Chapter 26 IN THE WOODS
LATE NIGHT IN THE WOODS
A group of friends moved around a small clearing, half-lit by lanterns and the faint glow of an unlit fire pit. Backpacks lay scattered across the ground, shoes kicked off carelessly.
One couple had already disappeared behind a large tree, lips locked, hands wandering, whispering and giggling, totally lost in their world.
Near the center of the clearing, a girl struggled with a stubborn tent pole.
"Seriously, why is this thing so impossible?" she groaned, pulling at the fabric.
"You’re doing it wrong," another teased from the firewood pile. "Here, let me—oh wait, I’m busy"
"Busy staring at me?" she laughed.
"Nope. Busy watching the fire" he said with mock seriousness, tossing a small log onto the pile. Sparks shot upward.
Two others were lounging, sharing a bottle of soda, scrolling through their phones.
"This place is so quiet… I like it" one of them murmured, smiling at the shadows of the trees.
"Yeah, until some bear comes along" another replied, teasingly.
The girl with the tent sighed, stretching. "I need to pee. Nature calls" she said.
Her friends laughed.
"Make it quick, we don’t want the woods eating you before the night begins" someone joked.
She waved, smiling nervously, and walked deeper into the trees.
At first, the woods were calm, quiet except for the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant laughter fading behind her.
Then, a scream.
High-pitched, terrified, cutting through the night like a knife.
She froze.
"What…?" she whispered, panic beginning to coil in her stomach.
Her heart hammered as she turned back toward the clearing where her friends are.
And that was when she saw it.
A demon, taller than any human, with twisted horns curling skyward, its eyes glowing with molten fire. It stood over her friends, who lay sprawled across the ground, motionless, their laughter and chatter gone forever.
But it wasn’t just the bodies.
Glowing, writhing fragments, souls, were being ripped from them and devoured slowly by the creature.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
"Oh my God…" she breathed, barely making a sound.
Every instinct screamed at her: run, run, run.
The demon’s head lifted, and its burning eyes found hers.
"No!" she whispered, terror flooding her veins.
She ran. Branches whipped against her face as she sprinted blindly through the forest, lungs burning, heart pounding like it would explode. She didn’t stop, she didn’t dare look back.
She burst out to a narrow road, stumbling forward, gasping. The woods behind her were silent now. The demon had not followed.
Headlights appeared in the distance. A car slowed down as she waved frantically.
"Help, please! Get me out of here!" she cried, nearly collapsing against the door.
The driver, a woman, looked her over. Dirt and scratches on her clothes, terror in her eyes.
"What’s your name?" she asked calmly.
"Klara," she sobbed. "Please, just help me"
"Get in"
Klara did not hesitate. She yanked the door open and slid into the passenger seat, still shaking violently.
"Thank you… thank you so much…"
"You can explain later," the woman said, pulling back to the road. "For now, let’s get you somewhere safe"
The car sped off into the darkness.
•••
NEXT MORNING...
A harsh cough tore from Anya’s throat.
Her eyes flew open as thick gray smoke stung her lungs. The room was hazy, the air hot and bitter like something was burning.
She sat up, coughing again, eyes watering as she looked around.
"Nikolai…?" she croaked.
No answer.
Instead, she saw Shadow standing near a small table, in his human form. His black hair was messy, his sleeves rolled up, and in front of him was what looked like a ruined breakfast. A pan was smoking badly, something inside it completely burnt to charcoal.
"You’re awake? Too bad breakfast is ruined. I wanted to cook for you but it turned out real bad. Don’t laugh at me please, this is my first time trying to cook and it turned out to be a disaster" he grimaced.
"Oh…" was all Anya managed to say, still coughing.
Shadow quickly waved the smoke away with his hand. "Nikolai isn’t in at the moment. I’m instructed to look after you without a finger on you. He’s a dumbass. Don’t tell him I said this" he whispered.
Anya let out a small, surprised laugh before she could stop herself.
She slowly swung her legs off the bed. "Umm… I need to go back to my hostel"
Shadow immediately stepped in front of her. "You can’t. He said I must not let you out of my sight"
"Shadow… what does he really want from me?" she asked quietly.
"Only him have the answer to that"
Her hands curled into fists. "All he does is make my life a living hell! I didn’t escape from Canada to experience this! I just want peace!"
She slammed her hand against the bed and suddenly the tears came, hot and uncontrollable.
Shadow stared at her for a moment, then tilted his head.
"Tears don’t fit you. You look like a crying hamster right now"
Anya sniffed despite herself, half laughing, half crying.
"You should remain in your human form," Anya commented, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You look better this way"
Shadow’s lips curved into a faint, playful grin. "It won’t last long. I’ll be back to my cat form soon"
"Why?" she asked, tilting her head.
"It’s once in a while. I need a witch so I can transform from a cat to a human anytime I want" he replied casually, shrugging.
Anya’s eyes narrowed, curiosity sparking. "Where do you guys come from? Why are there supernaturals in the human world? How many of you guys are in this city?"
Shadow didn’t answer. He just blinked slowly, a small smirk on his human face, before he began to shimmer and shrink. In seconds, he was back in his cat form, tail flicking lazily.
Anya sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Right" she muttered, sitting back on the bed dejectedly.
Shadow leapt on the windowsill, eyes glinting like molten gold as it watched her silently.
She stared at him for a long moment, a strange mix of frustration and wonder curling in her chest.