In The Wolf’s Den

I felt the first rays of morning sunlight brush against my face. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The forest was bathed in pale gold, still half-dreaming beneath a veil of mist. I sat up on the blanket, and saw Merlin extinguishing the dying embers of our fire.

"Finally awake," she said with a glance in my direction."We need to move. It wouldn't be good if they found us here."

I nodded silently, folding the blanket I had slept on and tucking it into her backpack."I hope we'll find more food. And somewhere we can rest properly," I murmured, my voice still coated with sleep.

"I hope so too," she replied.

We once again ventured deeper into the forest, where the trees grew older and denser, the light more reluctant to pierce through the interwoven branches. As we walked, my thoughts returned to the night before — to what had happened while the world was quiet, while the fire flickered and she was so close to me I could feel her breath.

I glanced at her. She met my gaze, raising a brow in playful suspicion."What is it? Do I have something on my face?" she teased.

"No, you don't," I replied sharply. "Am I not allowed to look?"

I turned away, embarrassed by how easily she could unsettle me. I tried to push away the memory — her face just inches from mine, her breath warm on my skin, her hands bracing the ground beside my head. She'll kill me. I know her — or at least I thought I did. And what if this is all part of her plan, just like it was in the beginning? What if I fall for it again?

The forest path grew narrow, as though nature itself was trying to erase any sign of human passage. Beneath our feet, I could feel the firmness of old concrete — perhaps once a road — now hidden beneath a tangle of moss and wild roots. Ivy slithered up the trees like green serpents, while brambles and underbrush created walls of thorns and leaves. The further we walked, the more the forest seemed to press in on us.

Merlin moved cautiously, alert to every sound, while I drifted again into my thoughts. She was so enigmatic. Even now, I couldn't guess what was going through her mind. The air was thick and damp, heavy with the scent of moss, sap, and decay. The chirping of insects had stopped — a silence so sudden, it felt like the forest itself was holding its breath.

"Something's wrong," I whispered.

Merlin nodded, scanning the surroundings."Be ready for the worst. I think… they're here."

My expression changed instantly. I reached for Merlin and pulled her closer, prompting her to give me a surprised look.

Then we both froze.

Voices. Low, male, rough. Muffled by distance, but steadily drawing nearer. Then — barking. Sharp and guttural. Footsteps in the underbrush.

"Shit," Merlin hissed, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me off the trail, deeper into the forest.

We scrambled down a steep, overgrown slope covered in nettles and tall grass. The only thought in our minds was disappear.

"What the hell do we do now?" I asked, breathless and on edge.

"I don't know," she answered, scanning for shelter, her voice sharp with urgency.

The tall grass was thick and disorienting. We couldn't see what lay ahead — we could be running straight into a trap.

"We have weapons. We could fight," I said, halting in the grass.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Merlin spun on me, furious."You can't just run into a fight without knowing what you're up against. You have no idea what kind of weapons they're carrying — or if more of them are hiding in the trees. First we find cover."

Her words cut me, and I lashed back,"You could try being a little less of a bitch. It wouldn't kill you."

"Do whatever the hell you want. I don't care," she snapped, then stormed off through the grass, vanishing into the slope.

I stayed where I was, hidden in the grass, trying to breathe.Why is she like this? I wondered, before finally following her down the hill.

At the bottom, half-buried in earth and vines, was an old car — rusted and forgotten, overtaken by nature.

I crept up to it cautiously, listening for any sign of pursuit. My pistol was still in my pocket, along with a small blade on the other side. I couldn't see Merlin anywhere. Of course. She always disappears.

I slipped through the shattered window of the car, crouching low, waiting. My heart pounded as my mind was suddenly overwhelmed by a flashback — rain, a storm, me sobbing in the passenger seat, and my uncle Roi desperately trying to start the engine.

"This fucking car," he cursed, twisting the key.

"Over there! After them!" Voices shouting in the distance. Soldiers closing in.

Panic surged through me. I couldn't breathe.

Then a hand covered my mouth and pulled me back. I fought against it until I recognized the grip."It's me," Merlin whispered. "Be quiet."

She was behind me, her arm still around me, pulling me against her chest. I didn't even notice when she had entered the car. I only knew that I was once again in her arms, wrapped in her warmth.

Her hands were stained with blood. Her uniform was ripped, torn, half-destroyed by whatever she had just survived.

She finally let go of me and we both slipped into the back seat, crouching low, waiting in silence.

"You scared me," I whispered. "Where were you?"

"I tried to get a better look — four men, armed, with a dog. I think one of them was Autin." She bit her lip, eyes darting across the shadows.

In the grass outside, we could hear them. Closer now. The soldiers appeared — four of them, all in the black Norton uniforms. The same kind Merlin once wore. A dog prowled beside them — lean, ragged, eyes like iron.

They stopped. The dog froze. Sniffed. Then growled.

"Fucking dog. They know we're here," Merlin muttered.

Autin gestured to the others."I think they're here. Search everything."

The air trembled. I slowly drew my pistol, waiting for the signal. I could feel Merlin's body tense beside me, her hand already on the grip of her rifle.

Then — the moment.

They saw us.

I fired several rounds while Merlin moved to the other side of the car, returning fire.

Then something happened that wasn't supposed to. Not now. Not like this.

Gunshots. Blood. Bodies collapsing.

"Get her!" a voice shouted.

Panic consumed me. I froze — just like before. The same image. The same memory. The screaming. The gunfire. The helplessness.

"Devin!!!"

Merlin's voice tore through the fog.

A soldier grabbed me, yanking me from the car. It was Autin."You bitch!" he spat. "This is all your fault. You deserve to die."

His hands wrapped around my throat. I fought back, but he was stronger — until Merlin came crashing into him, plunging a knife into his shoulder.

She shoved him off and pulled me up, dragging me toward the trees.

Autin screamed in pain and fury behind us, but we didn't look back. We ran. We ran like it was our last chance at life.

"You could've gotten us killed!" Merlin hissed, breathless and enraged.

"I'm sorry, Merlin! I'm sorry, it's just— it's too much!" I choked out, angry at everything, mostly at myself.

We kept moving, a thick white fog rising around us like a wall. It was hard to see.

"It's strange," I said, trying to catch my breath. " You were gone a long time. How did they not see you?" I paused, doubt creeping into my voice."Or maybe… maybe they did."

"Don't talk nonsense," she snapped. "If I wanted you dead, I would've done it long ago."

I fell silent.

I didn't know why I still doubted her.

But I did.