The early morning light filtered through the cracks in the windows as the group sat huddled in the living room. The once chaotic scene had quieted, the shadows dissipated, and the house now felt eerily calm. Exhaustion hung over them, but the sense of victory still lingered in the air.
Davin, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline, leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes for a brief moment of respite. "I can't believe we actually made it through that."
"Neither can I," Mira said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she sat beside him. "I thought we were done for when that giant shadow appeared."
"That thing was insane," Marcus chimed in, rubbing his arms as if still shaking off the tension. "I thought it was going to crush us all."
"It almost did," Lisa added, her gaze focused on the floor. "But we managed to pull together. That’s what saved us."
Davin nodded, his thoughts still racing. He couldn't deny the weight of what they had just accomplished, but he knew deep down that their fight was far from over. "This isn't the end," he said, his voice steady but laced with concern. "We drove them back, but we don’t know if they'll return."
Celia, who had been quiet since the battle, looked up at him. "Do you think they’ll come back soon?"
"I don't know," Davin admitted. "But we can’t let our guard down. We survived this round, but we have to be ready for whatever comes next."
Mira shifted uneasily. "What if we’re not ready? What if they come back stronger next time?"
"We’ll figure it out," Davin assured her, his tone more confident than he felt. "We have to. We don't have another choice."
Lisa stood up, stretching her sore muscles. "First things first, though. We need to get some rest. We're no good to anyone if we’re dead on our feet."
"Agreed," Marcus said, standing as well. "I could use a few hours of sleep after all of that. But we need to keep watch, too. Just in case."
Davin stood, glancing at the group. "We’ll take turns keeping watch. Let’s rotate every two hours. I’ll go first."
"I can take the next shift," Mira volunteered, standing beside him. "Just wake me up when you're ready."
The others nodded, thankful for the plan. They began to settle into makeshift bedding, pulling blankets and cushions into a corner of the room. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was the best they had under the circumstances.
As the others drifted off to sleep, Davin stood by the window, peering out into the empty street. The quiet was unsettling, after the chaos they'd just faced. His thoughts wandered, and he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something bigger was at play.
"Hey," a soft voice said from behind him.
Davin turned to see Mira approaching, her face etched with concern. "You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied, though he didn’t sound convinced. "Just… thinking."
"About the shadows?" she asked, stepping beside him to look out the window.
"Yeah," he admitted. "And about what comes next. We can't keep fighting like this forever. At some point, we need a real plan. We need to know why they're coming after us and how to stop it for good."
Mira was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I know what you mean. But we’ll figure it out. We have to."
Davin glanced at her, appreciating her calm determination. "You really believe that?"
"I have to," she said, meeting his eyes. "If we don’t, what else do we have?"
Davin gave a small smile. "I guess you're right. It's just hard to stay positive after everything we've been through."
"I get it," Mira said, her voice gentle. "But look at us. We’ve survived things we never thought we could. That has to count for something."
"It does," Davin agreed, feeling a little more at ease. "Thanks, Mira."
She smiled back, then looked toward the others who were fast asleep. "You should get some rest, too. I know you said you’d keep watch, but you look like you could use a break."
"I’ll be fine," Davin said, but his body betrayed him with a yawn.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Right. Fine. You need sleep just like the rest of us."
Davin chuckled softly. "Okay, okay. Maybe I’ll grab a nap once your shift starts."
"Good," Mira said, satisfied. "Because we need you at your best."
Just as they were about to return to their watch, a soft groan came from across the room. Lisa stirred from her spot on the floor, sitting up with a wince. "Davin?" she called out, her voice hoarse.
"Yeah?" he responded, moving toward her.
Lisa rubbed her eyes and looked around, her expression filled with confusion. "Did something happen while I was out? I had a nightmare. About the shadows."
Davin shook his head. "No, everything's been quiet. You were probably just processing what happened earlier."
"Maybe," Lisa murmured, though her eyes were still distant. "It felt so real."
"Nightmares will do that," Mira said, her tone sympathetic. "We’ve all had our fair share."
Lisa nodded, but there was a hint of unease in her expression. "Just be careful," she whispered. "I don’t think we’re safe yet."
Davin and Mira exchanged a glance, but neither of them wanted to add to her fear. "We’re keeping watch," Davin assured her. "We’ll wake you if anything happens."
Lisa nodded again and lay back down, though she didn’t seem as relaxed as before.
As Davin and Mira resumed their positions near the window, the tension hung thick in the air. The shadows had been pushed back for now, but Lisa’s words echoed in Davin’s mind.
What if they weren’t safe yet? What if the shadows were waiting for the perfect moment to strike again?
"I hate feeling like we’re always waiting for the next attack," Mira muttered, echoing Davin’s thoughts.
"Me too," Davin agreed quietly. "But we’ll get through it. One way or another."
They stood in silence for a while, watching the horizon as the morning sun began to rise, casting a pale light over the world outside. Despite the brightness, an unsettling feeling lingered in Davin's gut. Something told him that the shadows weren’t done with them yet.
And whatever came next, they needed to be ready.