Chapter 10: Shadows in the Trees

The return journey felt suffocating. The thick canopy overhead blocked out much of the light, casting long, eerie shadows along the path. Each rustle of leaves and snap of twigs made the hairs on Elys's neck stand on end. He kept a firm grip on his rifle, scanning the underbrush for movement. The sense of being watched persisted, an unseen weight pressing down on the group.

"Stay close," Elys murmured, his voice low but steady. The guards huddled tighter, forming a protective ring around the two civilians, Kai and Yasmin, who looked increasingly anxious.

"Are we sure it's safe to go back this way?" Yasmin whispered, glancing nervously around. Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, searching for any sign of danger.

"There's no choice," Vanya replied, her jaw clenched. "We have to warn the others."

Just as she finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Elys turned just in time to see Kaden, who had been bringing up the rear, stagger and fall. Blood blossomed across his leg, staining the fabric of his pants.

"Ambush!" Elys shouted, his voice breaking the tense silence.

Kaden gritted his teeth, gasping in pain as he clutched the arrow protruding from his thigh. "Damn it… I'm hit!"

"Hold on!" Elys darted back, dropping to one knee beside Kaden. "We're getting you out of here."

Chaos erupted around them. The guards scattered, weapons drawn, searching the surrounding trees for any sign of the assailants. "Get him up!" Soren barked, his eyes scanning the treetops. "We're exposed here!"

With a grunt, Elys hooked his arm under Kaden's shoulders and began dragging him toward a cluster of large rocks that offered some semblance of cover. "Stay low!" he urged. The other guards fell back, forming a defensive perimeter.

"I'm not—" Kaden began, but a pained gasp cut him off as he tried to move his leg. "I'm not going to slow you down."

"Shut up and keep still," Elys snapped. "You're not dying here."

He half-dragged, half-carried Kaden to the rocks, his heart pounding in his chest. His gaze flickered upward, and for a brief second, he saw movement—a shadow flitting between the branches.

"There!" he hissed, pointing with his chin. "Someone's up there."

Vanya followed his gaze, raising her weapon. "Show yourself!" she shouted into the trees. But there was no response. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, and the faint creak of branches shifting.

"Get him to safety," Soren ordered. "The rest of you, with me. We're pushing back."

"No!" Elys protested, gripping Kaden's shoulder tighter. "We need to regroup. We don't know what we're up against."

"Go!" Vanya shouted, stepping in front of him and firing a warning shot into the trees. "We'll cover you!"

Teeth clenched, Elys turned and pulled Kaden further into the thicket, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The others fell back, retreating toward the direction of the landing site. Panic flared in Elys's chest. If they were being followed… if whoever—or whatever—was out there decided to attack in force, they wouldn't stand a chance.

As he struggled to get Kaden to safety, a flash of movement caught his eye. He looked up and froze.

A figure perched high in the branches, watching them. Cloaked in shadow, with a lean build and something glinting in its hand. An arrow.

Elys's grip tightened on his rifle. For a moment, time seemed to slow. The figure shifted, tilting its head as if studying him. Then, with a sudden, fluid motion, it melted back into the darkness.

"What the hell was that?" Kaden panted, his face pale and sweaty from pain.

"I don't know," Elys murmured, his voice low. "But we need to keep moving."

He turned, supporting Kaden as they stumbled back toward the rest of the group. His mind raced. Whoever—or whatever—was out there, they were skilled. They had the element of surprise, and they were using it to their advantage.

"Elys!" Kai's voice called from ahead. "Over here!"

The others were gathered just beyond a thick grove of trees, weapons still raised. Yasmin knelt beside a tree, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Did you see it?" she asked, voice trembling. "What was that?"

"Not sure," Elys replied, his gaze darting back to the treetops. But there was no sign of the figure now. No trace of the ambusher. Only silence and the lingering tension in the air.

"We need to move, now," Vanya said, her tone clipped. "We're too exposed here."

"Back to the site," Soren agreed, his expression grim. "We'll report this to the others and form a plan. No more splitting up."

With a shared nod, they began to move as one, falling into a tight formation as they made their way back to the landing site. Elys kept a firm grip on Kaden, his thoughts swirling.

He had seen that figure. Watched it move. But it didn't seem… human. At least, not entirely.

What the hell are we dealing with?

As they pushed through the underbrush, every rustle and creak of the forest felt like a threat. Eyes seemed to follow them, unseen but ever-present. The journey back felt endless, each step weighed down by the oppressive silence.

By the time they reached the edge of the clearing, Elys's nerves were frayed. The Exiles who had stayed behind were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing—blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked just beyond the trees.

"Get Kaden to the med bay," Soren ordered, his voice low. "And keep this quiet. We don't want to cause a panic."

Vanya nodded, stepping forward to help Elys lift Kaden. "You did good out there," she murmured.

Elys shook his head. "We're not out of this yet."

As they moved toward the makeshift med bay, he glanced back at the treeline. For just a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of movement. But then it was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

Whatever was out there… they were watching.

And they weren't alone.

