For the second time.

This was the second time something like this had happened to Ruth.

She sat quietly, lost in thought, wiping her face with trembling hands.

Thalia had only gone to the restroom for a moment. When she returned, Ruth was suddenly walking toward the dense forest—alone. She had left with Jasmin earlier. Thalia assumed the two would return together.

But now, Ruth was back.
Jasmin wasn’t.

Thalia blamed herself.
If she had just stayed with them…
If she had paid more attention…
Maybe Jasmin wouldn’t be missing.

Because of the incident, the teachers tightened security even more. The air around camp felt heavier, shadows lingering like they were watching. The guilt weighed on Thalia’s shoulders with every step.

Two days had passed.
And Thalia kept thinking:
If I hadn’t come here… would any of this have happened?

She didn’t know Jasmin well, but worry clung to her like thorns. There were still no updates. No news. No signal from Jasmin’s tracker. Nothing.

The teachers continued with the camp activities, but everything had changed. Rules were stricter. The forest was completely off-limits. Even during the programs, the tension was thick—like the forest itself was listening.

But Thalia had already decided.

Tonight, I’ll search for Jasmin. Even alone.

She sensed Ericka had the same idea. Even in her silence, Ericka radiated unease—like she was keeping something terrifying to herself.

Thalia glanced at Ruth, who looked lost in her own world again. Confused. Out of place. Thalia couldn’t blame her… but she couldn’t ignore that Ruth’s strange behavior made everything worse.

Night came fast.

The teachers inspected every tent before curfew, making sure no one slipped out. No one was allowed to wander without a teacher’s presence and a valid excuse.

Thalia sighed.
How was she supposed to sneak out like this?

Where do I even start?
Where would Jasmin be?

Trust your instincts, she told herself.

After dinner, the students had a short program—likely to distract them from the fear settling over camp. Then came curfew.
Nine o’clock sharp.
Lights out.

“Go to sleep now,” their teacher instructed. Firm. Unyielding.

They obeyed.

Thalia waited, pretending to sleep, letting the silence slowly swallow the tent. She didn’t realize when she drifted off.

A sound woke her.

Her eyes flew open. The tent clock still read nine o’clock… but her wristwatch showed midnight.

A shadow slipped outside.

Thalia quietly got up and crept out of the tent, careful not to disturb anyone. The night air bit at her skin, and the forest whispered softly in the dark.

She saw the shadow moving deeper into the woods.

Maybe this is a clue.
Maybe Jasmin’s close.

Her hand brushed something in her pocket—
the security ribbon from the day before.

She almost threw it out earlier.
But something—maybe instinct, maybe a whisper—told her to keep it.

She followed the shadow.

The woman ahead moved quickly. Thalia couldn’t see her face. She forced herself forward, using the moonlight to guide her path.

Then the figure stopped—turning slightly, as if sensing her.

Thalia stepped closer—
and gasped softly.

“Ericka?”

Ericka turned, equally startled.
“Thalia?”

“What are you doing here?” Thalia whispered.

Ericka didn’t answer. Her eyes darted around, alert, wary—like she expected something to leap from the darkness.

Suddenly, she grabbed Thalia’s arm.
“Come on.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“Shhh.”

They moved quickly through the trees. Thalia’s heart pounded.

“Who are we following?” she whispered.

“Ruth.”

“Huh?”

“She’s sleepwalking.”

Thalia’s thoughts scrambled.
“What?”

“And… she’s not alone,” Ericka whispered. “A woman is walking beside her. You just can’t see her.”

A chill crawled up Thalia’s spine.

“Where is she going?” she whispered shakily.

“I don’t know,” Ericka said, voice trembling.

The path ahead suddenly looked familiar—
like a place Thalia had seen in a dream.

Then she saw it.

An old warehouse, long abandoned.
Silent.
Sinister.

Her gut screamed not to go near it.

Ahead, someone was tugging Ruth by the hand.

Thalia and Ericka hid behind a tree just as a flashlight flickered in the distance.

Someone else was in the forest.

“Where is she?” a voice said.

Two masked men stood under the moonlight, dressed in dark jackets. Their faces hidden. Their movements sharp.

“Let’s find her. Stop whining.”

“She can’t be far. She’s just a girl.”

Thalia’s breath stalled.
They had to warn the teachers.
But Ruth—

“Ericka… we need to go,” she whispered shakily.

“Are you crazy? What about Ruth?”

“You want both of us to die?” Ericka hissed.

Footsteps approached.

Closer.
Closer.

They were trapped.

Suddenly—
A hand grabbed them both and yanked them into the shadows.

“What? No one’s here,” one of the masked men said nearby.

“I heard voices. Two of them.”

“Maybe you’re hearing ghosts.”

The men paused, scanning the forest.
Then walked away.

Silence fell.

Thalia turned—
and her eyes widened.

“Jasmin?” she whispered, stunned.

Jasmin stood there—exhausted but alive. She wore a hooded jacket over her sleepwear, hair messy, face pale as moonlight.

Ericka threw her arms around her.

“Come on,” Jasmin whispered urgently. “This place isn’t safe.”

Ruth, still dazed, blinked around in confusion.

Jasmin grabbed her hand.

Together—
the four of them slipped through the dark forest, hearts racing, breath trembling—

determined to get back to safety
before the shadows closed in again.