They marched on until evening, the forest growing darker with each passing hour. When they finally reached Bryan’s group, Rain felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

  Something felt… off.

  Then he noticed Group Two was there as well—Emily’s group. She stood among her soldiers, but her face was tense, her eyes scanning the area like she expected something to go wrong at any moment.

  "She looks just like Diego."

  That same unease, that same restrained urgency. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t just Diego feeling it.

  Rain’s grip on his weapon tightened. "What the hell happening?"

  As Rain scanned the area, taking in the tense faces around him, footsteps approached from behind. He turned just as Diego strode up, another soldier from their group at his side.

  Diego didn’t waste time. His voice was low but firm. “Follow me. Bryan’s waiting.”

  Rain’s eyes flicked to the newly set-up tent in the center of camp. It wasn’t just for shelter—this was for an urgent meeting. Something was wrong.

  Rain was surprised Diego asked him to come to the meeting but without a word, he fell in step with them, unease creeping up his spine. 'Whatever this is… it’s big.'

  Diego pushed open the tent fp and stepped inside, the other soldier following close behind. Rain entered st, letting the canvas fall shut behind him.

  As his eyes adjusted to the dim light inside, he took in the people gathered. Emily was there, standing stiffly, her expression unreadable. Beside her were two other soldiers, both tense, their hands resting near their weapons.

  Bryan sat alone.

  As Diego and the others took their seats, Rain followed, settling in as Bryan wasted no time starting the meeting.

  "So, why did you two meet up with the main group? Did something happen?" Bryan asked, his tone sharp and to the point.

  Emily was the first to speak. "Something was following us… and it seems they were following Diego’s group as well."

  Diego nodded. "Yes. I couldn’t determine their exact numbers or how dangerous they are, but they were most probably Harrowstalkers from what I observed, though I'm not sure. They don’t seem to be more than the Forsakened we fought st night." He paused for a moment before adding, "But… they seem to be the apex predators of these parts. We saw no other animals, no other monsters, the deeper we went. It was as if everything else knew to stay away."

  A brief silence hung in the air before Diego continued. "Although they retreated, I think it’s safer to stick together and abandon the pn of splitting off. If we run into them again… I don’t think we can handle them alone."

  Rain sat still, absorbing every word.

  'Apex predators… No other creatures around… That means everything else in this forest knows better than to be near them.'

  That wasn’t good. The Forsakened they had fought st night were already dangerous, but if these ones were stronger, smarter…

  His fingers unconsciously tightened around his knee. 'We barely survived st time. If these ones are worse, how the hell are we supposed to fight them?'

  And the fact that they had been followed—'How long were they watching us? How close did they get without us noticing?'

  The idea of splitting up had seemed reckless before, but now it was outright suicide. Diego was right. If they ran into those things alone, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Rain kept his face unreadable, but inside, unease settled deep in his chest. 'So much for the hope of this expedition going smoothly.'

  Bryan nodded at Diego’s report, his tone firm and decisive. “Alright then, we have to adjust our formation. If we’re sticking together, a triangle formation will give us the best coverage.”

  He looked between them. “Diego, you’ll take the left fnk. Emily, you’ll cover the right. We need eyes on all sides in case they come back.”

  Rain listened, mentally mapping out the new formation. 'A triangle… it makes sense. Less blind spots, better defense. But will it be enough?'

  Bryan exhaled, his decision made. “This meeting’s over. It’s almost night—ready your groups to set up camp.”

  With that, he stood, signaling the discussion was finished.

  Rain remained seated for a moment, letting everything sink in. 'So that’s it. We’re sticking together, setting up defenses, and hoping these things don’t come back stronger than before.'

  He pushed himself up and followed the others out, the cool evening air greeting him as he stepped back into camp.

  As Rain stepped out of the tent, the cool evening air barely eased the weight in his chest. He was still processing everything when footsteps approached from behind.

  Diego caught up with him, the same soldier from their group—Frank—walking beside him. Without hesitation, Diego spoke.

  "Rain, I have something to say," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "If I were to go missing or die, Frank here would take the lead. But if he were to suffer the same fate…" Diego met Rain’s gaze. "I’d hope that you could take charge."

  Rain blinked, his steps slowing. 'Me? Lead?'

  Rain nodded without hesitation. “Understood, sir. I’ll be ready if it comes to that.” His tone was steady, respectful—exactly what Diego would want to hear.

  But inside, his mind was already turning.

  'If it comes to that? He says it like it’s just a possibility, but he wouldn’t be telling me this if he didn’t think it was real. Diego’s expecting trouble—maybe worse than he’s letting on.'

  He gnced at Frank out of the corner of his eye. 'So if Diego goes down, he takes over. And if Frank follows… then me.'

  Rain kept his expression neutral, but the weight of that responsibility settled in his chest. 'Not exactly the kind of promotion I was hoping for.'

  As the others went to prepare camp, Rain wandered through the area, quietly observing. He hadn’t gotten a good look at the other groups until now.

  Group One—Bryan’s group—looked mostly untouched. Their soldiers moved with confidence, their armor barely scratched. They had been in the forest just as long, yet they had clearly avoided the kind of losses the others suffered.

  Then Rain’s eyes shifted to Group Two—Emily’s group. It didn’t take long to see the simirities to his own. Fewer soldiers, tired expressions, gaps in their formation where men should have been. They had lost a quarter of their forces, just like Diego’s group.

  The realization settled uncomfortably in Rain’s mind as he finished his walk through the camp. 'We weren’t the only ones hit hard… whatever’s hunting us, it’s not just chance.'

  Pushing the thought aside for now, he exhaled and turned his focus to the camp. He couldn’t afford to dwell on things he had no answer to—not when there was work to be done.

  Without a word, he stepped in to help where needed. Some soldiers were setting up tents, struggling with the worn ropes and stakes. He knelt beside them, tightening knots and driving stakes into the ground with practiced efficiency.

  When a group worked to build a firepit, he helped gather dry wood, keeping his eyes on the treeline every so often. The eerie feeling of being watched still hadn’t left him.

  Eventually, he found himself assisting with supplies, helping distribute rations to those who had barely the energy to move. It was mechanical work, easy to lose himself in—but his mind never truly settled.

  Because no matter how much he busied himself, that uneasy feeling remained.