First night, two dead.

First night, two dead.
                       Astrid POV
By the time we made it back to the campsite, the sky had already begun to dim into that soft, glowing blue that comes right before night fully takes over.
The anatomy lecturer led us in front, calm and composed like nothing had nearly gone wrong earlier, while a few other lecturers and officials stayed behind, watching closely.
Too closely.
Yeah… they weren’t taking any chances this time.
Not after Silas.
Not after Killian.
I could feel it in the way they scanned us, counted us, made sure no one drifted too far from the group. Like we were suddenly fragile.
Like one wrong step could send everything spiraling again.
The moment we got back to the tents, students scattered almost immediately—some heading straight to their tents, others already chasing the excitement of whatever was happening next.
As for me?
I walked into the tent I shared, dropped my bag to the side…
And then I just—
Collapsed onto the flat bed.
Flat on my back.
Staring up at the fabric ceiling.
Breathing.
Just breathing.
The hike wasn’t what drained me.
Not really.
It was everything else.
Elsie crouched beside me, her elbows resting on her knees as she looked down at me with a small grin.
“Tired already?” she asked.
I let out a faint laugh, shaking my head slightly.
“Not really,” I murmured. “Just… drained. A little.”
“A little?” she echoed, amused.
I turned my head to look at her.
“Okay, maybe more than a little.”
She laughed softly and tapped my shoulder.
“We haven’t even gotten to the main part yet,” she said. “You can’t be dying already.”
“I’m not dying,” I muttered.
“Debatable.”
I rolled my eyes.
Before I could reply, Damon’s voice rang out from outside the tent—loud, energetic, impossible to ignore.
“They’re setting the fire already!” he shouted. “Come on, let’s go see!”
I huffed out a breath.
Of course he was already excited.
“You go,” Killian’s voice followed. “I’ll get Astrid and the rest.”
I sighed dramatically, dragging a hand over my face.
“Your mate is coming to get you,” Elsie teased, nudging me lightly. “I think that’s your cue.”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered.
She laughed.
I pushed myself up from the bed, stretching slightly before stepping out of the tent—just in time to avoid Killian actually coming in to drag me out.
The air outside felt cooler now.
Lighter.
Alive with chatter.
I glanced around, noticing students moving in one direction, their voices overlapping with excitement, laughter, curiosity.
Something was definitely happening.
Elsie stepped out behind me, adjusting her clothes slightly before nudging me forward.
“Come on,” she said.
We didn’t even need to call Killian—he appeared a second later, falling into step beside us like he had been waiting.
“You good?” he asked, glancing at me.
I nodded.
“Yeah.”
He studied me for a brief second longer, like he wanted to be sure.
Then he gave a small nod.
“Good. Let’s go.”
We followed the flow of students moving toward the center of the campsite, where the open space stretched wide between the trees.
But before I fully joined the crowd, something caught my attention.
The wooden cabin.
It sat just off to the side, quiet, almost untouched compared to the growing noise outside.
Without thinking much about it, I slowed my steps.
“I’ll catch up,” I said to Killian and Elsie.
Killian frowned slightly.
“Where are you—”
“I’ll be right back,” I cut in gently.
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Don’t take too long. That cabin is for the lecturers and officials you know”
“Yep, something tells me to look around it.”
I gave him a small smile and turned, heading toward the cabin.
The closer I got, the quieter everything felt.
Like the noise from outside dimmed just a little.
I pushed the door open gently and stepped inside.
It was warm.
Softly lit.
And there—
Standing near one of the tables, organizing a few things—
Was the anatomy lecturer.
He looked up the moment he sensed me.
And smiled.
Not the strict, formal kind.
A calm one.
Welcoming.
“Astrid,” he said.
“Sir,” I replied politely, stepping further in.
“Enjoying the trip so far?” he asked, his tone easy, almost conversational.
I nodded lightly.
“Yes. It’s… been good.”
This, the anatomy lecturer my friends were debating about some days back.
He studied me for a second.
Like he was reading more than just my words.
Then he gave a small hum.
“I heard about what happened earlier,” he said.
