The cave was silent except for the sounds of my ragged breathing and the faint, erratic breaths of Clara in front of me. Beside her, Mascot was still motionless, his body slumped on the floor where he had been left.

My heart pounded in my chest, racing with a mixture of desperation and fury. I kept my gaze locked on Charlotte, who stood behind Clara, the blade in her hand gleaming with deadly intent. My thoughts raced.

Mascot still lay unconscious, Clara's magic was depleted, and Seth's strength was failing fast. The chances of breaking free, let alone escaping Eden's forces, seemed slim. My heart hammered in my chest as I glanced around, desperately searching for any weakness, any opportunity.

Charlotte circled us like a predator, as she toyed with the knife between her fingers, her cruel gaze fixed on Clara. "Tell me where the artifact is, Tasha," Charlotte demanded, her voice too calm for the problems she caused. "You know what will happen if you don't." The cold steel of fear gripped my heart as Clara's terrified eyes met mine again. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to do something-anything-but I was powerless. Suddenly, a thunderous noise echoed through the cave.

At first, I thought it was another tremor, another surge of the dark werewolves' power. But this was different-this was something more primal, more dangerous. The noise grew louder, closer, and for a split second, everything seemed to freeze. Then, all at once,the walls quaked as a force exploded through the entrance, the sound of tearing flesh and the yelps of pain filling the cavern.

Dark werewolves spun around, their red eyes wide with surprise as they were cut down with frightening speed. My pulse quickened. Who-what-could be powerful enough to make Eden's forces flinch? Before I could make sense of it, someone rushed out of the confusion. His movements sharp, precise, and brutal like- like Ethan Woods.

He didn't hesitate, launching himself at the nearest Alpha, taking him by surprise. The impact of his attack sent the Alpha crashing into the cave wall with a sickening thud. With a swift, brutal motion, he incapacitated another Alpha, then he turned to the dark werewolves, the sound of silver meeting flesh filling the air. He tore through Eden's men like a whirlwind, his blades flashing, cutting down werewolves and Alphas alike. Blood spattered the stone floor as he moved, his eyes burning with rage.

The dark werewolves that had circled us moments before now lay in pools of blood at his feet. Charlotte spun around, her eyes wide with shock. "What the hell-" The dark werewolves, momentarily startled, began to regroup, but Ethan was too fast. Using both brute strength and tactical precision, he rendered them powerless.

For the first time in a long while, hope flickered inside me. Charlotte, clearly rattled, took a step back from Clara, her grip on the blade loosening as her eyes darted between Ethan and the Clara. "This wasn't part of the plan," she muttered, her voice shaking with frustration. "Plans change," I spat, feeling a surge of satisfaction at the fear flickering in her eyes. "You're done, Charlotte."

My words seemed to snap her out her daze, "I don't think so. Do you really think one hunter will change what's to come?" She said a small smile forming on her lips. "No one can stop Eden. This is just a minor set back, I will see you soon." With that, she turned into a full wolf and ran out of the cave. For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

Ethan's return was as unexpected as it was powerful. How was he this strong? Strong enough to defeat Alphas and their subordinates like that. He had disappeared after our last encounter, refusing to join our quest. Yet here he was, cutting a path through our enemies with terrifying skill. I twisted in my chains, trying to break free.

Ethan's entrance had sent Eden's forces into disarray. They hadn't been prepared for an attack from behind. With his distraction, this could be our chance. Clara was the first to react. She muttered something under her breath, and though her magic was weak, it was enough to loosen her binds. Her hands slipped free, and she quickly turned to me, her fingers working the locks on my restraints.

The moment I was free, I scrambled to Mascot's side, trying to wake him. "Come on, Mascot," I whispered urgently, shaking him. "We need you." Mascot groaned, his eyes fluttering open, but he was still weak. His body trembled as he tried to sit up, and I could see the pain etched into his face. It was a good thing he was almost completely healed.

Clara stumbled over to me, her face pale but determined. "We can't leave Seth behind, he is my brother." She gasped, pointing toward where he still lay barely conscious. I gritted my teeth. "Your what? Nevermind We'll get him, but we need to move fast." With Ethan providing cover, I dashed toward Seth, dodging the frenzied movements of the remaining werewolves.

