The forest was quiet, almost unnaturally so. Thirteen of them moved carefully through the dense undergrowth, leaves scratching their arms, mud sucking at their boots. Every sound seemed amplified the snap of a branch, the rustle of unseen creatures in the brush, the soft splash of water from a shallow stream. The air was thick with mist, damp and heavy, curling around them like fingers, hiding what might be watching.
Kael led the group, his eyes sharp, scanning the twisted shapes of trees ahead. Behind him, Ryn struggled to keep pace, stumbling over roots and loose rocks. A hand shot out to steady her, pulling her back before she fell.
"Watch your footing!" Kael whispered, though his voice barely carried.
The others followed silently, each aware of the tension that coiled in the air. Some moved with purpose, others hesitated, unsure whether the sounds behind them were real or just the wind playing tricks. No one dared speak too loudly.
A branch snapped nearby, and thirteen pairs of eyes darted to the direction of the sound. Nothing moved in the fog. Just trees. Just shadows.
Kael exhaled slowly. "Keep moving. Don't stop."
They advanced, moving single file where the undergrowth was thickest. Every so often, someone tripped on a root or slipped in a patch of mud. It didn't matter Kael stopped them only when absolutely necessary, urging caution. Mist twisted around their legs, making the forest feel endless, like it was alive, closing in, testing them.
Sienna, walking near the middle of the line, muttered under her breath. "Feels like the trees are watching us."
"You're not wrong," whispered Kael, though he kept his eyes forward. "Keep quiet. Feel the forest. Listen to it."
No one argued. Thirteen bodies moved as one, a fragile line of life threading through the oppressive green. The forest swallowed every sound except for their own careful footsteps.
Then, something shifted. A ripple in the mist. A shadow that didn't belong.
Several members froze, their instincts prickling, hearts pounding. Kael's eyes narrowed. He didn't need to see it clearly to know it was there. Something large, something alive, moving beneath the fog. It didn't step, it slithered, slid along the edges of perception.
Kael signaled them to continue. They obeyed, slowly, keeping their balance as the forest seemed to test them at every step.
A sharp gasp broke the tension when Ryn almost fell into a hidden ditch. Kael reached her hand instantly, yanking her back.
"Careful!" he hissed.
Even as they moved, the sense of being followed grew stronger. Footsteps? Or just the forest shifting? Everyone knew the answer, even if they didn't speak it aloud. Something was out there. Watching. Waiting.
The group of thirteen was no longer just thirteen individuals they were a single organism, moving cautiously, relying on each other. They didn't talk much anymore, just exchanged quick glances, subtle gestures. Sienna scanned the mist with her eyes, trying to catch any hint of movement. She saw something flicker between the trees, low and fast. Blinked, and it was gone.
Kael felt it too, the pulse of something near them, almost imperceptible. His hand twitched toward the dagger at his belt. Not that it would help much whatever was out there was not human.
Hours seemed to pass as they pressed forward. Mist thickened, and with it, the forest grew stranger. The sunlight barely touched the ground, leaving them in a dim, silvered haze. Sounds of water trickled around them, tiny streams snaking through roots and rocks, but no shelter appeared, no clearing. Nothing.
The forest offered no reward, no hint of civilization. Just thirteen people, their breath ragged, hearts beating too fast, moving through a place that seemed endless.
In the middle of the group, Taren whispered, "Do you think we'll find anything?"
Kael shook his head. "Don't expect anything. That's how you survive. Expect nothing, notice everything."
The words barely left his lips when a rustling erupted behind them. Every head snapped around. Mist curled and twisted, and for a fleeting second, a silhouette moved, just beyond the fog. Too large to be human. Too fluid to be an ordinary animal.
The group froze. Thirteen people, frozen in the cold air, every instinct screaming to run, to hide, to fight but none moved.
Kael's hand rested on the hilt of his dagger, but he didn't draw it. Drawing it would announce their presence. Movement could be fatal. Silence was survival.
Minutes passed like hours. The rustling stopped. The shadow vanished. Nothing remained except the heavy mist, the wet smell of earth, the oppressive silence.
Sienna swallowed hard. "It's… gone?"
Kael didn't answer. He simply moved forward, signaling them to follow. Step by careful step, they continued.
The forest didn't give them any answers. No shelter, no signs of life except the faint traces of birds and insects that dared show themselves. Every tree, every shadow seemed to mock them. The world outside their small group didn't care whether they lived or died.
By midday, they reached a narrow path where the trees thinned slightly, though not enough to call it a clearing. Thirteen bodies halted. They looked around, but there was still nothing no markings, no structures, no sign of safety. Only mist, trees, and the faint echo of movement somewhere unseen.
Kael gestured for them to rest briefly. No one sat; they merely leaned against trees, catching their breath. Eyes flicked around constantly, watching the mist. Every snap of a twig, every ripple of shadow, kept them alert.
One of the younger members, Lira, spoke softly, "We've been walking for hours… are we even going the right way?"
Kael didn't answer directly. He only shook his head slightly. "We go where the forest allows. We survive step by step. That's all we can do."
Silence returned, heavy and expectant. Even with thirteen people, the forest felt lonely, hostile, and alive.
The mist thickened again as they prepared to move. Every step was cautious, every breath measured. Thirteen people, a single fragile unit, threading through the forest that offered no answers.
The forest had them in its grip, and for now, that was enough.