The warmth had returned.
The blizzard was gone.
The path ahead was clear.
But the weight of Kia's death didn't leave with the storm.
It lingered.
Like a ghost in their minds, a presence that sat heavy on their shoulders, refusing to be ignored.
No one spoke at first.
They just stood there, huddled in silence, their bodies still aching, their minds still catching up with what had happened.
And then, finally—
Lena broke the silence.
"She was just here…"
Her voice was quiet, almost fragile.
She wasn't looking at anyone, just staring at the path Kia had walked into.
The one she never came back from.
Milo exhaled slowly, running a hand through his messy hair. "I don't get it, man. She—she seemed smart. Careful. She should've been fine."
Riley, arms crossed tightly over his chest, muttered, "No one's fine in this place."
A bitter silence followed.
Because that was the truth, wasn't it?
No one was fine.
No one was safe.
Even someone like Kia—someone who had survived three phases alone, someone who had started trusting them—
Had still ended up dead.
And not because she made a mistake.
Because she trusted them.
Because she trusted him.
Ethan kept his face blank.
Kept his body still.
But his mind was anything but.
I saved them.
That's what he told himself.
That was the fact.
Kia walked away, and now the rest of them are alive.
Because of him.
Because of his choice.
That's a good thing, right?
Right?
…Then why did it feel so fucking wrong?
His hands curled into fists.
Because he had also led her to death.
She had trusted him.
And he had used that trust to bait her into the wrong path.
Was that… okay?
Is that what it meant to be a leader?
To sacrifice one for the sake of many?
His chest felt tight.
But there was no time for this.
He forced himself to breathe.
"Now we know the right way."
His voice was firm. Colder than before.
The others nodded, some slowly, some hesitantly.
No one argued.
No one questioned him.
Because, in the end—
They all wanted to survive.
Even if it meant pretending Kia had never been here at all.
Ethan took the first step forward.
He didn't look back.
Riley and Lena wordlessly followed, their bodies still heavy from exhaustion, their minds even heavier from the weight of what had just happened.
But Milo—
Milo stayed behind.
Just for a moment.
His feet felt stuck to the ground, his chest tight with something he didn't know how to put into words.
Kia was gone.
Just like that.
One moment, she was here, joking, talking, walking beside them.
And the next—she was nothing.
Not even a body left behind. Just… gone.
The thought bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
His usual humor—gone.
For the first time, he didn't feel like cracking a joke to lighten the mood.
Because this wasn't funny.
This was just fucked.
A voice pulled him out of his daze.
"Milo."
Ethan's voice.
Firm, distant—like he was already moving on.
Milo blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.
He looked up, seeing the others already walking ahead, their silhouettes fading into the darkness.
Ethan wasn't looking at him, but Milo knew—if he didn't move now, he'd be left behind too.
He rubbed his face with his hands, exhaling sharply, before forcing himself to move.
He followed.
Because what else could he do?
As they walked, Ethan's eyes lifted to the sky.
Black.
The night stretched endlessly, suffocating, heavy—like it was pressing down on him.
And his mind wouldn't shut up.
"I drove Kia to her death."
His own voice echoed in his head.
"I didn't know the right path. So I let her choose. And now she's dead."
His fingers twitched.
Was that his fault?
Or was it just fate?
Kia had been a religious girl.
She had prayed to God for an escape.
And yet—he had killed her.
"Will I be punished for this?"
Would karma come for him?
Would he pay for the sin of playing with someone's trust?
He knew he shouldn't dwell on it.
But the thought clung to him like the cold that had just left them.
And then—
Just as they were about to take their first step forward—
Riley turned around.
His eyes locked onto the forest.
The same path Kia had disappeared into.
And then—
They saw something.
At first, it was just a pair of glowing eyes.
Faint, distant, watching.
Unblinking.
The others followed Riley's gaze, their bodies stiffening as they saw it too.
Something was staring at them.
But then—
It moved.
The glowing eyes drifted forward, growing larger.
Closer.
