The storm outside roared as if the heavens themselves were trying to drown out the chaos unfolding inside the cabin. The intruder's silhouette stood in the doorway, rain dripping from their cloak and pooling at their feet. Their presence felt oppressive, like the air had been sucked out of the room.
Aiden tightened his grip on his weapon, his injured arm trembling slightly. Serena stood frozen for a moment, her breath caught in her throat as her mind raced to process their next move.
The figure spoke, their voice low and calm, almost unnervingly so.
"You really thought you could escape, didn't you?"
Aiden didn't answer. His eyes darted to Serena, and in an instant, they both understood what needed to happen. Without warning, Aiden fired a shot. The sound exploded through the small cabin, but the figure was already moving. They ducked to the side with an unnatural speed, vanishing into the shadows of the room.
"Run!" Aiden yelled, shoving Serena toward the hallway.
Serena sprinted down the narrow corridor, her heart hammering in her chest. The dim light barely illuminated the path, but she kept going, her feet slipping slightly on the old wooden floor. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of a struggle—furniture crashing, grunts of pain, the sharp crack of another gunshot.
When she reached the back door, she fumbled with the rusted lock. Her fingers were trembling, her vision blurred by a mixture of fear and rainwater dripping from her face. Finally, the door creaked open, and she stumbled out into the storm.
Aiden wasn't behind her.
"No, no, no…" she muttered under her breath, spinning back toward the cabin.
Before she could decide whether to go back inside, Aiden burst through the door. His face was pale, his breathing ragged, and his jacket was torn at the shoulder.
"Go, Serena! Move!"
They sprinted together through the downpour, slipping on mud and dodging low-hanging branches. Behind them, the faint light of the cabin flickered before disappearing entirely into the night. The storm was deafening, but neither of them stopped running.
After what felt like hours, they reached a rocky outcrop overlooking a steep ravine. Aiden doubled over, clutching his side as he gasped for air. Serena knelt beside him, her hands hovering over his wound.
"Are you okay? Are you hit?" she asked frantically.
Aiden shook his head. "No, just… winded. We can't stop here, though. They'll follow us."
Serena scanned their surroundings, her mind racing. They were exposed up here, but the rain was their only advantage—it would cover their tracks, at least for a while.
"We need shelter. Somewhere to regroup."
Aiden nodded weakly, pushing himself upright. His face was twisted in pain, but he kept moving, step by step, down the rocky path. They followed the ravine for what felt like miles until Serena spotted something—a faint glow in the distance.
"Look!" she pointed.
Through the dense rain and darkness, they could just make out the faint flicker of firelight reflecting off the wet ground.
"Someone's there," Aiden said cautiously. "Could be friend… or foe."
"We don't have a choice," Serena replied firmly. "If we stay out here, we'll die from exposure before they even catch us."
They pressed on toward the light, moving carefully to avoid slipping on the slick rocks. As they got closer, they realized the fire was coming from a small cave entrance, partially hidden behind overgrown vines and moss.
Aiden signaled for Serena to stay behind as he crept closer, weapon drawn. He peered inside and froze. Slowly, he lowered his gun.
"It's… it's just a kid," he whispered.
Serena stepped up beside him, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. Inside the cave sat a boy, no older than twelve, huddled next to the fire. His clothes were dirty and torn, and his face was smeared with mud and soot. He looked up at them with wide, terrified eyes.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, his voice trembling.
Serena crouched down slowly, trying to make herself seem less intimidating. "We're not here to hurt you. We're just… we're just trying to survive, like you."
The boy stared at her for a moment before nodding slightly. "You can stay… but only for a little while. The bad people come here sometimes."
Aiden exchanged a glance with Serena. "Bad people? Who are they?"
The boy's lip quivered as he spoke. "They wear masks. They come at night, and they take people. My sister… they took her last week."
Serena's heart ached at the fear in his voice. She reached out slowly, offering her hand. "What's your name?"
"Luca," the boy said softly.
"Okay, Luca. We're going to keep you safe. I promise."
Aiden moved to sit near the fire, wincing as he lowered himself onto the rocky ground. Serena sat beside him, pulling her soaked jacket tighter around her shoulders. The warmth of the fire was a brief comfort in the freezing night.
"We'll rest here for a few hours," Aiden said quietly. "But come sunrise, we need to move. Whatever's going on out there… it's bigger than us. And it's catching up fast."
Serena nodded, her eyes lingering on Luca, who had curled up near the fire with his head resting on his knees. In that moment, she realized something—they weren't just running for their lives anymore. They were running for his too.
Outside, the storm began to ease, but the darkness remained, heavy and unyielding. The threat was still out there, waiting, watching, closing in.
And tomorrow… tomorrow they would have to face it.
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End of Chapter 11.