CHAPTER 4

"Who's there?" she calls out, her heart racing.

There's no answer, but the figure moves towards her, and Emiliana realizes with a jolt that it's Jace. He's holding something in his hand, and as he approaches, she sees that it's a map.

"Look," he whispers, holding it up so she can see. "I found this in the woods. It looks like it leads to a secret spot."

Emiliana looks at the map, feeling a thrill of excitement. They both know that they shouldn't be out here, but the temptation is too strong to resist.

“Gosh! You scared the hell out of me”

"But let's go anyways," she says, taking his hand.

They set off into the woods, following the map. They climb over fallen logs and wade through streams, and finally, they reach a small clearing. In the center of the clearing, they find a large stone slab with strange markings on it. Emiliana's curiosity is piqued, and she starts examining the markings, trying to decipher them. Jace looks around the clearing, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Something doesn't feel right," he says, frowning.

Emiliana looks up from the markings, noticing the worried look on Jace's face. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," he replies, shrugging. "It's just a feeling I have."

Emiliana nods, not wanting to dismiss his intuition. They decide to head back to camp, but as they turn to leave, they hear a rustling in the bushes.

"Did you hear that?" Emiliana whispers, gripping Jace's arm tightly.

Jace nods, his muscles tensing. They stand still, waiting for the source of the noise to reveal itself.

Suddenly, a figure emerges from the bushes. It's one of the camp counselors, looking slightly disheveled.

"What are you two doing out here?" she demands.

Emiliana and Jace scramble to their feet, their hearts pounding. They try to explain themselves, but the counselor is having none of it.

"I don't want to hear it," she says, her voice stern. "You both know the rules. No fraternizing with the opposite sex after dark. You're lucky I'm not reporting this to the head counselor."

Emiliana and Jace apologize and head back to their respective cabins, both feeling frustrated and embarrassed.

As Emiliana lies in bed that night, she can't stop thinking about Jace. She wonders if they'll ever be able to have a moment alone again without getting caught. And she wonders what it would be like to be with him, intimately after such a long time. She falls asleep with his face in her mind, her body aching for his touch.

The next day, Emiliana and Jace try to avoid each other, not wanting to risk getting in trouble again. But they can't help stealing glances at each other across the campfire, and Emiliana feels a surge of longing every time their eyes meet.

As the day goes on, Emiliana starts to feel like something isn't quite right. She can't shake the feeling that they're being watched, and she starts to notice strange things happening around camp.

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As Emiliana and Jace spent more time together, they found themselves developing passion with each other, they cracked inside jokes and gave playful nicknames to each other. They would giggle at silly things that only they understood and it made them feel closer and more connected.

One day, they decided to take a walk around the lake at night. As they strolled hand in hand, the moonlight reflecting on the calm waters, they both felt a sense of peace and contentment. It was then that Emiliana turned to Jace and gave him a coy smile.

"What?" Jace asked, a hint of a smile on his lips.

"I just thought of a new nickname for you," Emiliana replied, still smiling.

Jace raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh really? What is it?"

Emiliana leaned in closer and whispered nothing in his ear. Jace's face broke into a wide grin and he laughed, pulling her in for a kiss.

Their kiss was soft and sweet at first, but it soon became more intense as they lost themselves in the moment. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and nothing else mattered.

But then, something caught their attention. A rustling in the bushes nearby. They both froze, wondering what it could be. They peered into the darkness, trying to make out any shapes or movements.

Suddenly, they saw it. A shadowy figure moved quickly toward the lake. They watched in horror as the figure leaped into the water and disappeared beneath the surface.

Emiliana and Jace looked at each other, their eyes wide with shock. They knew they had just witnessed something they were not supposed to see. Something that hinted at a dark secret lurking beneath the surface of the camp.

They quickly made their way back to their cabin, trying to process what they had just seen. They couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right at the camp. Emiliana and Jace knew they had to investigate further.

The next day, they started asking around discreetly, trying to find out if anyone else had seen or heard anything strange. But no one seemed to know anything out of the ordinary.

Emiliana and Jace were at a loss. They knew they couldn't let this go, but they didn't know what to do next. They spent hours poring over maps of the camp, trying to find any clues or patterns that could lead them to the truth.

As the days passed, they became more and more obsessed with the mystery. They spent every spare moment trying to uncover the secret that they knew was hidden beneath the surface of the camp.

Finally, one night, they stumbled upon a clue that led them to the abandoned cabin at the edge of the lake. They crept up to the cabin, their hearts pounding in their chests.

As they peered into the darkness, they saw something that made their blood run cold. A group of people, gathered around a table, performing some kind of ritual.

Emiliana and Jace watched in horror as the group chanted and performed strange movements. They couldn't make out what they were saying or doing, but they knew it was something sinister.

They knew they had to get out of there and tell someone what they had seen. But as they turned to leave, they heard footsteps approaching. They turned to face the intruder, ready to fight if necessary.

But it was only the camp director. That same woman that caught them the other night, looking stern and serious. "What are you two doing here?" she demanded.

Emiliana and Jace tried to explain what they had seen, but the camp director simply shook her head. "You must have been mistaken," she said firmly. "There's nothing like that going on here."

Emiliana and Jace knew that they weren't mistaken. They had seen the dark secret that lay beneath the surface of the camp, and they won’t let it slide just like that.