Something in her tone rooted me in unease, but I fell into step behind her as she led the way into the thicket. Branches scratched against my jacket, the ground soft with layers of rotting leaves. We came across a house in the distance. From afar, it looked abandoned with a slanted roof.
We approached, but Jessica suddenly lifted her hand to stop me. She crouched and pointed to the ground.
“Look carefully, Kael. Traps.”
I squinted, following her finger. The forest floor wasn’t natural. Beneath the scattered leaves were subtle signs—trip wires barely visible in the dim light, pits disguised under flimsy coverings, and metal jaws of bear traps, their teeth stained faintly with rust. One wrong step and your leg would be shredded.
A cold sweat slid down my spine.
“Follow only where I walk