This version keeps the tension and heightens the stakes while still pacing the action to build suspense. Let me know if you'd like any adjustments or additional details!Chapter 10: Shadows in the Trees

The return journey felt suffocating. The thick canopy overhead blocked out much of the light, casting long, eerie shadows along the path. Each rustle of leaves and snap of twigs made the hairs on Elys's neck stand on end. He kept a firm grip on his rifle, scanning the underbrush for movement. The sense of being watched persisted, an unseen weight pressing down on the group.

"Stay close," Elys murmured, his voice low but steady. The guards huddled tighter, forming a protective ring around the two civilians, Kai and Yasmin, who looked increasingly anxious.

"Are we sure it's safe to go back this way?" Yasmin whispered, glancing nervously around. Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, searching for any sign of danger.

"There's no choice," Vanya replied, her jaw clenched. "We have to warn the others."

Just as she finished speaking, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Elys turned just in time to see Kaden, who had been bringing up the rear, stagger and fall. Blood blossomed across his leg, staining the fabric of his pants.

"Ambush!" Elys shouted, his voice breaking the tense silence.

Kaden gritted his teeth, gasping in pain as he clutched the arrow protruding from his thigh. "Damn it… I'm hit!"

"Hold on!" Elys darted back, dropping to one knee beside Kaden. "We're getting you out of here."

Chaos erupted around them. The guards scattered, weapons drawn, searching the surrounding trees for any sign of the assailants. "Get him up!" Soren barked, his eyes scanning the treetops. "We're exposed here!"

With a grunt, Elys hooked his arm under Kaden's shoulders and began dragging him toward a cluster of large rocks that offered some semblance of cover. "Stay low!" he urged. The other guards fell back, forming a defensive perimeter.

"I'm not—" Kaden began, but a pained gasp cut him off as he tried to move his leg. "I'm not going to slow you down."

"Shut up and keep still," Elys snapped. "You're not dying here."

He half-dragged, half-carried Kaden to the rocks, his heart pounding in his chest. His gaze flickered upward, and for a brief second, he saw movement—a shadow flitting between the branches.

"There!" he hissed, pointing with his chin. "Someone's up there."

Vanya followed his gaze, raising her weapon. "Show yourself!" she shouted into the trees. But there was no response. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, and the faint creak of branches shifting.

"Get him to safety," Soren ordered. "The rest of you, with me. We're pushing back."

"No!" Elys protested, gripping Kaden's shoulder tighter. "We need to regroup. We don't know what we're up against."

"Go!" Vanya shouted, stepping in front of him and firing a warning shot into the trees. "We'll cover you!"

Teeth clenched, Elys turned and pulled Kaden further into the thicket, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The others fell back, retreating toward the direction of the landing site. Panic flared in Elys's chest. If they were being followed… if whoever—or whatever—was out there decided to attack in force, they wouldn't stand a chance.

As he struggled to get Kaden to safety, a flash of movement caught his eye. He looked up and froze.

A figure perched high in the branches, watching them. Cloaked in shadow, with a lean build and something glinting in its hand. An arrow.

Elys's grip tightened on his rifle. For a moment, time seemed to slow. The figure shifted, tilting its head as if studying him. Then, with a sudden, fluid motion, it melted back into the darkness.

"What the hell was that?" Kaden panted, his face pale and sweaty from pain.

"I don't know," Elys murmured, his voice low. "But we need to keep moving."

He turned, supporting Kaden as they stumbled back toward the rest of the group. His mind raced. Whoever—or whatever—was out there, they were skilled. They had the element of surprise, and they were using it to their advantage.

"Elys!" Kai's voice called from ahead. "Over here!"

The others were gathered just beyond a thick grove of trees, weapons still raised. Yasmin knelt beside a tree, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Did you see it?" she asked, voice trembling. "What was that?"

"Not sure," Elys replied, his gaze darting back to the treetops. But there was no sign of the figure now. No trace of the ambusher. Only silence and the lingering tension in the air.

"We need to move, now," Vanya said, her tone clipped. "We're too exposed here."

"Back to the site," Soren agreed, his expression grim. "We'll report this to the others and form a plan. No more splitting up."

With a shared nod, they began to move as one, falling into a tight formation as they made their way back to the landing site. Elys kept a firm grip on Kaden, his thoughts swirling.

He had seen that figure. Watched it move. But it didn't seem… human. At least, not entirely.

What the hell are we dealing with?

As they pushed through the underbrush, every rustle and creak of the forest felt like a threat. Eyes seemed to follow them, unseen but ever-present. The journey back felt endless, each step weighed down by the oppressive silence.

By the time they reached the edge of the clearing, Elys's nerves were frayed. The Exiles who had stayed behind were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing—blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked just beyond the trees.

"Get Kaden to the med bay," Soren ordered, his voice low. "And keep this quiet. We don't want to cause a panic."

Vanya nodded, stepping forward to help Elys lift Kaden. "You did good out there," she murmured.

Elys shook his head. "We're not out of this yet."

As they moved toward the makeshift med bay, he glanced back at the treeline. For just a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of movement. But then it was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

Whatever was out there… they were watching.