My expression shifted slightly.
“With Silas?”
He nodded.
“And Killian.”
A faint smile touched my lips before I could stop it.
“Yeah.”
There was a brief pause.
Then he added, “That was a selfless move. Hope he wasn’t injured”
I tilted my head slightly.
“Killian?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Yes.”
There was something in the way he said it.
Something certain.
Like he had already made up his mind about it.
“He didn’t hesitate,” the lecturer continued. “Not even for a second.”
I looked down briefly.
Then back up.
“That’s just how he is,” I said softly. “He’s… a good leader. And yes, he has no injuries”
The lecturer’s expression shifted slightly.
Not surprised.
Not impressed.
Just… understanding.
“I see,” he said.
His gaze lingered for a moment before he added, “You and your friends make quite the team.”
That made me pause.
“How do you know?” I asked, a small frown forming. “About us… I mean.”
He smiled faintly.
“It’s my job to know my students,” he replied calmly.
Simple.
But something about it felt… layered.
Like there was more beneath it.
I didn’t push.
Instead, I gave a small nod.
“Well… I should get going.”
He nodded as well.
“Enjoy the night, Astrid.”
“I will.”
I stepped out of the cabin, the cool air greeting me again as the sounds of laughter and excitement rushed back in.
And this time—
I followed it.
Back to my friends.
They were already gathered near the center, where a large pile of wood had been arranged carefully.
Students circled around it—some sitting, some standing, others just watching with anticipation.
Killian stood with Jason and Damon.
Elsie was already there too, talking animatedly with Dove and Zora.
Riven and Hera stood slightly off to the side, probably arguing about something completely unnecessary.
Normal.
Archie and Odin were singing.
Finally.
I stepped in beside them, and Killian glanced at me immediately.
“Took you long enough,” he muttered.
“Relax,” I replied.
Then—
A lecturer stepped forward.
“Alright everyone,” he called out.
The chatter softened slightly.
“We’re about to start the bonfire.”
A ripple of excitement moved through the crowd.
Students shifting.
Leaning in.
Waiting.
One of the staff members stepped forward with a torch.
For a moment—
Everything felt still.
Anticipation hanging in the air.
Then—
The flame touched the wood.
And just like that—
Fire.
It started small.
A flicker.
Then grew.
Crawling up the stacked logs, feeding, building—
Until it burst into a full blaze.
Bright.
Warm.
Alive.
Cheers erupted instantly.
Laughter followed.
Someone clapped.
Someone shouted.
The fire crackled loudly, casting golden light across every face around it, shadows dancing against the trees.
The cold of the evening faded almost immediately.
Replaced by warmth.
Energy.
Life.
People began settling in—some dropping to the ground, others pulling logs closer to sit on.
Voices rose again.
Stories.
Jokes.
Music from someone’s speaker in the background.
I stood there for a moment, just watching it all.
The fire.
My friends.
The way everything felt… normal.
For once.
No tension.
No danger.
Just this.
And maybe
Just maybe
We deserve it
                      Killian POV
The fire had a rhythm to it.
Not just the crackling, though that was there, loud and alive as it chewed through the stacked wood, but something deeper. The way people moved around it. The way laughter rose and fell. The way the night itself seemed to breathe with it.
I leaned back slightly on the log behind me, one arm resting over my knee, a red cup hanging loose in my hand as I watched everything unfold.
This…
This was what a normal night was supposed to feel like.
Music pulsed from someone’s speaker—not too loud, just enough to blend with voices and laughter. A group of students had already started dancing near the edge of the firelight, their shadows stretching and twisting against the trees. Some of them were terrible at it. Didn’t matter. No one cared.
A couple sat too close on the ground, whispering to each other like the rest of the world didn’t exist. Another pair wasn’t even pretending—fully making out like they had something to prove.
Typical.
I huffed a quiet laugh under my breath, taking a slow sip from my cup.
“Oi! Don’t go too far!” one of the officials called from somewhere behind the crowd. “Stay within the lit area!”
A chorus of groans and laughter answered him immediately.
“We’re not kids!”
