The night air felt heavy among the trees. The forest, which was previously just silent, now felt suffocating, as if something unseen was watching them. The campfire flickered, its light dancing on their tense faces.
Nova sat with her back against a tree, occasionally glancing at Axel, who was sharpening his knife. Logan remained silent, staring at the ground with a blank expression, while Carter—the stranger they had just rescued from the cave—sat a little farther away. His face was still filled with fear after the terrifying events earlier.
No one spoke.
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, trying to process what had just happened inside the cave.
Then…
Crack.
A sound echoed from the darkness.
Nova straightened up, her eyes scanning the forest. Axel stopped what he was doing, his fingers gripping the knife handle tightly.
"You heard that?" Logan whispered.
Axel nodded. "Footsteps."
Nova swallowed hard. "Maybe just an animal?"
Carter quickly shook his head, his voice almost trembling. "No. That… that's not an animal."
The footsteps grew clearer. Slow, deliberate—like someone, or something, wanted them to notice.
Axel signaled for them to get ready. Logan grabbed a wooden stick nearby, while Carter pulled out a small knife. Nova clenched her folding knife tightly, trying to steady her breathing.
They waited.
But after a few seconds…
The footsteps stopped.
Silence.
Only the soft crackling of the fire remained.
Axel slowly stood up, sharpening his senses. "I'll check."
Nova quickly grabbed his arm. "Don't go alone."
Axel met her gaze for a moment before nodding. "Alright. We'll check together."
They rose to their feet, moving cautiously toward the source of the sound. Logan's small flashlight was their only source of light in the pitch-black forest.
They swept the area with the beam. Nothing.
No shadows. No tracks.
As if the sound had been an illusion.
Carter swallowed. "I swear, something was here."
They spread out slightly, searching for any signs of the unseen stalker.
But there was nothing.
Then…
CRACK.
The sound of a branch snapping, this time right behind them.
Nova spun around.
Nothing.
Then, another sound.
Not footsteps.
But breathing.
Deep, heavy breaths. Like something standing very close to them.
Nova's heart pounded.
"There's something here," Logan whispered, his voice shaking.
Axel immediately signaled. "Back to camp. Now."
They turned and began moving quickly.
But the breathing followed them.
Close.
Too close.
Nova could feel the icy breath on the back of her neck, like an unseen presence looming behind her.
Panic surged through her. She wanted to turn around, but an instinct deep inside screamed—Don't look back.
They started running.
Branches slapped against their faces, roots threatened to trip them.
Then…
Nova felt something touch her shoulder.
Cold. Slimy.
Like unseen fingers.
"Aaah!" Nova screamed, swatting at it, almost stumbling.
Axel grabbed her hand, pulling her forward. "Don't stop!"
Logan and Carter reached the campsite first. Nova and Axel followed, breathless.
As soon as they arrived, Logan grabbed a burning log from the fire. "If that thing comes closer, we burn it!"
Carter trembled, his eyes darting toward the forest. "Shit… it's still here."
Axel gripped his knife tightly. Nova clenched her weapon, trying to steady herself.
But nothing appeared.
Only the breathing.
All around them.
Above them.
Everywhere.
Like an invisible force surrounding their camp.
Silence.
They exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
Then, Logan raised his flashlight and swept it around them.
And when the light hit the air…
A shadow appeared on the ground.
A shadow that didn't belong to any of them.
A shadow that moved.
"Oh my God…" Nova stepped back, eyes widening.
Axel raised his knife. "Get ready!"
In an instant, something unseen charged at them.
A strong gust of wind swept through their camp, branches snapped, the fire nearly went out.
Logan shouted, hurling the burning log. "Take this, you bastard!"
The fire soared through the air and—
Hit something.
And that something burned.
A bloodcurdling scream echoed, like a nightmarish wail of agony.
For a split second, they saw it—a black, shapeless mass, writhing like a living shadow, its eyes hollow, its mouth open in a silent howl.
Nova stumbled back, her heart pounding against her ribs.
The creature twisted, its form convulsing in the flames before it darted into the darkness.
Silence returned to the camp.
But none of them felt safe.
Carter shivered, nearly in tears. "That… that was…"
Axel took a deep breath, gripping his knife tighter. "We need to leave. Now."
Nova nodded quickly. They couldn't stay here any longer.
They hurriedly packed their belongings. There wasn't much they could carry, only the essentials.
As they were about to leave, Nova turned to glance at the forest one last time.
And between the trees…
She saw it.
The black figure was still there.
Standing still. Its hollow eyes locked onto her.
Nova could feel something in that gaze.
Not just hatred.
Not just hunger.
But a warning.
And before she could react…
The creature vanished.
A cold shiver ran down Nova's spine.
They had stumbled into something far bigger than they had ever imagined.
Logan took a deep breath, his eyes still fixed on the woods. "I don't care where we go, as long as we get the hell away from here."
Axel nodded. "We move north. Put as much distance as possible before sunrise."
Carter was still trembling, but he steeled himself. "If we don't move now, that thing might come back."
Nova forced a smirk, masking her fear. "And I don't feel like having a conversation with it."
Without hesitation, they set off, retracing their path through the dark wilderness. But this time, it felt different.
Every step felt heavier, as if invisible eyes were still watching.
Behind them, the night wind whispered softly.
They didn't look back.
But Nova could feel it, somewhere in the distance.
Their steps quickened, moving through the suffocating darkness. Their breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps, but none of them dared to stop.
Nova glanced back—nothing. But the overwhelming sensation of being watched grew stronger, an unseen force tracking their every movement.
Carter suddenly tripped over a root and nearly fell, but Axel grabbed him in time. "Stay focused. We can't afford any mistakes."
Logan clenched his fists. "I don't like this… It feels like we're being hunted."
Nova bit her lip. "Because we are."
And amidst the rustling of the night wind, the faint sound of footsteps returned.