And then, footsteps.
Soft, slow, deliberate—coming straight out of the forest.
They should have ran.
Deep down, they knew that.
Every instinct in their body was screaming at them to move, to get away, to escape before it fully emerged.
But they didn't.
They couldn't.
Because curiosity was stronger than fear.
And right now—they needed to know.
They needed to see what was coming for them.
A really, really dumb decision.
But none of them could stop themselves.
So they stood frozen in place, waiting.
Waiting for whatever was stepping out of the darkness.
And as the shadow finally took shape, their breaths hitched—
Because they recognized it.
From the depths of the dark, frozen forest—
Kia walked out.
Like nothing had happened.
Like she hadn't just screamed into the blizzard.
Like she hadn't been devoured by something unseen.
Like she had simply taken a walk… and come back.
Her black hair, long and flowing, swayed slightly in the cold air.
Her clothes, though dusted with snow, weren't torn.
Her face was calm.
Too calm.
Ethan's breath caught in his throat.
His mind had been prepared for her death.
And yet—
There she was.
Walking toward them, as if she had never been gone at all.
"What the fuck…?" he muttered under his breath, unable to process what he was seeing.
Riley and Lena were completely speechless.
Their bodies remained frozen, their eyes wide, their breath held—stuck between shock and relief.
And then—
Milo.
Milo, who had been mourning her just moments ago.
Milo, who had believed she was lost forever.
Milo, whose face brightened the second he saw her.
He grinned, waving his hand. "KIA! COME HERE!!"
His voice was filled with genuine relief, almost joy.
Like a friend had come back home.
But Ethan—
Ethan didn't move.
Because his mind was already racing.
His breath was shallow.
His heartbeat, steady but heavy.
His fingers twitched slightly.
Because now, something far worse than the cold was creeping into his chest.
What if she tells them?
What if Kia remembers?
What if she looks at them and says—
"Ethan told me to go."
"Ethan said they would follow me."
"Ethan lied to me."
His stomach twisted.
Would they look at him the same after that?
Would they trust him after knowing what he did?
Would they see him as their leader?
Or as a manipulative coward?
"This isn't right."
That thought—**the one that had been clawing at the back of his mind—**finally made its way to the surface.
Because Kia shouldn't be here.
She shouldn't have survived.
And yet, she was walking toward them…
Smiling.
Like nothing had happened at all.
Kia stepped closer, her black eyes glimmering under the dim light of the night.
And then—
She smiled.
"Heyyy, guys… the blizzard stopped! Isn't that great news?"
Her voice was cheerful. Light. Happy.
Like nothing had happened.
Like she hadn't vanished into the fog.
Like she hadn't screamed in terror.
Like she wasn't supposed to be dead.
A sharp, cold dread wrapped around Ethan's chest.
Wait.
Wait.
This could be a Shape Shifter.
His breath hitched.
His instincts screamed at him, louder than ever—something was wrong.
Without thinking, he grabbed Riley's wrist, pulling him slightly closer.
Riley turned his head, startled. "What—?"
Ethan's grip tightened.
He leaned in, voice low, barely above a whisper.
"That might not be Kia."
A second passed.
Then another.
Riley's expression changed instantly.
The realization crawled into his skin, his body suddenly feeling colder than it had in the blizzard.
His fingers twitched.
His breathing became shallow.
His eyes darted back to Kia, scanning her—looking, searching.
Was it her?
Or was it something wearing her skin?
Kia's smile faltered slightly.
She had noticed.
Noticed the way Ethan and Riley had suddenly gone stiff.
Noticed how they were staring at her too intently.
Noticed the subtle shift in the air.
Her gaze flickered between them, her tone still light, but now curious.
"Why are you guys staring at me like that?"
Her voice was calm.
Ethan's heart hammered in his chest.
His mind screamed at him, telling him something was wrong—
That wasn't Kia. It couldn't be.
But there was nothing off.
Her face was exactly the same.
Her voice sounded no different.
Her smile wasn't forced or unnatural.
