Chapter 4 – Unveiling the Shadows

That growl rang in my ears, deep and frightening, as if something ancient was waiting just outside. My pulse was racing so hard that I couldn't think, my gaze fixed on the door, nearly expecting it to burst open any second but it did not. Then there was a moment of quiet that felt heavy and suffocating like time had frozen.

I pushed myself to take one unsteady step at a time, moving closer to the door. "It's probably just a stray dog," I attempted to convince myself. A stray dog was snarling outside the kitchen of a remote inn. Totally normal, right? My hand was hovering above the doorknob, hesitant. Did I actually want to open it? Curiosity ate away at me. What if it was not a dog?

Ethan had been acting all tense too, like he knew exactly what was out there, and that freaked me out even more. I took a deep breath, my fingers wrapping around the cool metal of the doorknob. Slowly, I twisted it. The door creaked open, and I peered out onto the porch. The light was fading, getting dark fast. Nothing. The porch was empty. No sign of whatever made that sound.

But then, the growl came again, this time from inside the house, down the corridor. My heart nearly stopped. I turned back toward the hallway. That's when I saw them—two glowing eyes staring back at me from the darkness. Too high off the ground to be a dog, and way too intense, like there was some kind of twisted intelligence behind them. Every hair on my body stood up.

"Ethan?" I whispered, barely loud enough to hear myself but there was no answer. The eyes didn't move and just kept watching me as if it was sizing me up like I was on the menu and it felt like my gut was screaming at me to run, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. The atmosphere became denser and chillier as the growl turned into a deep rumble, resonating through the floorboards.

Before I had a chance to consider my next move, the eyes disappeared suddenly, as if they had never existed. Once more, the hallway fell silent, yet the tension remained, just as heavy. I remained still while attempting to convince myself that it was all in my head. Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination.

Deep down though, I knew something was seriously wrong. Something was out there, hiding in the shadows, watching me. And it was just waiting for the right moment to pounce.

Then, out of nowhere, those eyes were back—closer this time, way closer. I gasped, stumbling backward, my heart nearly exploding out of my chest. The thing stepped forward, its outline getting clearer in the dim light. This was no dog, not even close. It was huge, and those eyes… they were the only thing I could focus on, glowing, staring right into me.

The growl hit me again, this time louder, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to shake the air itself. I dont know how long I held my breath but it approached me moving slowly and deliberately tracking my every movement. Fear raced through my body, adrenaline starting to pump. I realised I had to get out of there...like right now.

But the thing was blocking the way upstairs so my only shot at escape was by using the kitchen door that led to the porch. Without thinking, I moved backwards, staring at the shining eyes that followed me.

As I reached the door, that growl got even deeper, sending a chill down my spine. I wasn't going to stay and find out what happened next. I flung the door open and ran outside, slamming it closed.

The chilly night breeze struck me like a slap in the face, yet I refused to slow down. I continued running, afraid to turn around. My feet pounded on the wooden porch, and I made a beeline for the forest since it may be the only place I could think of to hide. The dark and almost menacing trees stood in front of me, but I had no other option. I heard the door creaking opening behind me, the noise of claws dragging on the wood as the creature approached.

I pushed myself harder, sprinting into the forest, branches slapping at my face and arms as I plunged into the underbrush. I struggled to breathe evenly, gasping heavily with each difficult step on the uneven ground.

I could hear it crashing through the woods behind me and the growl that was getting louder and closer made me realise it was right on my heels. I glanced back, just for a second, and those glowing eyes were still there, relentless, closing in on me.

Panic gripped me, and I forced myself to run faster, even as my legs started to give out. The forest was a maze of shadows, and every turn seemed to lead me deeper into it, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving, had to find somewhere to hide. However, that creature was directly chasing me, making predatory noises as if toying with its victim.

Then, I tripped over something—a root, maybe. I went down hard, feeling sharp pain in my ankle. I quickly got up, pushing through the pain, determined not to let it slow me down. I limped forward, tears blurring my vision, the fear making it hard to think straight.

And then, just when I thought it was all over, a howl ripped through the night—long, loud, and… protective? It wasn't the same growl; this was different. I froze, my breath catching and pain from the nibble on my arm started throbbing. The growl behind me stopped, and when I turned to look, the creature had stopped too, its eyes now fixed on something else, something deeper in the forest.

Three massive shadows moved between the trees, and I almost screamed when I realized what they were. Relieved, I recognized one of them as the same wolf I'd taken to the vet earlier, but it was bigger—how was that even possible? The other two… one had this shiny black fur, and the other, was the most stunning wolf I'd ever seen. There was something about it that pulled me in like it was calling to me. But I didn't dare move. They were all staring down the creature that had been after me.

The wolves and the creature surrounded one another, so I took the opportunity to escape, carefully making my way through the bushes without making a sound. Despite the throbbing in my ankle with each step, I paid no attention.

I had to locate the Inn, a safe place to come back to. However, every time I looked back, I saw the wolves still there, facing the thing that scared me.

While going deeper into the forest, the noises of their conflict became fainter, but the fear remained. I was completely lost, with no clue of my location or how to return, and the night grew darker and more oppressive with each step I took.

However, it was evident that whatever it was, it definitely was not a wolf, despite its resemblance to one. And it wasn't about to let me go that easily.