The van hummed along the cracked mountain road, gravel clinking off the undercarriage as it dipped and jolted down every bend. The trees were still. No wind. No birds. Just silence and distance.
The sky was a little too bright, like a light left on too long in a room that should've been dark. But there was no fire anymore. No screaming shadows. No monsters whispering from behind the trees.
Just the long road home.
Ivy sat up front, arms folded, jacket zipped tight. She hadn't spoken since the cabin. Not really. Just nodded when someone asked something, or blinked once if they looked at her too long.
Aiden drove. Eyes fixed to the road, knuckles pale against the wheel. His jaw was clenched like it was the only thing keeping him together. The speed limit didn't matter. They weren't running anymore—they just wanted to get home.