“Relax, sir!”
“We’ll be fine!”
Someone raised their cup toward him in mock salute, and more laughter followed. Even a few of the lecturers shook their heads, though I caught one of them smiling.
Yeah…
They could warn all they wanted.
No one here was listening tonight.
Not really.
Typical students.
I let my gaze drift, and of course, it landed on her.
Astrid stood just across from me, the firelight dancing across her face, catching in her hair, her eyes. She was talking to Elsie, the two of them leaning close, half-laughing about something I couldn’t quite hear.
But I didn’t need to hear it.
I could see it.
The ease.
The way her shoulders weren’t tense for once.
The way she smiled without forcing it.
Something in my chest loosened.
Damon stood a few feet away from them, pretending not to watch Elsie while very obviously watching Elsie. I smirked faintly. He wasn’t even subtle about it.
Archie and Odin were arguing about something, probably stupid, while still standing too close to each other to make it convincing.  Archie running his hands all over Odin’s chest as he spoke while Odin just looked at him with those loving gaze.
Dove and Zora sat together on one of the logs, their heads tilted toward each other, locked in their own quiet world.
Everyone was… here.
Together.
For once, nothing was falling apart.
“Alright!” a random student suddenly called out, climbing onto a log like he had just been chosen to entertain the entire world. “Since we’re all pretending to be alive and responsible—”
“Speak for yourself!” someone yelled.
He grinned. “—I’ve got a question!”
A few people groaned.
“Oh no…”
“Not this guy again…”
But he ignored them, raising a hand dramatically. “Why did the skeleton not go to the party?”
There was a pause.
Then someone muttered, “Because no one invited him?”
“No!” the guy snapped, pointing at them like they’d committed a crime. “Because he had no body to go with!”
A beat.
Then—
Groans. Laughter. Someone threw a crumpled napkin at him.
“That was terrible!”
“Get off the log!”
He bowed anyway, proud of himself.
I shook my head, chuckling under my breath.
Then
Silas stepped forward.
And just like that, the energy shifted—not gone, just… focused.
He didn’t climb anything. Didn’t try to perform.
He just stood there, hands in his pockets, that easy smile on his face like he already knew he had everyone’s attention.
“Alright,” he said casually. “Let’s try something better.”
A few students leaned in.
“What you got?”
Silas tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting in the firelight.
“I speak without a mouth,” he began, his voice calm, steady. “And hear without ears.”
The noise around us softened.
People turned.
“Seriously, Silas is asking riddles?” Zora whispered to dove.
Even the music seemed to fade into the background.
“I have no body,” he continued, “but I come alive with the wind.”
A pause.
Then—
“What am I?”
Silence.
Actual silence this time.
Brows furrowed. People muttered under their breath. A few students repeated the riddle quietly, trying to piece it together.
“I speak without a mouth…” someone whispered.
“No body…”
“Wind… what?”
I took a slow sip from my cup, eyes narrowing slightly as I rolled the words around in my head.
Beside me, Astrid shifted closer.
“Do you know it?” she asked, her voice low, only for me.
I glanced at her, a faint smirk tugging at my lips.
“Not yet,” I murmured.
She huffed softly.
Across the circle, even a couple of lecturers were chuckling, shaking their heads.
“That’s a good one,” one of them admitted.
“Got me,” another said.
Silas just stood there, patient.
Watching.
Waiting.
Like he already knew none of them would get it.
Something about that—
Yeah.
Didn’t sit right with me.
My gaze locked onto him.
And for a second—just a second—he looked back.
That same calm expression.
That same quiet confidence.
I exhaled slowly.
“I speak without a mouth…” I muttered under my breath.
Wind.
No body.
Comes alive—
My grip tightened slightly around the cup.
Then—
It clicked.
“Echo,” I said.
Not loud.
Not forced.
Just enough.
Silas stilled.
The shift was immediate—subtle, but there.
For a second, he just stared at me.
Then—
He nodded.
“Yeah,” he said. “That’s right.”
The reaction was instant.
Cheers broke out. Laughter. Someone clapped me on the shoulder from behind.
