“Stay close,” I murmur.
“Not too close,” she shoots back, but her voice is quieter now.
Good.
We move slowly, our steps careful against the ground as I track the edges of the clearing first, scanning for anything out of place. The wind has died, and that makes it worse. Every small sound stands out sharper, every shift carrying more weight.
A sound to the left.
I go still.
Maddie bumps into me, softer this time, her hand brushing my back to steady herself.
“What?” she whispers.
I don’t answer, just tilt my head slightly, listening.
There it is again.
A branch creaking under weight.
Not the wind.
Too controlled.
I move forward, slow and deliberate, each step placed with intention. Maddie stays close now, not arguing, her breathing just behind me.
We reach the tree line, and everything changes. The darkness thickens, swallowing what little light the cabin gave us. I lift a hand slightly, signaling her to stop.
She does.
I step forward alone, slipping between the trees, scanning, tracking.
And then I see him.
A shadow where there should not be one. A shift of movement just beyond the brush.
He is watching.
Closer than I thought he would risk.
My jaw tightens as I take another step.
A branch snaps behind me.
Loud.
Too loud.
My head turns instantly. “Maddie.”
She’s not where I left her. She’s only a few steps off, but it is enough, her body turned the other way like she heard something different.
“Ethan?” Her voice cuts through the dark, sharp now. “I saw?—”
“Don’t move,” I snap.
Too late.
