The silence was heavy. Too heavy.
A single crunch of leaves outside the cabin had shifted the air, freezing every drop of blood in my veins. My hand tightened instinctively around Adrian’s, though his grip was faint, weakened by blood loss. His eyes never left mine, wide and sharp with warning.
“Emma,” he whispered, his voice raspy, “don’t panic. Stay still.”
But panic was already flooding me. My heart pounded so hard I was sure whoever was out there could hear it. The dim glow of the lantern on the rotting table threw shadows across the cabin walls, each one twisting, stretching, looking like an intruder waiting to strike.
Another sound—closer this time. The deliberate crunch of boots. Not the wandering step of a lost hiker. Not Sarah returning. This was different. Calculated.
Daniel
