The towering silhouettes of trees loomed around me, their branches coiling into an impenetrable ceiling. A faint green glow ghosted through the leaves, barely enough to illuminate the forest floor. The air was thick, silent—not even the wind dared to whisper. It was the kind of quiet that felt unnatural, like the world was holding its breath.
I stood frozen in the middle of it all. Stranded. Untethered. Like if I moved, I'd fall straight through the earth.
Then— snap.
My breath hitched. My eyes darted into the abyss of shadows, hunting for the source of the sound. I refused to conjure images of faceless figures lurking in the dark or a clown with a red balloon slinking between the trees. But I saw something.
Someone.
Jacob Black materialized beside me like a fever dream. His presence jolted through me, and I frowned in confusion.
"Jacob—what are you doing here?"
He didn't answer. He just grabbed my hand. His fingers were ice-cold, his grip unshaking. The moonlight barely caught his face, but I saw the fear in his eyes, raw and urgent. He kept glancing over his shoulder—back toward the shadows.
"We need to run, El," he whispered. His voice wavered, thin with fear. "Now."
Then he yanked me forward.
We crashed through the underbrush, tearing past thorn-laced vines and gnarled branches that clawed at my skin. My heartbeat pounded in my ears.
"Why? What's going on?" My voice sounded distant, detached—like it didn't belong to me.
Jacob didn't answer. His breathing turned ragged, his steps erratic. Then, suddenly, he let out a sharp growl—one that wasn't human. His hand wrenched from mine, his body convulsing before he collapsed to the ground.
"Jacob!" Panic surged through me as I dropped to my knees, reaching for him. "Oh, shit—Jacob!"
But he was gone.
In his place stood a massive, red-brown wolf. Its black eyes locked onto mine, intelligent and unreadable. My body seized. Fear coiled up my spine, turning my muscles to stone.