No twisted limbs. No unusual movements.
She looked normal.
And that made it so much worse.
Riley swallowed, his throat dry.
"Wait… tell me. What's my name?"
Ethan snapped his gaze to Riley.
Good.
It was a smart move.
If this was a Shape Shifter, it wouldn't know personal details.
If it hesitated—**even for a second—**they would know.
Milo blinked, looking completely lost.
"Wait, why are you asking that?"
Ethan immediately shot him a glare.
A sharp, silent warning.
Shut up.
Milo, still not understanding, saw the seriousness in Ethan's eyes and reluctantly stayed quiet.
Lena, however, was quicker to catch on.
She looked at Ethan. At Riley.
At the tension in their bodies. The way their hands had subtly curled into fists.
And then, she realized.
She didn't say anything.
But her eyes darkened.
She knew what they were thinking.
And suddenly—she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.
Kia, standing in the cold, tilted her head slightly.
Her black eyes held no hesitation.
And then—
She let out a soft chuckle. "Riley, why are you asking that?"
Riley's stomach dropped.
Ethan's breath hitched.
No delay.
No confusion.
She knew.
Ethan's voice came out slow, forced.
"What about me?"
Kia rolled her eyes playfully, smiling like nothing was wrong.
"You're Ethan, the group leader. Y'all really think I forgot about you guys in just three hours?"
Ethan and Riley stiffened.
She knew.
She knew their names.
But that wasn't possible.
Because she wasn't supposed to be here.
For a moment—Riley felt himself relax.
Maybe he was overthinking it.
Maybe this really was Kia.
She wasn't acting strange.
Her expressions, her voice, her attitude—all the same.
She knew their names.
She remembered everything.
Maybe… just maybe… they had been wrong.
Riley let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and the tension in his shoulders eased.
"Damn, Kia," Milo spoke first, letting out a half-laugh, "you scared the hell out of us."
Kia blinked. "Huh? Why?"
Milo chuckled, rubbing his neck. "We thought—" He paused, glancing at Ethan and Riley. "Never mind."
Kia tilted her head, confused but shrugged it off. "You guys are acting weird."
The conversation continued, flowing easily between them.
Milo teased Kia about how she looked like she crawled out of a horror movie.
Lena asked her if she really had no issues surviving the blizzard alone.
Kia reassured them, smiling. "Yeah, it was hell, but I pushed through. And now we're all good, right?"
Riley nodded, finally convinced.
And yet—
Ethan didn't say a word.
He didn't join in.
Didn't smile.
Didn't even look at Kia.
His thoughts were somewhere else entirely.
She should have died.
That thought wouldn't leave him.
She should have died.
He had sent her to the wrong path.
He had heard her scream.
So how was she here?
And more importantly—
If she's here, then which path is actually the right one?
His stomach twisted.
Because now—
he wasn't sure anymore.
Ethan's thoughts spiraled.
One question repeated itself over and over again in his mind, clawing at his sanity.
Why hasn't she mentioned it?
Why hadn't Kia said anything about him telling her to go?
She should have brought it up. Should have at least questioned it.
Should have asked, "Why didn't you guys follow me?"
But she didn't.
Not once.
She acted like that moment never even happened.
Ethan clenched his jaw.
Maybe… she understood?
Maybe she figured it out on her own.
Maybe she wasn't angry.
Maybe she didn't blame him.
Maybe… I'm just being paranoid.
The thought tried to settle into his mind, but deep down—
He knew better.
No.
This can't be it.
Kia can't be the real one.
She died.
He was sure of it.
And now—he just needed proof.
Because once he got it—
He would kill her.
His hands remained calm at his sides.
His breath stayed even.
But his eyes darkened.
No one noticed.
No one saw the way his posture changed slightly.
Not with fear.
Not with uncertainty.
But with calculated intent.
And then, finally—he spoke.
His voice was steady. Cold.
"So, Kia."
She turned to him, unaware of the weight of his next words.
"Which is the correct way?"