My heart clenched as I crouched beside him, his face pale and his breathing shallow. "Seth," I whispered, shaking him gently. "We need to go. Wake up." For a moment, he didn't respond. Panic seized me-what if he didn't wake up? What if he was too far gone? But then, with a groan, his eyes fluttered open. "Tasha..." His voice was weak, barely a whisper. Relief flooded through me.

"Come on," I urged, pulling him to his feet with Clara's help. "We need to go, now." Leaving Seth with her, I rushed back to Mascot's side.

"We have to move," Ethan barked, as he dispatched the last of the dark werewolves in our immediate vicinity. He glanced at Clara, then me, his eyes cold and focused. "Now." I nodded, pulling Mascot to his feet. Ethan's presence, while a surprise, was the only thing keeping us alive at this moment.

As we stumbled toward the cave entrance, Ethan stayed behind us, fighting off any stragglers that tried to block our path. "Where's Sarah?" Clara asked, her voice trembling as she glanced back toward the deeper recesses of the cave. "I don't know," I muttered, my voice thick with guilt. "We have to go."

Outside, the forest loomed dark and stifling, but it was better than staying in Eden's lair. We barely made it past the mouth of the cave before more dark werewolves emerged from the shadows, snarling and lunging at us. Ethan was there in a flash, cutting them down one after the other.

There was no mercy in his eyes, only a steely determination to get us out alive. But for all his skill, there were too many of them. "Keep moving!" he yelled over his shoulder as he slashed through another werewolf. "Don't stop!" We ran, the forest closing in around us as we fought our way through the underbrush.

The sound of growls and snapping jaws filled the air as the dark werewolves pursued us relentlessly. Clara's magic flickered weakly, providing some camouflage protection, but she was running on fumes. Mascot stumbled beside me, his steps growing slower and more labored with each passing minute.

His breathing was ragged, and I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. He was burning up. "We need to stop," I said, my voice barely audible over the noise.

"We can't," Ethan snapped, not bothering to look back. "We stop, we die." But Mascot couldn't keep going. I could see it in his eyes-the pain, the exhaustion.

"Mascot, what's wrong?" I asked, my voice low and urgent. "What did they do to you?" He shook his head, his breath coming in short, pained gasps.

"I'm fine," he muttered, but his eyes were distant, unfocused.

"No, you're not," I said, my heart pounding. "Tell me the truth."

Mascot glanced at me, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn't expected. Fear. Not of the dark werewolves, not of Eden, but of something deeper, something that gnawed at his soul.

"Tasha, I said I'm fine" he almost yelled his voice loud enough to attract unwanted attention. "Let's just keep going." What was he hiding? Before I could ask, Ethan's voice cut through the tension.

"We don't have time for this," he said, his gaze hard as he glanced at Mascot. "You heard the man, If we stop now, they'll catch up." But I couldn't just leave it. Mascot's behavior, his fear-it worried me. I needed answers.

Yet, as I looked at his pale form, I knew now wasn't the time. There were more immediate dangers to face. Clara placed a hand on my arm as she held on to Seth, her expression sympathetic but urgent.

"We'll figure it out later, Tasha. For now, we need to keep moving." I nodded, though my mind was still reeling. Ethan stayed close, his eyes scanning the trees for any signs of movement.

Despite his cold demeanor, I could see the way his gaze lingered on Clara, the way his movements became sharper, more protective when he felt she was in danger. There was something there, something unspoken between them. Have they met before? As we pressed on through the forest, I couldn't shake the feeling that Mascot was acting... different.

He was distant, his usually warm demeanor replaced with a cold, almost detached air. At first, I chalked it up to exhaustion. But the further we went, the more his behavior set off alarm bells. Finally, after what felt like hours of running, we reached a small clearing. The air was thick with tension, and the sounds of pursuit had finally faded into the distance. We collapsed onto the ground, our breaths ragged and heavy. Ethan stood at the edge of the clearing, his back to us, his posture tense. He hadn't said much since we escaped, his eyes scanning the forest for any sign of danger.

"Thank you," I said, my voice hoarse. He didn't turn around. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you." The coldness in his voice stung, but I didn't push it. Ethan had his reasons for staying distant. He always had. But something about his return, his refusal to join us, worried me. He wasn't telling us everything, and neither was Mascot.

Heaving a sigh, he turned to us "I will join your little group. It's clear you all won't fare well without me." Relief flooded me.

Finally some good news. As I rested my back to the tree I was close to, I turned to Mascot who sat beside me, quiet. What's he really hiding?