The silence that followed wasn't awkward—it was full. Heavy. The kind that meant more than words could say.
Then a sharp, distant noise shattered it.
Something metallic groaned in the distance. The sound echoed down the forest road, followed by a faint rumble.
Sasha straightened instantly. "We've got company."
She started the engine, headlights cutting through the dark. "Hold tight."
Alvaro blinked himself awake. "Seriously? We just got here and hadn't rested for ten minutes."
"Yeah, well," she said, gripping the wheel, "rest time's over."
The car shot forward, tires crunching over gravel as they tore through the forest. Branches whipped against the windshield. The rumble behind them grew louder—something big, maybe a vehicle, maybe not.
"What now?" Alvaro shouted.
"Now," Sasha said, eyes sharp and alive again, "we find out if we're faster than whatever that is."
