𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬

Elena's heart raced as she followed the boy through the eerie forest. The trees, twisted and ancient, seemed to hum with an unseen energy, their leaves rustling with soft whispers that made her skin crawl. She struggled to keep up with the boy's quick pace, her mind still trying to make sense of what had happened.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice shaky but filled with curiosity.

The boy didn't look back. "The Echo. A place between worlds."

Elena furrowed her brows. "Between worlds? What does that even mean?"

He sighed, finally stopping and turning to face her. "This place... it's not like the real world. It's a mirror of sorts, a reflection of things we've lost, things we've forgotten." His green eyes darkened. "And it's dangerous."

A chill ran down Elena's spine. "Dangerous how?"

"Things here aren't what they seem," the boy replied, scanning the trees as if they were being watched. "The Echo draws people in, feeds off their emotions, their memories. It twists reality until you can't tell what's real anymore."

Elena took a step back. "So... how do we get out?"

"That's the problem." His voice was grim. "No one knows for sure."

She stared at him, her chest tightening. "What do you mean, no one knows? There has to be a way out. There always is, right?"

The boy's expression softened slightly, and for the first time, he seemed less of a mystery and more like someone who understood her fear. "My name is Kian," he said. "I've been stuck here for months. If there's a way out, I haven't found it yet. But I'm still looking."

Elena swallowed hard. This wasn't what she expected. She wanted answers, but all she got was more confusion. Yet, something in Kian's gaze told her he wasn't lying.

"So, what now?" she asked, trying to steady her voice.

"We find shelter for the night," Kian replied, his eyes darting to the sky, where the sun had started to set. "Nightfall is when the Echo is at its strongest. We need to stay hidden."

He led her to a small clearing where an old, abandoned cabin sat crookedly between the trees. Its windows were shattered, and the door hung off its hinges, but it was the only shelter in sight. Kian gestured for Elena to follow him inside.

As they stepped in, the air felt heavier, colder. The cabin's walls were covered in strange symbols, like carvings etched by someone-or something-long ago. Elena shivered, feeling as though the eyes of the forest were still on her.

Kian tossed her a blanket from a dusty corner. "It's not much, but it'll help."

Elena sat down, wrapping herself in the blanket. She stared at the symbols, her thoughts spinning. "Have you ever met anyone else here?"

Kian hesitated. "Once. A long time ago. But they didn't last. The Echo took them."

"Took them?" Elena's voice shook. "What do you mean?"

"The Echo preys on weakness," Kian said, his tone serious. "It shows you things-memories, fears, regrets. If you let it, it consumes you. You disappear into it, lost forever."

Elena's heart pounded. "And you think it'll do the same to me?"

Kian met her eyes, his expression unreadable. "Not if I can help it."

Silence fell between them, the weight of his words sinking in. Outside, the forest seemed to grow darker, the whispers growing louder. Elena clenched the blanket tighter around her, fear creeping into her chest.

Kian stood up and moved toward the door, peeking outside. "Stay here. I'm going to gather some firewood. We'll need it to stay warm tonight."

Before she could protest, he slipped out into the darkness, leaving Elena alone in the strange, suffocating silence of the cabin. She tried to calm her breathing, but her mind wouldn't stop racing.

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed through the cabin, soft and familiar.

"Elena..."

She froze. Her heart leaped into her throat. The voice-it sounded like her mother.

"Elena, come home..."

Her breath hitched as she stood up, looking around the empty cabin. The voice was so clear, so real. It had to be her mom. She moved toward the door, her hand shaking as she reached for the handle.

"Elena..."

She swung the door open, stepping out into the forest. The air was still, too still, and yet the voice persisted, calling her deeper into the trees. She took a hesitant step forward, her mind telling her to stop, but her heart aching to follow.

"Elena, please..."

Just as she was about to step into the shadows of the forest, a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Stop!" Kian's voice was sharp, his grip firm. "That's not real."

Elena gasped, snapping out of the trance. She looked at him, wide-eyed, realizing what had just happened. The voice-it wasn't her mother. It was the Echo.

Kian's eyes burned with intensity as he pulled her back inside the cabin. "I told you. The Echo preys on your mind. You can't listen to it."

Elena collapsed onto the floor, her whole body trembling. She was starting to understand just how dangerous this place really was.

And she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to survive.