Night had fallen when the three of them decided to return to the forest. The decision wasn't easy, but their worry for Jack outweighed their fear. They equipped themselves with flashlights and small knives, though they knew these wouldn't be enough against whatever awaited them there.
They stood at the forest's edge, where everything seemed eerily quiet. Amy spoke in a trembling voice:
"If you feel any danger... we turn back immediately, agreed?"
Ryan nodded in agreement, while Mark tightened his grip on the flashlight in his hand. They moved cautiously, trying to remember the path Jack had taken the previous night.
The air was unnaturally cold, and the trees seemed to watch them. Every step they took echoed through the depths of the forest, as though it was warning them to stop.
"Stop," Mark said suddenly, pointing to a nearby tree. There was a mark carved into its trunk— the same symbols they had seen the previous night. But this time, there was something else: an old piece of paper nailed to the trunk with a rusty nail.
"What's this?" Ryan wondered, pulling the paper off with a trembling hand. It was filled with jagged handwriting, as if the writer was in a hurry or panic. Ryan read aloud:
"The shadows see everything. Do not trust what your eyes see. The entity is near... but it is not alone. If you are reading this, you are next."
Amy's hand trembled, and she asked in a hushed voice: "Who wrote this?"
"I don't know," Ryan said, examining the paper again. "But it seems there were others who faced what we're facing now."
Mark added, glancing around cautiously, "If the entity isn't alone, what does that mean? Are there other creatures with it?"
Before any of them could respond, they heard a strange sound coming from afar. It was a deep hum, as though it was coming from beneath the earth.
"What is that?" Amy whispered, stepping back a pace.
"I don't know, but it's getting closer," Ryan said, shining his flashlight into the darkness. Nothing appeared, but the sound continued, drawing nearer, until it seemed to surround them.
"We need to go back!" Amy screamed, clutching Mark's arm.
But before they could move, all the flashlights suddenly went out. The darkness became impenetrable, and the strange sound turned into a muffled scream. They tried to turn their flashlights back on, but to no avail.
"Stay close to me!" Ryan shouted, trying to focus on the direction they had come from. But the forest seemed to have shifted. The trees had become more tangled, and the path they had taken had vanished completely.
"It's trying to lead us astray!" Mark yelled.
At that moment, a faint light appeared ahead. It seemed to be coming from a short distance, like the glow of a candle.
"Maybe this is a clue!" Amy said, clinging to any hope.
"Or maybe it's a trap," Ryan replied cautiously.
Despite their fear, they decided to move toward the light. It moved slowly, as though guiding them. When they finally reached its source, they found something strange: an old book lying on the ground, opened to a specific page.
"What now?" Mark wondered as he bent to pick it up.
The book was filled with strange symbols, just like the carvings they had seen on the trees. But the open page contained a drawing of a giant gate, surrounded by creatures that seemed to be watching it. Below the drawing, one phrase was written:
"The gate is the key... but the cost is great."
"A gate?" Amy wondered, staring at the drawing in awe. "Do you think this is what the shadows are after?"
None of them could answer, because suddenly they felt movement behind them. When they turned, they saw something emerging from the trees. It was a massive shadow, featureless, moving slowly but carrying an undeniable sense of threat.
"Run!" Ryan screamed.
But before they could move, they heard a deep, terrifying voice echo through the
air:
"You're too late... everyone is always too late."