CHAPTER TWO: LIFE OR DEATH DEALS
Michael swept his gaze over the group, tightening the straps of his saddle. "Is everyone ready?" he asked, scanning each tired, expectant face.
Clara gave a firm nod. "We're good to go," she assured, her tone steady despite the fatigue etched into her features.
"Good," Michael said, swinging himself onto his horse with practiced ease. "Everyone, hop on and ride."
Mark smirked as he mounted. "I just hope Sam knows how to ride this thing," he teased.
Sam shot him a wicked grin. "No, I don't," she said sweetly, "but I do know how to smack your ass."
A ripple of laughter rolled through the group.
"Come on, guys," Maya said, excitement flickering in her eyes as she adjusted the leather-bound book secured at her side. "Let's ride."
They set off at full speed, hooves pounding the earth like drums of war, the wind tearing at their clothes and hair. Maya rode at the front, the map book her compass and her burden, leading them through valleys and across rough, uneven roads. They pushed hard, sleeping in shifts, eating in haste, riding through both day and night.
Four relentless days later, as the sun dipped behind jagged peaks, the riders finally reached a wide clearing — the entrance to the legendary Dark Forest.
Sam blinked, stunned. "Okay... this forest isn't dark at all," she breathed, staring at the
glowing canopy overhead. Golden light spilled through branches strung with soft, emerald moss, casting the world in a kind of dreamlike glow.
Clara stepped down from her horse and turned slowly in awe. "How could I ever have said I never wanted to come here?" she murmured, her earlier reluctance dissolving into wonder. "This place is hell-beautiful."
Mark frowned, scanning the horizon. "Some sorta forest trick, or what?" he muttered.
"It's beautiful," Maya said softly, almost reverently, as if the trees themselves might be listening.
"Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine this," Michael admitted with a crooked smirk.
"Yeah," Clara whispered in agreement, unable to look away.
Mark suddenly groaned, breaking the spell. "Guys, I think we need a rest."
Clara scoffed lightly, still admiring the forest's glow. "Speak for yourself," she said, smiling faintly.
"What?" Mark turned in his saddle, his expression half-exasperated, half-pleading. "Tell me I'm not the only one tired."
Maya sighed, her fingers rubbing at her temples. "I think he's right. I'm also exhausted. I need a break — and don't even get me started on this map. My eyes feel like they're burning from staring at it for four days straight."
David kicked his horse forward, taking the lead for once. "Let's find a place to rest for the day, guys," he said, riding ahead with new purpose.
They followed him off the main trail until they found a sheltered hollow, surrounded by trees that leaned together as though conspiring to hide them from the world. It was safe, quiet — a temporary haven.
Maya yawned, sliding off her horse and rubbing the ache from her shoulders. "I am so
tired," she groaned, then glanced mischievously at the boys. "So, what are we having for dinner?"
"Yeah," the other girls echoed in mock impatience.
"I'm starving, Mark," Sam said with a grin. "Do something."
David held up several skewers of roasted meat with a theatrical bow. "Dinner is served, my ladies," he announced, passing them around.
Sam took a bite, eyes widening. "This tastes nice," she said, nodding approvingly as she chewed.
Clara, chewing thoughtfully, frowned. "Someone tell me why Mark's so silent," she said, curious now that the camp had settled.
Mark smiled warmly, spreading his arms in mock innocence. "Well, what can I say? I got nothing to say."
David chuckled. "Then think of something."
Mark arched an eyebrow. "Like maybe... you have a crush on someone here?" he teased, eyes glinting.
Sam gasped theatrically. "Who is it?"
Maya giggled, leaning closer. "Yeah, David, is that true? Tell us — who is it among us?"
David forced a smile, shifting uncomfortably. "No one. Mark's probably sleepy."
Mark shot him a look. "Uh, hello? My eyes are wildly open," he replied sarcastically.
David smirked slyly. "Okay then, Sam, do you know this blockhead Mark has f—"
"Shut up, David," Mark cut in quickly, glaring at him with playful threat. "I think we all need a nap."
"A nap?" Sam said, grumbling. "Not when I'm about to hear a secret."
"Sleep, Sam," David said with a cunning smile. "Another day."
Michael chuckled. "Yeah."
Clara rolled her eyes, stretching out on the soft moss. "Like seriously? You're keeping things in the Dark Forest? Tell us now. It might be too late tomorrow," she joked, wriggling into a more comfortable spot.
"It's never too late," David said with a smirk, settling down.
One by one, exhaustion won over banter, and they drifted into sleep — all except Sam.
She lay on her back, staring at the twisted canopy above, the flicker of their dying fire painting restless shadows on the branches. But her mind refused to quiet. The secret — whatever Mark and David were hiding — gnawed at her like a splinter in her thoughts.
At last, she sat up silently, glancing at the steady breaths of her friends. With careful hands, she reached for Maya's bag and slid the old map book from its resting place.
She turned the heavy pages slowly, the parchment whispering as secrets long-buried breathed into the night. Until now, they'd used only the maps, never reading the strange histories inked between them. But now, with the others asleep, Sam let her curiosity roam.
She read page after page, the night stretching thin around her, until her eyes caught on an image so startling that her breath snagged in her chest.
She stared, frozen. Her pulse quickened, hammering in her ears. The strange picture and its meaning — its impossible, terrible meaning — burned into her vision. Life or death. That was all her mind could form around the discovery. She didn't know yet what it would mean for them — only that every single one of them had to know.