The night was far from over. Maya and Alex trudged through the thick underbrush, their clothes soaked and heavy from the river. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig, sent Maya's heart racing. The forest seemed alive, its shadows crawling closer, whispering threats she couldn't hear but could feel in her bones.
"How much farther?" Maya whispered, her voice trembling.
Alex glanced back at her, his face shadowed by the faint moonlight. "Not far. There's an abandoned outpost nearby. We can regroup there."
Maya nodded, forcing herself to keep up, though her legs felt like lead. The adrenaline from the river fight was wearing off, replaced by a gnawing exhaustion. But she knew they couldn't stop. Not yet.
A sudden sound pierced the quiet—a high-pitched screech that made the hairs on the back of Maya's neck stand up.
"What was that?" she asked, gripping Alex's arm.
He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled her behind a tree, his body tense as he scanned the darkness. His hand moved to the hilt of his blade, his knuckles white.
"Stay quiet," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Maya pressed herself against the tree, her breath shallow. The screech came again, louder this time, and closer.
Alex's eyes darted around, his jaw clenched. "It's a wraith," he said, his voice low. "They're blind, but their hearing is impeccable. If it finds us, we're done."
Maya's pulse quickened. "How do we avoid it?"
"We don't move. We don't breathe."
The screech echoed again, followed by the sound of something slithering through the trees. Maya froze, her back pressed so hard against the bark that it scraped her skin.
Then she saw it.
A pale, skeletal figure emerged from the shadows, its elongated limbs bending unnaturally as it moved. Its head was tilted, its face void of features except for a wide, toothy grin that seemed permanently etched into its fleshless face. Its ears were long and pointed, twitching as it cocked its head, listening.
Maya's stomach churned. She had never seen anything so horrifying in her life.
Alex slowly drew his blade, his movements deliberate and soundless. He met Maya's eyes and mouthed, Don't move.
The wraith's head snapped toward them, its grin widening as it let out another ear-piercing screech.
Maya clamped her hands over her ears, her body trembling.
The wraith lunged.
Alex reacted instantly, stepping in front of Maya and swinging his blade in a wide arc. The creature dodged with inhuman speed, its limbs contorting as it crawled across the ground and up the trees like a spider.
"Run!" Alex shouted, shoving Maya toward a narrow path.
She didn't hesitate. She sprinted through the forest, her heart pounding as the sound of the wraith's screeches and Alex's blade clashing echoed behind her.
"Don't stop!" Alex yelled, his voice strained.
Maya glanced back and saw him wrestling with the creature, his blade slicing through its limbs only for them to regenerate almost instantly.
Her foot caught on a root, and she tumbled to the ground, her knees scraping against the dirt.
"Maya!" Alex's voice was panicked now.
The wraith turned its eyeless face toward her, its grin widening as it let out another deafening screech. It abandoned Alex and lunged for her, its bony fingers outstretched.
Maya scrambled backward, her hands clawing at the dirt. She grabbed a rock and hurled it at the creature, but it didn't even flinch.
Alex appeared out of nowhere, tackling the wraith mid-air. They hit the ground hard, Alex pinning the creature with his blade embedded in its chest.
"Go!" he shouted, blood streaming down his face from a gash on his forehead.
"No!" Maya yelled back, her voice breaking.
She grabbed another rock, this one heavier, and ran toward them. The wraith screeched, its head twisting unnaturally as it tried to free itself from Alex's hold.
Maya didn't think—she just swung the rock with all her strength, smashing it into the wraith's head.
The creature let out a final, ear-splitting wail before its body crumbled into ash, scattering in the wind.
Maya dropped the rock, her hands shaking.
Alex sat up, his chest heaving as he wiped the blood from his face. "You… are insane," he said, his voice a mix of frustration and admiration.
"And you're welcome," Maya shot back, her voice trembling.
He laughed, though it sounded more like a wheeze. "Fair enough."
She helped him to his feet, her hands still unsteady. "Is it dead?"
"For now," Alex said, his eyes scanning the forest. "But wraiths don't travel alone. We need to keep moving."
Maya swallowed hard, nodding. "Lead the way."
As they disappeared deeper into the forest, the shadows seemed to close in around them, whispering promises of more danger to come.