The fire had burned down to smoldering coals, the occasional crackle cutting through the silence. After Ethan finished telling his story, no one spoke for a long time.

We all seemed lost in our own thoughts, our shared pain a silent bond between us. Finally, Mascot was the one to break the stillness. “We need a plan,” he said, his deep voice calm but firm. “We’ve been running, reacting. But now… we need to act.” I nodded, knowing he was right.

For too long, we’d been playing defense, always a step behind Eden and his pack. It had cost us too much—Sarah’s life, our peace, and countless others. We couldn’t afford to be reactive anymore.

Jacob shifted beside me, his hand resting on his knee. “But we still don’t know what the artifact does,” he said, his brow furrowed. “Without that knowledge, how do we stop Eden?”

Clara reached into her satchel, pulling out the artifact. Its dark surface gleamed in the dying firelight, looking almost alive. “We’ve tried everything,” she said, frustration clear in her voice. “Spells, rituals, even brute force. Nothing works.”

Seth leaned forward, examining the object again as if it might suddenly reveal its secrets. “There’s something we’re missing,” he murmured. “Something we’re not seeing.” I couldn’t help but feel the same. This artifact—Sarah had given her life to make sure we escaped with it, to keep it out of Eden’s hands. It had to be the key to defeating him, but what were we supposed to do with it?

Ethan remained quiet, his eyes fixed on the artifact with a cold intensity. “Whatever it is, it’s important enough for Eden to want it. That’s all we need to know.”

“But is it a weapon?” Mascot asked, his voice tinged with doubt. “A shield? Something else entirely? We’re flying blind here.” I glanced at the artifact, my stomach churning.

The unknowns were piling up, but we couldn’t afford to hesitate any longer. If we didn’t figure out how to use it soon, Eden would find us, and this time, we might not escape. Ethan broke the silence, his voice low but commanding. “We move toward Eden.”

My eyes widened. “What?” He met my gaze, unflinching. “We take the fight to him. Sitting here, waiting for answers, won’t help us. Eden is a formidable foe, and he’s always two steps ahead of us. If we make the first move, it might give us the advantage we need.”

“But without knowing how to use the artifact—” Clara began, but Ethan cut her off.

“We don’t have time,” he said, his voice hard. “If we keep running, we’ll die. Sarah died to give us a chance. We need to use it.”

Jacob frowned, clearly not in support. “It’s risky, Ethan. Going after Eden without a solid plan could backfire.”

“We have a plan,” Ethan said, his eyes narrowing. “We lure him out. We know what he wants—the artifact. We use it as bait.”

“That’s insane,” I blurted, unable to hold back. “Eden will kill us the moment he gets close. You can’t seriously think that’s a good idea.”

Ethan’s gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw the heat in his eyes—the hatred, the need for revenge. “Do you have a better idea?” he asked quietly.

I hesitated, biting my lip. He wasn’t wrong. We were out of options, and we were running out of time. But using the artifact as bait? It felt like we were walking into a trap of our own making.

“There has to be another way,” Mascot said, his voice steady. “We need to learn more about the artifact. Maybe there’s someone out there who knows what it is.”

“And where do you suggest we find this someone?” Ethan snapped. “Every ally we had is either dead or gone and the witches we just left their coven are adamant about us finding our own path. We’re alone in this.”

Mascot’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The truth was staring us all in the face.

“We can’t keep hesitating,” Ethan continued. “If we wait any longer, Eden will come for us, and we won’t be ready. This is our only chance to turn the tables.”

Clara shook her head, her hands gripping the artifact tightly. “We can’t just use this thing without knowing what it is. What if it’s dangerous?”

“We don’t have to use it,” Ethan said. “We just need to keep it out of Eden’s hands long enough to kill him.” The group fell into a tense silence. I glanced around the circle, searching for some kind of consensus, but everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts.

Ethan was right about one thing—time was not on our side. But there was something about his plan that didn’t sit right with me. It felt reckless, like we were gambling with our lives.

I turned to Jacob, hoping to find some reassurance in his calm, steady presence. He met my gaze, his face unreadable, and I could tell he was wrestling with the same doubts I was.

“What do you think?” I asked him quietly. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his jaw. “I think Ethan’s right about moving forward,” he said. “But I don’t like the idea of using the artifact as bait. It’s too dangerous.”

“So what’s the alternative?” I pressed. “We don’t know what the artifact does. We’re stuck.”

Jacob shook his head. “Not stuck. Just… cautious.”

“Caution will get us killed,” Ethan said bluntly, standing up from his spot on the ground. He towered over us, his eyes sharp and unyielding.

“If any of you want to keep running, go ahead. But I’m done. I’m going after Eden with or without you.” I felt my pulse quicken. The idea of splitting up, of anyone going after Eden alone, made my chest tighten with dread.

“Ethan, wait,” Clara said, her voice soft but firm. “No one is leaving. We just… need more time.”

Ethan crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced. “Time we don’t have.” The fire had dimmed to a dull glow now, the night fully descending around us.

The forest was quiet, too quiet, as if the world was holding its breath. “We go together,” I said finally, my voice steady. “But we don’t rush into this. We find out what the artifact is first, even if it means taking a risk to get answers.”

Ethan’s eyes flicked to me, his lips pressing into a thin line. For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then he nodded, albeit reluctantly.

“Fine,” he muttered. “But we don’t wait long. The longer we delay, the closer Eden gets.”

Clara tucked the artifact back into her satchel, her expression grim. “Agreed.” As we settled into an uneasy silence, I could feel the unspoken questions hovering between us—questions about what came next, about the choices we’d have to make soon.

But before I could let myself dwell on them, I noticed something strange. Jacob’s hand, which had been resting at his side, was clenched tightly, his knuckles white. His brow was furrowed, his eyes focused on something beyond the fire.

“Jacob?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice. He didn’t respond, his gaze fixed in the distance. I followed his line of sight, but I saw nothing. Just trees, darkness, the same forest we’d been surrounded by for hours.

But there was something in the way he looked, something that made my heart race. “Jacob?” I said again, louder this time. He blinked, snapping out of whatever trance he’d been in.

“Sorry,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I thought I saw something.”

“Like what?” Mascot asked, his tone serious. Jacob hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness again.

“I don’t know. It was… faint. A flicker of movement.” We all stood up, suddenly alert, our eyes scanning the trees.

Clara clutched the satchel containing the artifact, her fingers trembling slightly. “Could it be Eden?”

“No,” Jacob said quickly, his voice firm. “It wasn’t him.”

“Then who—” I began, but my words were cut off by a sound—a faint, almost imperceptible whisper carried on the wind. It sent a chill down my spine.

We all turned in unison, our eyes locking onto the source of the sound. A figure, barely visible in the darkness, stood at the edge of the clearing.

And then, they stepped forward, into the firelight. My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the face.

It was Sarah.