Clutching the stick, he strained his ears, scanning the darkened forest. Whatever was out there, he had to find it before it found him. He moved cautiously, pushing aside thick foliage, his breath slow and controlled. Shadows flickered, shifting with the wind. For a moment, nothing. Then—a sound. Not footsteps. A soft coo. Unnatural. Unsettling.
His grip tightened as he followed the unsettling noise, each step crunching against the damp earth. The air felt heavier, the underbrush growing denser, swallowing the last traces of light. Shadows twisted between the trees as he scanned his surroundings, heart pounding. Something was out there—but he couldn’t see anything.