The sound came again.
A footstep. Slow. Careful. Just outside the cabin door.
Arya froze. Her breath caught in her throat, and every muscle in her body went rigid. The blanket slipped from her fingers as she pressed herself back against the wall, heart hammering so loudly she feared whoever was out there could hear it.
Ivy's head lifted instantly. His hand closed tighter around the sharpened wood he had kept beside him. His expression hardened, all traces of exhaustion gone. He rose without a sound, moving toward the door like a predator ready to strike.
The cabin was silent except for the wind pressing against the walls. Then another creak of snow. Someone was definitely out there.
Arya's pulse pounded in her ears. What if it's one of them? The killers might have tracked them all the way here. She pictured black scarves, cold eyes, and blood-soaked blades. Her stomach knotted until she thought she might vomit.
Ivy raised a finger to his lips, motioning for silence. Arya nodded, clutching her trembling hands together.
The door rattled softly. A shadow slid across the crack at the bottom. Whoever it was… they were inches away.
Arya swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at her to run but where? The snow outside was death. The cabin was their only shield. She pressed her back harder into the wall, teeth clamped shut to keep them from chattering.
Then the door creaked open.
Just a fraction. Enough for icy air to slip through.
Ivy didn't hesitate. With a roar, he lunged forward, shoving the door wide and swinging his makeshift weapon down. A startled cry erupted outside. Not a deep voice. Not the rough growl of a soldier. But high. Shaking.
A child's voice.
Arya scrambled to her feet, rushing to the doorway. And there, bathed in the weak moonlight, stood a boy no older than twelve. His face was pale with terror, his thin body wrapped in rags too small for the freezing night. His wide eyes stared at Ivy's weapon inches from his head.
"Please!" the boy cried, falling to his knees in the snow. "Don't hurt me! I I'm not with them!"
Ivy froze, breath sharp in the air. His weapon hovered in place, but his grip remained firm. "Who are you?" His voice was flat, dangerous.
The boy trembled violently, his lips turning blue. "My name is Noel. I ran. From the town. Same as you."
Arya's chest clenched. She knelt quickly, placing a hand on Ivy's arm. "Wait. He's just a child."
Ivy's jaw tightened. His gaze flickered between Arya and the boy. Finally, with a slow exhale, he lowered the weapon. But his eyes remained suspicious, locked on Noel like he expected the boy to sprout fangs at any second.
"Get inside," Ivy ordered, stepping back.
Noel scrambled in, teeth chattering so hard Arya could hear it echoing in the empty cabin. He collapsed near the fireplace, curling into himself as if trying to disappear.
Arya hurried to him, pulling the blanket from her own shoulders and wrapping it around his tiny frame. "You're safe now," she whispered, though she wasn't sure she believed her own words.
The boy's eyes welled with tears. "They… they killed everyone. My mother… my father…" His voice cracked, and he buried his face in the blanket. His small shoulders shook with silent sobs.
Arya's throat burned. She wanted to gather him in her arms, to shield him from the horror, but she could barely protect herself. Still, she rested a gentle hand on his hair. "I'm so sorry."
Ivy stood apart, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His sharp gaze never left the boy. "Crying won't keep you alive," he said coldly. "If you stay with us, you'll have to keep quiet. Do you understand?"
Noel sniffled, nodding quickly. "I—I can be quiet. Please don't send me away. I don't want to die."
Arya shot Ivy a glare. "He's a child, Ivy. He's already lost everything. The least we can give him is a chance."
For a long moment, Ivy said nothing. His eyes softened, just barely, though his voice remained hard. "Fine. But one sound at the wrong time, and we're all dead."
Silence fell again, thick and suffocating. The three of them huddled in the broken cabin as the wind howled outside. Arya could feel the exhaustion pulling at her bones, but fear kept her wide awake. Every creak of the wood, every whistle of the storm, made her flinch.
Hours seemed to crawl by. Noel finally drifted into a restless sleep, curled against Arya's side for warmth. Ivy never slept. He sat against the door, weapon across his knees, eyes sharp and unyielding.
Arya watched him in the dim glow of moonlight seeping through the cracks. He looked so unbreakable, so steady, like a wall between her and the nightmare outside. Yet beneath that strength, she saw it the shadow in his eyes, the weight of survival pressing heavy on him.
She wanted to ask about his family, his past, what he had lost but the words stuck in her throat. Maybe some wounds were too raw to touch.
Instead, she whispered, "Thank you."
His gaze flicked to hers, surprise flashing in his eyes. "For what?"
"For fighting. For not giving up." Her lips curved in the faintest, trembling smile. "If you hadn't been there… I wouldn't have made it out of the water."
For a moment, his hard expression wavered. His shoulders eased, just slightly. But before he could reply—
A sound split the night.
Not footsteps this time. Something worse.
The sharp crack of gunfire.
Arya's blood ran cold. She sat upright, clutching Noel close. The shots echoed through the forest, followed by distant shouts.
"They're hunting," Ivy said grimly, rising to his feet. His jaw tightened as he glanced toward the door. "They've spread out. Searching house by house."
Arya's heart lurched. "You mean—they'll find us?"
"Not if we move first." Ivy's voice was low, urgent. He grabbed the bundle of spare clothes from earlier, tossing them to Arya. "Get dressed. Quickly."
Arya's trembling hands fumbled with the fabric as she tried to pull the oversized clothes over her soaked ones. Noel whimpered, fear flashing in his young eyes.
"We can't survive out there!" Arya whispered, her voice breaking. "It's freezing, it's dark"
"It's death if we stay," Ivy cut her off, his tone sharp as steel. "Choose."
The gunshots came again, closer this time. Dogs began barking in the distance, their howls carrying on the icy wind.
Noel clung to Arya, shaking violently. She pressed his head against her chest, her own fear clawing at her throat. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to face the storm, the forest, or the killers. But Ivy was right. Staying meant waiting to be slaughtered.
Finally, Arya nodded, forcing her trembling legs to stand. "Let's go."
Ivy's eyes met hers. For a second, his hard mask cracked something like respect glimmering in his gaze. He gave a sharp nod, then pushed the cabin door open.
The night wind slashed across their faces, bitter and merciless. Snow swirled through the trees like ash.
Ivy stepped into the darkness first, weapon ready. Arya followed with Noel clutched tightly to her side. The boy's tears soaked her shoulder, but she didn't dare slow down.
Behind them, the cabin creaked in the storm. Ahead, the forest loomed black, endless, and filled with unseen eyes.
They plunged into it anyway.
Because behind them, death was coming.