Warmth came first.
A faint crackling sound followed—soft, rhythmic.
Then voices.
Fletcher's eyes fluttered open slowly. The world swam into focus, shadows bending and reshaping themselves until they finally settled into something recognizable.
Fire.
A small, dim fire burned at the center of a rough clearing, its glow licking at the surrounding darkness. The air was colder now. Sharper. Nothing like the forest path they had entered hours ago.
Across from the fire sat O.Darren.
He was on the ground, back straight despite the exhaustion etched into his face. His sleeves were rolled up, palms resting on his knees, eyes fixed on the flames like he was holding the night at bay through sheer will alone.
Beside him sat Camila.
She looked shaken—mud smudged her knees, hair tangled, makeup gone—but she was awake. Alert. Alive. Her presence beside Darren felt deliberate, grounding.
Relief washed over Fletcher—until he noticed something else.
They weren't on a trail.
They weren't near the road.
They weren't anywhere familiar.
---
Groans and murmurs rose as others began to stir.
Naledi pushed herself upright, blinking rapidly.
"Why… does my head feel like that?"
Sienna sat up beside her, clutching her arms. "Where are we?"
Eli rubbed his face, eyes darting around. "Okay. This is officially not where we passed out."
Ji Ace shot up suddenly, breath sharp, eyes scanning the trees like she expected something to leap out at her.
"We moved," she said. "Someone moved us."
"No," Darren said quietly. His voice cut through the confusion without rising. "We walked."
All eyes turned to him.
"You all woke up briefly," he continued. "Disoriented. The gas didn't knock us out completely. You followed… without realizing."
Camila hugged her arms tighter. "None of us remember the way back."
A terrible silence followed.
Hunter stirred last, sitting up with a violent jerk. "Where the hell is the road?" he snapped. "Where's the bus?"
No one answered.
Because there was no answer.
Only trees.
Endless, towering trees.
---
Malik adjusted his glasses, his expression grave. He had been quiet until now—thinking.
"This isn't just any forest," he said calmly. "The Wild Forest stretches far beyond Ashfall's mapped borders. It's uninhabited. Unregulated."
"How far?" someone asked.
Malik swallowed.
"As wide as a small country."
A wave of panic rippled through the group.
"That's bullshit," Hunter snapped, jumping to his feet. "You're just trying to scare everyone."
Malik stood too, meeting Hunter's glare evenly. "Fear doesn't change facts."
That was when Hunter lost control.
He lunged.
"Say that again—!"
Camila stepped between them without thinking. "Stop it!"
Hunter froze—then his rage snapped sideways.
"Get out of my way."
His arm lifted.
Before it could fall—
Darren was there.
He caught Hunter's wrist mid-air, grip unyielding. Eli moved instantly to Hunter's other side, bracing him.
"That's enough," Darren said, voice low and final. "You don't get to turn this into chaos."
Hunter's chest heaved. His eyes burned—not just with anger, but fear.
He tore his arm free and turned away.
---
Fletcher had been scanning the clearing quietly.
Now his stomach dropped.
"Where's Bam Bam?" he asked.
Silence.
Everyone looked around.
A bag sat near the fire—large, familiar.
Bam Bam's.
"No," Naledi whispered.
"There are no footprints," Fletcher said slowly, crouching. "No drag marks. No signs he walked off."
Briony's breath hitched.
She stepped closer to Fletcher—then suddenly wrapped her arms around him, clutching his jacket like it was the only solid thing left in the world.
"I don't like this," she whispered, trembling. "I really don't like this."
Fletcher stiffened in surprise—then gently placed a hand on her back.
"It's okay. We'll find him."
Ji Ace paced sharply. "We can't stay here. If he's hurt—if she's still out there—"
"We should look for him," she said firmly. "Now."
Voices erupted.
"That's dangerous."
"What if it's a trap?"
"We could lose more people!"
Darren stood.
The firelight cast long shadows behind him.
"We don't split up," he said. "We don't abandon anyone. If Bam Bam is missing, we find him."
Naledi nodded.
"So do we."
Eli exhaled. "Yeah. We go together—or not at all."
Some students grumbled. Others nodded reluctantly.
Hunter turned back at last.
"I'm coming," he said flatly. "Not for you. For him."
Darren gave a single nod.
---
Deeper In
They extinguished the fire.
And stepped forward.
The forest swallowed the light almost immediately.
Somewhere deep in the mountains—
A howl echoed.
Low.
Long.
Not quite human.
Briony tightened her grip on Fletcher's arm.
Ji Ace's hand hovered near her hidden blade.
And as they ventured deeper into the Wild Forest, one truth settled heavy over them all:
They were no longer students on an excursion.
They were prey—
moving through something ancient that had just begun to stir.
---