FAYE
I stood there for a moment after Darren disappeared down the path, listening to the sound of his footsteps fade into the distance.
Then silence swallowed everything again.
The woods suddenly felt different now that I was alone.
Even the air felt heavier somehow.
I swallowed hard before forcing myself to keep walking forward.
The narrow path beneath my boots twisted deeper into the forest, branches hanging low enough that some brushed lightly against my arms as I passed. The deeper I went, the colder the air became.
And then—
I heard it.
A voice.
Soft at first.
Almost impossible to make out beneath the sound of rustling leaves.
But as I continued walking, the words became clearer.
Incantations.
The same strange language from the dreams.
My chest tightened instantly.
Thi
