Night settled over Ridgeview in a way that felt heavier than usual. The trees stood unnaturally still, as if waiting. Every breath of wind paused. Every sound thinned into a quiet that made my skin prickle. Even the moonlight seemed reluctant to touch the forest floor, skimming along the treetops like it feared what waited below.
We followed the signal into the forest, the three of us walking close enough that our arms brushed with each step. The darkness between the trees glowed faintly with the aftershocks of the pulse. It left the air charged and warm, like the forest was breathing with us, inhaling our scents and exhaling something older in return.
Jack took my left hand. Beau took my right. Their fingers intertwined with mine, slow and warm. Their thumbs brushed against my knuckles
