Morning sunlight broke through the curtains long before Richard was ready for it. His phone buzzed with three missed calls, two unread messages, and one photo from Tim of Devon posing triumphantly with a packed backpack.
Devon had not been joking.
The camping trip was happening.
Richard groaned and rolled out of bed. His muscles still ached from chasing Devon and the boys around last night. The sleepover had stretched past midnight, full of way too much noise, card games, and Tango spilling soda on the carpet.
He stumbled out of his room and found the living room a warzone of snack wrappers and tangled blankets. Devon stood in the middle of it, tightening the straps of his bag like he was preparing for a military expedition.
"Morning, Omega," Devon said without looking up.
"You're cleaning this before you leave," Richard said.
"Nope," Devon replied cheerfully. "That's future Devon's problem."
"Future Devon is gonna get grounded."
"Future Devon is a legend and cannot be stopped."
Tim and Tango were half-asleep on the couch, but perked up instantly.
"We're ready, Captain!" Tango saluted.
"Captain of what?" Richard asked.
"Team Brave Idiots," Tim answered proudly.
Richard sighed. "Perfect name."
---
The Unexpected Tag-Along
Siara arrived just as the boys were stuffing cereal into their mouths. She wore a light hoodie, her hair tied loosely, her smile warm and soft.
"You're really letting them go camping alone?" she asked.
"I'm not letting them," Richard said. "I'm just too tired to physically prevent it."
Siara laughed and nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on. They'll be fine."
"I'm more worried about the forest," he muttered.
Siara stopped.
"Seriously, Richie… are you okay?"
Richard blinked. She was the only one who called him that.
"Yeah. Just… bad feeling," he said. "Devon's been too hyped about this. That's always a sign of danger."
"Your brother is fifteen," she said. "Danger is his personality."
"Exactly."
---
The Departure
By noon the boys were ready. Packs loaded, tents strapped, snacks acquired. Pluto arrived on his bike, dropping off a portable charger and a walkie-talkie set.
"If anything goes wrong, call me," he told Richard. "Or yell loudly. I'll hear it mentally."
"He thinks he has psychic powers," Tango whispered.
"I do not," Pluto corrected. "I just don't trust Devon outdoors."
None of them did.
Tim waved dramatically. "We'll return as men."
"You'll return as mosquito food," Richard said.
Devon pulled his brother into a quick but strong hug. "Relax, Omega. We're just gonna have fun."
"Don't make me regret this."
"You always regret everything."
Fair point.
The boys marched off down the road, loud and chaotic, their laughter fading into the distance. Richard watched them go with a knot twisting in his stomach.
Siara slipped her hand into his. "Come on. You said you'd walk me home."
"Yeah," he said, squeezing her hand gently. "Let's go."
---
The Encroaching Storm
They walked slowly, talking about school, friends, dumb rumors Tanya had spread, and Asuka's obsession with proving she could beat anyone in a race.
Siara paused suddenly.
"Do you feel that wind? It's weird."
Richard glanced up at the sky. A grey shadow sat heavy above the treeline. The weather app hadn't predicted a storm, but something about the air felt… wrong. Thick. Charged.
"Probably nothing," he said, though it didn't feel like nothing.
Siara lifted an eyebrow. "You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"The Omega overthinking danger detection mode."
"I don't have a mode."
"You have seven."
He laughed, but uneasily.
---
Nightfall
When Richard finally returned home, the house was quiet. The silence felt strange—too empty without Devon's constant noise.
He cleaned up the living room mess, dragged the blankets to the laundry room, and checked his phone again.
No messages from Devon or the boys.
Good sign. Probably.
By the time he got into bed, midnight was creeping in. The forest outside their neighborhood rustled softly in the distance. A low, distant howl echoed across the wind—too deep to be a dog, too long to be normal.
Richard sat up.
His heart thumped once, hard.
He grabbed his phone.
Still no updates.
He stared at the dark ceiling for a long moment, something cold crawling along his spine.
For the first time in a long time, Richard was afraid.
And miles away, in the thick shadows of Redwood Ridge Forest…
Devon and his friends were not alone.