I hesitated at the edge of the lot, the wind tugging at my sleeves like it was trying to pull me back.
The stranger’s silhouette had already vanished beyond the tree line, but I couldn’t ignore the pull.
It wasn’t just curiosity—it was instinct.
Like whatever had been waking up inside me… recognized something in him.
I stepped off the pavement and into the woods.
The air changed the second I crossed the threshold.
Cooler.
Denser.
Quieter, but alive.
Every crunch of leaves beneath my boots felt too loud.
The branches above shifted, whispering secrets to each other.
Secrets I wasn’t supposed to hear—but maybe ones meant for me anyway.
“Hello?” I called out.
No answer.
But the scent hit me before anything else—metallic and musky, tinged with something sour, almost burnt.
