Shadows in the Firelight

Adrian sat beside the fire, holding the thick file Eva had given him.

Names. Maps. Newspaper clippings. Journal pages. Every piece of paper was like a brick in a wall Eva had been building — a wall of truth to stand against people who wanted to bury it.

He flipped to a page near the back. A name jumped out at him:

Deputy Marek Siven.

Adrian stared at it.

"He was your neighbor," he said slowly. "He gave us candies at the harvest fair."

Eva nodded, bitterly. "He also made girls disappear."

Adrian looked up. "You're sure?"

"His name came up more than once," she said, crossing her arms. "The records show land deals, fake IDs, bribes… he wasn't working alone. He was helping a group hide things — and people."

Adrian felt sick.

These were people he'd seen his whole life — shopkeepers, church elders, friendly faces at the post office. But behind the kindness… darkness.

"Why?" he asked.

Eva sat down beside him.

"They were buying silence. For what they were doing in the forest. I don't know everything, but I know this — when I started asking questions, people got nervous. Then, people started vanishing. That's when I knew I had to disappear too."

Adrian closed the folder.

"So what now?"

"We get this file to someone who can't be bought," Eva said. "Someone who can expose them all."

"Who would believe us?" Adrian asked.

Eva looked toward the fire.

"There's one person," she said. "A reporter from out of town. Mila helped me contact her once. She's been investigating similar cases in other places. I think she's waiting."

Adrian nodded.

"Then let's go," he said.

Eva's eyes stayed on the flames.

"There's one more thing," she whispered. "I think they know you're here."

Adrian stiffened.

"What?"

Eva stood and walked to the window. She pulled back the curtain just a little.

"In the last week, I've seen movement in the woods. Lights. Shadows. They're looking for someone."

"You think it's me?"

Eva turned around. Her face was serious now — no more warmth, just focus.

"I think they know I'm not dead. And I think they're afraid I've told someone."

Adrian stood too.

"Then we move tonight," he said. "We can't wait any longer."

Eva nodded.

"But we'll need help," she added. "Mila, and maybe even Niko — if he's willing."

Adrian looked out the window into the dark.

The forest didn't feel like shelter anymore.

It felt like a trap.