them entirely—only to come back with something worse the next time.
Today, though, felt different. They were all expecting the worst, and the silence in the city only made that expectation worse. Every step felt like it was leading to another trap, another monster, but so far, nothing had happened.
They had been moving for hours, navigating through the crumbled streets and rubble-strewn alleyways, when Eli finally allowed himself to exhale. Nothing had attacked them. No Wraithkin, no spiders, no giant serpent waiting to swallow them whole.
"Maybe we're in the clear," Luke muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
Cass shot him a look, her eyes hard. "Don't jinx it."
Eli gave Luke a small, knowing nod. They both understood. In this world, assuming you were safe was the quickest way to die. They had learned that the hard way.
By midday, the tension in the group was palpable. They hadn't seen anything since the serpent, but the constant anticipation of danger was wearing them down. Every sound, every creak of rubble shifting, made them freeze, their hearts racing. But nothing came. It was almost as if the city itself was toying with them, offering moments of eerie calm before springing a trap.
They stopped near the remains of an old convenience store to rest, the ruined building offering some shelter from the open streets. Cass stood guard near the entrance, her knife still in hand, her gaze sharp as she watched the area for any signs of movement.
Eli leaned against the crumbling wall, his legs aching from the hours of cautious walking. "I hate this," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Waiting for something to happen. It's worse than when we're actually fighting."
Luke nodded in agreement, sitting beside him and resting his machete on his lap. "I know. It feels like the calm before a storm." He glanced at Cass, who remained as still and silent as ever, then leaned in closer to Eli. "Do you think she ever… relaxes?"
Eli shook his head. "I don't think she knows how."
Luke sighed. "I get why she's like that, but I don't know how she keeps going. It's like she never stops. Never lets her guard down."
"Yeah," Eli said quietly. "It's… hard to keep up with."
As they sat there, a faint, familiar screech echoed in the distance, barely loud enough to register over the sound of the wind. Eli's heart skipped a beat, his muscles tensing as he turned toward the sound. It was faint, but unmistakable.
Wraithkin.
Cass's posture shifted immediately. She raised her hand, motioning for silence, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area. "Stay low," she whispered. "They're close."
Eli's pulse quickened as he crouched behind a broken shelf, his hands gripping the small blade Cass had given him. The familiar fear gnawed at his insides, the fear that he hadn't yet shaken—the fear that he wasn't ready for this.
Luke crouched beside him, his machete in hand, his eyes wide but focused. "Just two," he whispered, pointing through a crack in the wall.
Eli squinted through the opening, his breath catching in his throat. Two Wraithkin glided down the street, their long, skeletal bodies moving with that same eerie grace. Their glowing eyes flickered in the red light, scanning the ruins as they moved slowly but deliberately.
Cass crouched at the entrance, her knife ready but held close to her side. She watched the Wraithkin with cold calculation, her movements as fluid and controlled as ever. For a moment, Eli wondered if she was going to attack, if she was preparing to take them down. But instead, she motioned for them to stay still.
"Let them pass," she whispered, barely audible. "Don't make a sound."
Eli's heart hammered in his chest as he pressed himself against the wall, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts. He could hear the soft, almost rhythmic sound of the Wraithkin's movements outside, the faint rustling of their long, bony limbs scraping against the broken ground. He closed his eyes, willing himself to stay quiet, to stay hidden.
The Wraithkin moved closer, their shadows flickering across the walls. Eli could feel the oppressive weight of their presence, the cold, suffocating aura they carried with them, like the very air thickened wherever they went. His muscles tensed, every instinct screaming at him to run, but he forced himself to stay still. One wrong move, one sound, and they were dead.
Seconds stretched into agonizing minutes. The Wraithkin lingered, their glowing eyes scanning the street as if sensing something nearby but not fully aware of their presence. Eli's heart raced, the tension in his body nearly unbearable.
Then, without warning, one of the Wraithkin stopped. It turned its head slowly, its glowing eyes locking onto the convenience store. Eli's breath hitched in his throat. He could feel its gaze, even through the walls, its cold, empty stare piercing through him.
Cass's grip on her knife tightened. Her muscles were tense, ready to strike, but she didn't move. She waited, watching the creature's every move with that same eerie calm.
The Wraithkin lingered for a moment longer, its eyes flickering as it scanned the entrance. Then, with a screech, it turned away and continued down the street, its companion following close behind.
Eli let out a shaky breath, his entire body trembling from the tension. He could barely believe they had gotten away without a fight.
Cass stood slowly, her eyes still on the street where the Wraithkin had disappeared. "We move now," she said quietly. "Before they come back."
Eli and Luke didn't need to be told twice. They gathered their things quickly, their bodies still buzzing with the lingering fear of the close encounter. The tension hadn't gone away—if anything, it had only increased.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of caution and slow, deliberate movement. Every sound, every distant screech, put them on edge, but nothing else came for them. No more Wraithkin. No spiders. No serpents. It was as if the world had decided to give them a brief reprieve, but none of them were willing to believe it would last.
Eli's legs ached by the time the red light of the sky began to fade, and he could tell Luke was feeling it too. Even Cass, who never seemed to tire, had slowed down, though her face betrayed nothing. They found another ruined building to take shelter in, an old office complex that had mostly collapsed, leaving only a few rooms intact.
Cass stood guard near the entrance, her posture as rigid as ever. Eli and Luke sat together in the dim light of a dying fire, their bodies heavy with exhaustion.
"I hate days like this," Luke muttered, running a hand through his hair. "All this tension, waiting for something to happen."
Eli nodded, his eyes drooping with fatigue. "At least we made it through."
Luke chuckled weakly. "Barely."
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the distant sounds of the city. The fights with the Wraithkin had been brief, but the mental toll of always being on edge weighed them down.
As Eli's eyes began to close, his mind drifted back to the serpent from the day before—the way it had slithered through the ruins, its presence overwhelming, yet indifferent. And then he thought of Cass. The way she had remained calm through it all, her face always set in that same hard expression.
What is she hiding?
It was a question that gnawed at him every time he looked at her. But for now, it would have to wait.