“Let’s go!”
“Nice one!”
“Killian got it!”
I smirked faintly, lifting my cup in acknowledgment, letting them celebrate it.
But I wasn’t looking at them.
I was looking at him.
Silas held my gaze for a second longer.
Then gave a small nod.
Respect.
Or something like it.
I didn’t return it.
Didn’t say a word.
Just looked away.
Because I didn’t want it.
Didn’t want whatever that was supposed to be.
Didn’t want to be friends with him.
Didn’t want to pretend I didn’t see the way he looked at Astrid sometimes.
Didn’t want to ignore the fact that he was human—completely, painfully human—standing in the middle of things he didn’t belong in. I am not hating on him, I just can’t bring myself to like this guy.
And still acting like he did.
My jaw tightened slightly.
Then—
Fingers caught my chin.
I blinked, turning just in time for Astrid to tilt my face toward her.
“Drink,” she said simply.
Before I could respond—
She tipped her cup, pouring it straight into my mouth.
I choked slightly at first, then swallowed, a laugh breaking out of me as I grabbed her wrist.
“You’re trying to drown me now?” I coughed.
She grinned.
“Maybe.”
“Rude.”
“You’ll survive.”
I shook my head, still laughing, the tension from earlier slipping away as easily as it came.
Music picked up again.
Louder this time.
Someone dragged Damon into the open space, and he immediately turned it into a full performance, pulling a few others with him. Cheers followed. Someone started clapping to the beat.
Archie whooped from somewhere behind me.
Odin pretended not to enjoy it—failed miserably.
Dove and Zora joined in next, laughing as they tried to outdo each other.
Even Elsie got pulled in at some point, her initial hesitation disappearing as Damon spun her around.
The fire burned higher.
Brighter.
The night felt alive again.
Normal.
For once.
I leaned back slightly, Astrid settling beside me now, close enough that our shoulders brushed. My arm rested behind her without thinking, natural as breathing.
This—
This right here.
This was what mattered.
No fights.
No enemies.
No blood.
Just us.
And for a moment…
I let myself believe it would last.
Then—
A scream.
Sharp.
Raw.
It cut through everything.
The music stuttered.
Laughter died instantly.
My body went still before my mind even caught up, every sense snapping into place.
“What the hell was that?” Elsie’s voice cut through the silence, tense.
Heads turned.
Eyes scanned the darkness beyond the firelight.
Then—
She came running out of the trees.
A girl.
Her clothes were disheveled, dirt smeared across her skin, her hair a mess like she’d been dragging herself through branches without caring what they did to her.
She stumbled forward, nearly collapsing as she reached the edge of the clearing.
Students recoiled.
“What happened—?”
“Hey—hey, calm down—”
She couldn’t breathe properly.
Couldn’t speak.
Just stood there, shaking.
Damon moved first, already stepping toward her.
“Hey,” he said firmly, but not harsh. “Look at me. Breathe. You’re okay.”
She tried.
God, she tried.
“Did she see a bear or something?” Archie asked no one in particular
“Or a demon bear?” Riven added.
Her chest heaved, hands trembling as she clutched at her shirt like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
“I—” she choked. “I—”
“Slow down,” Damon said. “What happened?”
Her eyes darted around the group.
Wild.
Terrified.
Then she forced the words out—
“I found them—”
A pause.
Everything stilled.
“Two students…” she whispered, her voice breaking.
A beat.
Then—
“Dead.”
Silence.
Not the quiet from before.
Not the thinking, waiting kind.
This was different.
Heavy.
Wrong.
The fire crackled behind us, too loud now.
Too sharp.
I didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
But my grip tightened around the cup until it nearly crushed in my hand.
Dead.
Out there.
In the woods.
My gaze shifted—slowly, deliberately.
And landed on Silas.
For the briefest second—
Before I looked away.
My jaw clenched.
I hope Silas has no plans on running to go check it out, that’s typical Silas, ready to play hero.
The normal night we almost had—
Gone.
Just like that.
And something cold—
Something familiar—
Slipped right back into my chest.