Chapter 2: The Whispering Woods

The forest deepened, and so did the feeling of being watched. Every step Aiden took seemed to echo, though the ground beneath him was soft and mossy. The trees loomed larger, their branches twining together like the web of some immense spider. Shadows crept between the trunks, twisting and shifting with every flicker of the pale light above.

Aiden's breaths quickened as he pressed forward, uncertain of his path. He was hopelessly lost, but staying still felt like surrendering to the woods themselves. The whispers began softly at first, distant and barely audible, like the murmur of wind through leaves. But as he walked, they grew louder, more insistent.

Come closer…

Find us…

Stay with us…

Aiden froze, glancing around. The voices were strange, layered atop one another, sometimes speaking in words, other times in sounds that didn't belong to any language he knew. Panic surged in his chest, but he clenched his fists and took another step forward.

"I'm not staying," he muttered under his breath. "I just need to find a way out."

But the whispers didn't care. They grew stronger, closer, as if the trees themselves were speaking to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught glimpses of movement—something slithering through the undergrowth, something shifting in the shadows. His heart pounded, his pulse quickening.

Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way.

With a sharp gasp, Aiden tumbled down a steep incline, crashing through roots and fallen branches. His hands scrambled for something to hold on to, but the slope was too slick, too sudden. He slid and rolled, gritting his teeth against the pain until, finally, he landed hard at the bottom of a small ravine.

Groaning, he pushed himself up, wincing as he checked his arms and legs for injuries. Nothing was broken, though he was battered and bruised. But before he could get his bearings, a sound rose from behind him—a low, guttural growl.

Slowly, Aiden turned his head.

In the darkness of the ravine, a pair of glowing eyes stared back at him. A shape moved, impossibly tall and thin, its form shifting in and out of the shadows. The creature was all angles and jagged edges, like a nightmare brought to life. A shiver ran down Aiden's spine as he rose to his feet.

The creature moved toward him, slinking across the ground with a predator's grace. It let out another growl, the sound vibrating through the air like the crack of thunder.

Aiden didn't wait. He bolted, adrenaline fueling his legs as he sprinted through the woods. The whispers turned into frenzied laughter, echoing all around him, but he didn't dare slow down. The creature was behind him, gaining ground with every second.

Branches tore at his skin as he ran, and the air grew colder, sharper. His lungs burned, his heart raced. He couldn't keep this up for long. The forest seemed endless, every tree identical to the last, every path leading him further into the unknown.

Just as he felt his legs start to give out, the trees parted, revealing an ancient, crumbling stone bridge that stretched across a wide river. The water below churned violently, as though the river itself was alive, twisting and writhing in a frenzy.

Aiden didn't stop to think. He sprinted for the bridge, his footsteps pounding against the stone. But halfway across, the creature lunged at him from the shadows, its claws raking the air. Aiden barely had time to react. He ducked, rolling forward, just as the beast's claws scraped the stone behind him.

Panting, Aiden scrambled to his feet and ran the rest of the way. He barely made it across the bridge when a loud crack echoed through the air. The stone beneath him trembled, and with a great, thunderous roar, the bridge collapsed into the raging river below.

The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek of rage, but it couldn't follow him. Aiden staggered backward, watching as the beast thrashed in frustration on the opposite side of the river.

He was safe—for now.