Sienna focus was locked on Kael, whose face was tight with exhaustion. But it wasn't just that.
He was afraid.
That realization sent a ripple of unease through her. She had never seen Kael afraid before. He was the one who always had a plan, always knew what to do. If he was scared, then whatever lurked beyond the trees was something they had no hope of fighting.
A weak groan pulled her back.
Aldric.
She turned quickly, kneeling beside him. His face was pale, damp with sweat, his breath too shallow. She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and it was still ice cold.
Her stomach twisted. He didn't have much time.
She shot a glance at Kael. "We can't stay here. If we don't move him, he won't make it till morning."
Kael's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering toward the door. The hesitation in his posture sent a fresh wave of dread through her.
"And if we go out there," he said, voice tight, "none of us might make it till morning."
The words hit like a punch to the gut because she knew he wasn't being dramatic.
She opened her mouth to argue, but something stopped her.
That same presence.
Still watching and waiting.
The air in the room felt different, it was too thick. She didn't know how to explain it, but she could feel it, just beyond the thin walls of the cabin. The thing in the woods hadn't left.
Kael's fingers twitched toward his dagger. "It let you go," he murmured, almost like he was trying to convince himself of something. "It could've killed you. But it didn't."
Sienna swallowed hard.
No, it hadn't. But it hadn't needed to.
She met his gaze. "It was testing me." The words felt foreign, heavy on her tongue. "Like it was… searching for something."
Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. "That's worse."
She didn't argue. Because he was right.
Aldric shifted again, murmuring something too low to make out. His body trembled slightly.
Sienna pressed a hand to his chest, whispering, "We have to do something."
Kael didn't respond right away. He just stood there, staring at the door, his shoulders taut with tension. When he finally spoke, his voice lacked its usual certainty.
"We will."
But he didn't sound like he believed it.
Silence settled between them, heavy and oppressive. The fire crackled in the corner, its flickering glow casting jagged shadows along the wooden walls.
Suddenly a noise.
Not inside.
Outside.
A low, guttural growl.
The hairs on Sienna's arms stood on end.
Kael's head snapped up, his entire body going rigid.
The growl came again, deeper this time. Closer.
Then a thud.
Something heavy landed on the roof.
Sienna's breath hitched.
Kael didn't move.
For a moment, neither of them did.
Then the silence returned. And somehow, it was worse.
Because now they weren't just being watched.
They were being hunted.
A slow, deliberate scraping sound filled the room, the unmistakable sound of claws dragging across wood.
Above them.
Aldric stirred, a faint whimper slipping from his lips.
Sienna's hand flew to his mouth. "Shh."
Her heartbeat was a violent drum against her ribs.
Kael's grip tightened around his dagger. He nodded toward the door. "If it comes inside, we run."
Sienna swallowed. "And if we can't?"
Kael didn't answer.
The scraping grew louder. Closer.
Then..
A slow, heavy exhale.
Right over their heads.
Sienna clamped a hand over her own mouth to keep from gasping.
The cabin felt smaller. The walls too thin. The darkness too thick.
Then the door rattled.
Sienna jerked back, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her blade.
Kael moved in front of her, positioning himself between her and Aldric.
Then came silence. It was thick and heavy.
No wind. No growl.
Just nothing.
Then.
A whisper.
Inside the cabin.
"You are not ready."
Sienna's blood turned to ice.
She spun, scanning the dimly lit room, her breath caught in her throat.
Nothing.
Kael was as still as stone. "Did you hear that?"
Sienna barely managed a nod.
The air shifted, like something unseen had passed through them.
The fire in the hearth…
Went out.
Snuffed out in an instant.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
Sienna sucked in a sharp breath, her fingers digging into the floor. Aldric whimpered again, barely conscious.
A single ember in the hearth flickered.
Dim. Weak.
But enough to see Kael's face, his expression set in grim determination.
"We need to leave," he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Sienna forced herself to nod. Her entire body was trembling.
"It let us go," she whispered.
Kael's jaw clenched. "For now."
Sienna exhaled shakily. "Then we move. Now."
Kael glanced toward the window. The trees beyond stood eerily still, untouched by the wind.
But she knew.
She could feel it.
The presence was still there lingering.
Sienna turned to Aldric, brushing damp strands of hair from his forehead.
"We'll get you out of here," she whispered.
Even if she wasn't sure they'd make it out at all.