INFERNAL PASSION

Forgotten whispers

The moon was high when Gabriel woke to the sound of twigs snapping somewhere off in the distance. He blinked, trying to clear the haze of sleep from his mind. His body ached from the long day of hiking, but there was something in the air that made him sit up, the tension palpable. He glanced around and saw Raphael already awake, his eyes alert as he scanned the darkness beyond the campfire's fading glow.

- You heard it too? - Gabriel whispered, careful not to wake the others.

Raphael nodded, his gaze never leaving the darkened forest.

- Something's out there. I don't know what it is, but it's close.

Gabriel frowned, his instincts screaming that this wasn't just some animal. He quietly got to his feet, reaching for his sword, the metal cool against his palm. He moved toward Raphael, his eyes narrowing as he tried to pierce the shadows.

- Should we wake the others? - Raphael asked, his voice barely audible.

Gabriel hesitated, then nodded.

- We need to be prepared. Whatever it is, I don't want to be caught off guard.

Raphael moved to Diana first, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She stirred, her eyes blinking open as she looked up at him, her brow furrowing in confusion.

- What's going on? - she asked, her voice thick with sleep.

- Something's out there - Raphael replied, his expression serious. - We need to be ready.

Diana's eyes widened slightly, and she nodded, sitting up and reaching for her weapon. She glanced over at Sophia and Vincent, still fast asleep, and moved to wake them. Gabriel watched as she spoke quietly to them, their eyes going from groggy to alert in an instant.

- This better not be another one of Vincent's pranks - Sophia muttered, rubbing her eyes as she reached for her dagger.

Vincent let out a yawn, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Raphael.

- Yeah, because waking us all up in the middle of the night is my idea of a good time - he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. - What do you think it is?

Gabriel shook his head, his gaze returning to the darkness.

- I don't know. But whatever it is, it's close. We need to stay quiet and be ready for anything.

Diana moved to Gabriel's side, her eyes scanning the tree line.

- Do you think it could be one of those creatures Raphael talked about? The ones twisted by the old magic?

Gabriel's jaw tightened as he considered her question.

- It's possible. We knew this wouldn't be easy. But whatever it is, we'll face it.

Sophia took her place near the fire, her back to the warmth as she kept her eyes on the forest. Her voice was low, almost a whisper.

- I don't like this. It feels... wrong. Like we're being watched.

Raphael nodded, his expression tense.

- That's exactly what it feels like. We need to stay alert.

A sudden rustle of movement came from the left, the sound of branches snapping echoing through the clearing. Vincent turned toward the noise, his dagger already in his hand.

- Show yourself! - he called, his voice cutting through the silence.

For a moment, nothing happened. The forest was still, the only sound the crackling of the fire behind them. Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged. It was cloaked, the hood pulled low over its face, and it moved with a fluid grace that made the hair on Gabriel's arms stand on end.