The morning air was tense. Jake adjusted his cloak, eyes scanning the maps laid across the table. The Demon General's recent attacks had left traces, and every symbol, every scorched village told a story he needed to read. Kale stood nearby, arms crossed, frowning at the data. "This isn't just random chaos. Someone is orchestrating it," she said sharply.
Flo leaned over, her fingers brushing the parchment lightly. "These patterns… they point north. Or maybe south. Depends on which reports you trust," she said calmly, almost too calmly. Jake looked at her. "Wait, you've seen this before?" he asked. She shrugged. "I know the terrain. I've read these reports. That's all." Her eyes betrayed nothing else.
Hours passed as they traced the Demon General's movements. Each clue led to another, small fires, abandoned outposts, whispers of villagers who barely escaped. Jake's pen moved frantically, marking each location. "This doesn't make sense," he muttered. "Why is every trace pointing toward the same area… and why does it feel like someone's watching us?"
By dusk, the trio had compiled enough evidence to form a path. It was almost too neat, too precise. Flo studied the lines and let out a faint sigh. "This path… it's exactly where I expected," she said, her voice quiet, but her eyes flickered with something unreadable. Jake frowned. "Expected? You mean…" She didn't answer, only shook her head.
The wind picked up as they prepared to camp for the night. Shadows lengthened across the broken landscape. Jake stared into the distance, feeling uneasy. "Tomorrow we follow this trail," he said, trying to sound confident. Flo and Kale nodded silently. But in the back of his mind, Jake felt it—the kind of unease that didn't come from the trail itself, but from who might be waiting at the end of it.
And as the night settled, a distant howl echoed over the mountains. Not quite beast, not quite human. Jake's stomach twisted. He looked at Flo. She met his gaze for just a moment, then turned away, expression unreadable. The forest seemed to whisper secrets they weren't ready to hear.
The fire crackled, but the warmth did nothing to calm him. Something was coming. Something big. And the traces they followed were leading them straight into it.