Robert pressed forward, his boots sinking into the muddy ground as he followed the tracker. The distant sound of crying babies echoed through the heavy rainfall, urging them onward. The silver threads of rain caught the light with every flash of lightning, briefly illuminating the world in stark brilliance.
Suddenly, the trees thinned out and an old house appeared in a clearing, its silhouette outlined by the flickering storm. Robert hurried toward the house, hope and dread mingling in his chest. He reached the front door, gripping the handle with trembling hands. He twisted and pulled, but the door wouldn’t budge—it felt as though something unimaginable held it shut from within.
One of the trackers, unable to wait any longer, crept to a grimy window and peered inside. His eyes widened i
