"Stay behind me," he murmured.
And I did.
Not because I was afraid.
But because Mr Shadow was scarier.
The fog thickened with every breath, curling around us like fingers too curious for their own good.
I stepped lightly behind him, trying not to crunch a single twig, as though the sound alone might summon something worse than the footsteps already nearing.
He moved like a shadow, fitting name and all—silent, fluid, his shoulders slightly tense under that long, ever-present coat.
We hadn't said much since the voice in the woods or rather, since the voice neither of us could place.
The forest had returned to its hush, like it had swallowed the sound and hoped we'd forget but silence could lie.
Branches creaked above us, leaves rustled without wind.
The world was too quiet, the kind of quiet that wrapped around your throat and whispered, you're not alone.
"Mr. Shadow," I said quietly, tasting the nickname again. It came naturally now like a reflex. "Do you think it was following us?"
He didn't stop walking, just tilted his head, that damn hat of his casting half his face in shadow. "You always talk this much when you're nervous?"
I blinked. "You think I'm nervous?"
"I think you're loud."
I scowled, kicking a stick that snapped too loudly under my foot. "It's a coping mechanism."
"Noted."
The tension curled between us like smoke, not hostile, just... crackling.
I kept my gaze on his back, on the way his coat shifted with every step.
There was something about him that constantly felt halfway between dangerous and safe, I didn't know what unnerved me more—that he could probably kill me in a dozen ways... or that I trusted him not to.
"I could've just called you something ridiculous, you know," I muttered. "Like Hat Man or Sir Grumpycoat."
He finally glanced at me over his shoulder, one brow barely lifting. "And yet you went with Mr. Shadow."
"Ye...ah."
"Hmm."
"That's all you're gonna say?"
"I've heard worse."
I rolled my eyes. "You didn't seem thrilled about it at first."
His mouth twitched just slightly. "Cause, I never cared."
That surprised me more than it should have.
Before I could reply, he halted.
I nearly bumped into him. "What is it?"
He held up a hand, head angled toward the trees. "Listen."
I strained my ears.
There was a faint crunching sound like footsteps which were steady, measured. Not rushing but deliberate.
"Not animals," I whispered.
"No." His hand moved toward the knife tucked inside his coat. "Stay behind me."
"I'm really starting to hate that phrase."
He didn't respond.
We crouched low behind a fallen log, the bark damp and cool beneath my fingers.
Mr. Shadow narrowed his eyes in the direction of the noise, his face unreadable but set like stone.
My breath slowed, syncing to the forest's pulse.
A figure passed between the trees, just a flicker, cloaked and moving with purpose.
I couldn't tell if they were human or something else, but they didn't see us.
They moved further off, into the shadows. Then... gone.
Zayn didn't move. Neither did I.
We waited.
Thirty seconds.
A minute.
Still nothing.
"Think they were scouting?" I whispered.
"Or hunting."
I swallowed hard.
He straightened slowly. "We need to move. Quickly. But quiet."
"Do you always assume the worst?"
"It keeps me alive."
That shut me up.
We moved again, our steps cautious, weaving through tree trunks, hopping over roots, the further we got, the more I realized how deep we were in this forest and how little I actually knew about it.
"Hey," I whispered after a while. "What's this place even called?"
"The Outline."
I frowned. "That's... ominous."
He didn't elaborate. Of course he didn't.
A branch snagged my sleeve, I tugged it free, catching sight of a smudge of dried mud on my wrist. I felt gross, achy, cranky and very done with mystery voices in haunted woods.
"Next time," I said, "we do this with a guide, a map and coffee."
"No next time," he muttered.
I arched a brow. "Aw, Mr. Shadow, was that a hint of hope that you won't see me again?"
"Just trying to lower your expectations."
"You'd have to do better than this little hike from hell."
He looked at me and his mouth twitched again. Almost a smile, almost.
"You're still loud," he said.
"You're still mysterious and broody."
The smile disappeared. "And dangerous."
I hesitated. "I-I know."
That word lingered in the air between us longer than anything else we'd said.
Then he looked away, his jaw tightening. "We stop here."
A small clearing with a rock outcrop. Nothing was grand, but was enough for a break.
He dropped his coat and checked his pockets.
I sank onto the rock, exhausted, but still on edge. "So... who do you think that was?"
"Too far to tell. Could've been a scout or a tracker."
"And what are you?" I asked.
He looked at me, dead in the eye.
"A shadow," he simply said.
Chills prickled along my spine.
We didn't talk for a while after that but the silence wasn't empty.
It was full of things unspoken.
Full of everything that we didn't quite trust the other with—but maybe... might.
I will update soon the other chapters and sorry for making this chapter ahorter. I kinda feel tired, I really need a rest.
See you soon guys and God bless you.🥰🥹