The girl—Mia—clung to Ethan’s arm, her breathing shallow and erratic. Damien stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his expression flickering between suspicion and concern.

  “The forest?” Ethan asked, keeping his voice calm. “What do you mean it’s alive?”

  Mia shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t know. I just—” She cut herself off, glancing nervously over her shoulder. “There was something moving out there. It chased me. I barely made it back here.”

  Ethan exchanged a look with Damien, who raised an eyebrow. “Sounds crazy,” Damien said flatly.

  “She’s scared out of her mind,” Ethan snapped. “We’re all in the same boat. Let’s try to figure out what’s going on instead of—”

  A loud creak interrupted him.

  All three teens whipped their heads toward the sound. The clock tower loomed over them, its old, rusted gears groaning as the minute hand ticked forward. The chime rang out once, cutting through the silence like a warning.

  “We need to get inside,” Mia said, pulling on Ethan’s sleeve. “It’s not safe out here.”

  Ethan hesitated. The streets were quiet, but the eerie stillness made his skin crawl. He nodded. “Alright. Let’s find somewhere to regroup.”

  They moved as a group, sticking close together as they wandered the empty streets. The town was unnervingly pristine—no litter, no signs of decay, but also no signs of life. It felt frozen in time, like a diorama built for a forgotten purpose.

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  Ethan tried doors as they passed: locked. Every one of them.

  “What kind of place is this?” Damien muttered, kicking at a stray pebble.

  “A ghost town?” Ethan guessed, though the lack of dust or weathering suggested otherwise.

  Mia lagged behind, her gaze darting nervously to every shadow. “It feels like we’re being watched.”

  “You’re not helping,” Damien said.

  “Shut up,” Ethan snapped. “Let her talk.”

  Mia hesitated, then pointed to a shop window. “That’s where I woke up. In there.”

  Ethan stepped closer to peer inside. The shop looked like an old-fashioned bakery, complete with a polished glass display case. Inside, trays of bread sat untouched, perfectly preserved.

  Damien frowned. “That’s...weird, right?”

  “Everything here is weird,” Ethan said. “Let’s keep moving.”

  As they rounded the corner of a narrow alley, they heard it: footsteps.

  Ethan held out an arm, stopping the others in their tracks. The footsteps were heavy, deliberate, and coming closer.

  “Maybe it’s someone who can help us,” Mia whispered.

  “Or someone who’s going to kill us,” Damien shot back.

  Ethan ignored them, stepping into the middle of the alley. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm. “Hey!” he called. “Who’s there?”

  The footsteps paused. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.

  It was a boy about their age, tall and lean with sharp features and piercing blue eyes. His hands were stuffed into his jacket pockets, and he had an air of detached confidence that immediately put Ethan on edge.

  “Well, isn’t this cozy,” the boy said, his voice smooth and dripping with sarcasm. “More lost souls stumbling around, huh?”

  “Who are you?” Ethan demanded.

  “Lucas,” the boy said, leaning casually against the wall. “And before you ask, no, I don’t know what’s going on either. I’ve been stuck here just like you.”

  “For how long?” Damien asked, his tone skeptical.

  Lucas smirked. “Long enough to know the rules.”

  “Rules?” Ethan asked.

  Lucas shrugged. “Don’t go into the forest. Don’t stay out after dark. And don’t trust anyone—not even each other.”

  The group fell silent, the weight of his words settling over them.

  “What do you mean, don’t trust anyone?” Mia asked, her voice trembling.

  “Exactly what I said,” Lucas replied, his gaze flicking briefly to Ethan. “Everyone’s got secrets. And in a place like this, secrets can get you killed.”