The scream shattered the stillness, slicing through the night like a jagged blade. Everyone sprang to their feet, weapons drawn, their eyes darting toward the source of the sound. The forest loomed dark and foreboding beyond the flickering light of the fire, shadows shifting as if alive.
"Who was that?" Mia asked, her voice trembling.
Caleb's jaw tightened. "Doesn't matter. We need to find out what we're dealing with."
"Or we could stay here and not run straight into whatever just screamed," Finn muttered, but his knife was already in his hand.
Zoe ignored him, her gaze fixed on the trees. "It's close."
Caleb motioned for the group to stay low as he moved toward the edge of the clearing, his gun raised. Zoe followed, her movements silent and deliberate.
Mia hesitated, her stomach twisting with dread. The whispers in her mind were louder now, overlapping and chaotic, as though warning her of something she couldn't see.
