“H—What happened? Where is everyone?” Ivy’s voice trembled as she scanned around the campsite.
The place was a ghost of what it had been, no people, no equipment, just an empty silence. 
The only thing left standing was the tent, its fabric fluttering in the wind, stained with soot and surrounded by burnt remnants of something terrible. The ground was scorched, the air still heavy with the scent of smoke.
“Something definitely happened here,” Ethan muttered.
He knelt and picked up a crumpled piece of paper lying conspicuously on the ground.
Ivy’s eyes widened as she recognized the familiar scrawl. “This… This is Dylan’s handwriting," she quickly scanning the note. “They headed east… But how? We didn’t see anything unusual on our way here.”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, his eyes darting around the darkening forest, searching for any clue that might explain the unnerving emptiness.
“This isn’t good,” he said.
“Why? What do you know, Brother?” Ivy’s voice was edged with fear, demanding answers.
He avoided her gaze, instead focusing on the dwindling light and the worrying quiet expression that seemed to press in on them from all sides.
“No!” Ivy snapped, anger flaring in her eyes. “Brother, we need to follow them. Now.”
“Ivy, listen to me,” Ethan said, “It’s too late, and our flashlight is nearly dead. We can’t go blindly into the woods.”
“Then why did you say it’s bad that they went east?” she pressed, her fists clenched.
He hesitated, his silence more terrifying than any answer he could have given.
Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, “Because... the east is where they vanish.”
“You’re so stubborn, Ivy. Just get some rest,” her brother commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.
But Ivy, defiant as ever, sat a few feet away, her gaze fixed on the darkened forest.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Fine. We’ll follow them at dawn. Your friend Aria might know something... something we need to uncover.”
"Aria?"
The name hanging in the night air like a fragile thread.
Ethan crossed his arms, “Get some sleep, Ivy. You’ll need your strength, and frankly, you’re too heavy to carry.”
"Tsk."
“Tsk.” Ivy rolled her eyes but obeyed, slipping into the tent with a huff. 
Exhaustion soon claimed her, her overactive mind finally temptation to sleep.
But peace didn’t come. Instead, a nightmare seized her.
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the tent. Cold fear gripped her as she saw her friends lying motionless on the ground, their eyes empty and lifeless.
“D-Dylan? S-Sadie?” Ivy’s voice cracked, desperation rising as she frantically searched for Aria.
"Ivy..." Aria's voice whispered from behind her.
Ivy spun around, relief flooding her as she spotted Aria standing behind her. Without thinking, she rushed to her, hugging her tightly.
 “What happened? What’s going on?” Tears blurred her vision, the nightmare too real, too raw.
“Things happened so fast...” Aria’s voice was calm, too calm, and Ivy pulled back, searching her friend’s face for answers.
But something was off. Aria wasn’t sad, wasn’t scared. Instead, a strange, unsettling smile played on her lips.
"What do you mean, Aria?"
But before Aria could respond, Ivy felt a sharp flick on her forehead, jolting her awake.
“Ouch!” she cried, touching her forehead.
Her brother stood over her, his expression a mix of concern and annoyance.
“Brother!” Ivy threw her arms around him, her relief palpable. “It was just a dream! You saved me!”
He gently pushed her away, his face softening just a fraction. “Don’t be clingy. I’m not used to it.”
Ivy pouted, still shaken by the strange nightmare, but as the remnants of sleep faded, she remembered the events of the previous night.
“Are we leaving?” she asked.
But Ethan didn’t answer. He stood by the tent’s entrance, lost in thought, his eyes distant.
“You jerk! What if something happened to them? What if they were taken? What if—”
“What can you do? What can we do?” Ethan’s voice cut through her frantic words, cold and unyielding. His gaze met hers, a storm brewing behind his eyes. “If they’re gone, Ivy... we might already be too late.”
Ivy punched his arm, harder than usual. “You said we could do something, and that’s to finish what they started!”
He smirked, ruffling her hair. “You’re brave, I’ll give you that. But you’re not thinking straight. I wouldn’t rest easy if you went in there alone.”
Without another word, they headed east, but with each step, the forest seemed to close in on them. The trees grew thicker, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers, and the air turned icy, biting at their skin.
Suddenly, Ivy’s scream pierced the silence as she fall straight down into a large pit, hidden beneath a layer of leaves.
Ethan reacted instantly, grabbing her hand and yanking her back up. “Idiot.”
“How was I supposed to know?” Ivy snapped, brushing off the dirt. “The grass was too thick! And why is there even a hole out here?” 
She started walking again, but her steps were more cautious now, Ethan right behind her.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” he asked, his tone laced with doubt.
Ivy hesitated, her confidence wavering. “N-No… wait… I need to pee.”
He rolled his eyes and turned his back to her. “Go ahead.”
“Jerk! Don’t move from that spot.”
Ivy crept away, searching for a place to relieve herself. But as she finished, something caught her eye—thin wisps of smoke curling up from beneath a pile of leaves.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she began to brush away the debris, revealing a red circle scorched into the ground. The symbol sent a chill down her spine, it was as if a ritual had been performed there.
“Ivyyy…”
The voice was faint, almost a whisper, but it sent her heart racing. She spun around, but no one was there. When she turned back, her breath caught in her throat. Ethan lay in the center of the circle, bloody and lifeless.
“B-Brother…” Ivy’s voice trembled as she stepped closer.
But just as she reached out, a hand grabbed hers, pulling her back. She whipped around to see Ethan, very much alive, his eyes filled with a mix of frustration and concern.
“You’re so stubborn,” he muttered, his grip firm on her hand.
Without thinking, Ivy threw her arms around him, clinging to him as if he were her lifeline. The sight of his lifeless body still haunted her, making her hold on even tighter, terrified of losing him for real.
“Ivy… we’ve been looking for you,” a voice called out from the shadows of tress.
Ivy and Ethan spun around, to see Dylan standing there, his figure partially conceal by the light filtering through the trees.
“D-Dylan?” Her eyes searching him for any sign of their missing friends. “Where are the others?”
“They’re waiting for us,” Dylan replied, his smile calm, almost too calm. “Come with me.”
Ivy took a step forward, ready to follow, but Ethan’s grip tightened on her arm, pulling her back. “Brother…”
“Hold on,” Ethan said, his eyes narrowing as he examine Dylan. “Where did you all go? We’ve been searching for hours.”
“We got lost while looking for you,” Dylan answered smoothly, his smile never faltering. “But I found you. Now, let’s go.”
She glanced at her brother, her instincts at war with her relief. “He’s right, let’s go,” she said, her voice pleading.
Ethan’s gaze never left Dylan. “Alright,” he finally said, his voice low. “Take us to them.”
But as soon as Dylan turned his back, Ethan moved like lightning, pulling out his knife and stabbing him from behind without hesitation.
“Brother!” Ivy screamed, shoving Ethan away.
But as she looked back at Dylan, her scream died in her throat. His form began to dissolve into swirling black shadows, his body evaporating like smoke in the wind.
“Really, Ivy?” Ethan’s voice was cold, laced with disappointment. “You’d push me away for him?”
“I-I thought you killed him!” Ivy stammered, “But how did you know?”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Tsk… I thought you knew him better. Didn’t you notice? He didn’t have the wound on his hand from when we were at Grandpa Aiden’s house.”
“I’m sorry...”
“Apologies later. We need to move. It’s getting dangerous—”
Ethan’s words cut off as a thick, oily black smoke began to rise around them, carrying with it a stench that made their eyes water. The air grew thick with tension, the forest closing in on them, suffocating, as if the shadows themselves were alive.