What you think does matter

The first slam against the outpost door was deafening, reverberating through the stone walls and shaking loose a small cloud of dust from the ceiling beams. It was followed by an eerie silence, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the rapid thudding of my own heartbeat. Evelyn spun toward the door, her daggers glinting in the dim firelight. Her jaw was clenched tight, and the muscles in her neck stood out like cables under strain. She wasn’t scared—that wasn’t the right word. She was ready, coiled like a spring about to snap. “What was that?” Brady’s voice was barely above a whisper, but the panic in it was unmistakable. “Werewolves,” Evelyn said simply. She didn’t even look at him, her focus fixed on the door. My mouth went dry. The thought of those creatures—hulking, feral, and unstoppable—on the other side of that fragile wooden door made my stomach churn. I could almost see their glowing eyes in my mind, smell the wet fur and blood that clung to them like a second skin. Ano...

 The Hidden Monster War The Howling Shadow Chapter Six The howl sent shivers racing down my spine, sharp as ice and impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just a sound—it was a warning, a promise of the nightmare closing in. It echoed through the trees, each long note vibrating through the ground beneath my feet. The air around us seemed to thicken, heavy with an unspoken threat, as if the forest itself was holding its breath. Mia clutched her knees to her chest, her wide eyes reflecting the firelight. Her lips parted, but no words came out, just a shallow gasp. Beside her, Brady’s hand hovered near the small hatchet he had found earlier in the camp. His knuckles turned white, and though he tried to look brave, the way his shoulders hunched betrayed his unease. “They’re closer than I thought,” Evelyn murmured, her voice low but steady. She stood, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger. Her calm demeanor was both reassuring and terrifying, like a storm brewing on the horizon. “What...w...

  The Hidden Monster War A Storm is Coming Chapter Five The morning arrived wrapped in a thick fog, clinging to the sanctuary like a shroud. The sun was little more than a faint glow behind the gray clouds, its warmth unable to penetrate the chilly air. The smell of damp earth and pine needles mixed with the lingering smoke from last night’s fire, creating a scent that was both familiar and unsettling. I stretched, my muscles sore from the previous night’s fight. Around me, the camp stirred slowly to life. Mia was folding up her blanket, her movements sluggish but deliberate. Brady paced near the edge of the clearing, kicking at stray stones, while Evelyn was already sharpening her daggers, the rhythmic scraping of metal on stone filling the otherwise quiet air. The silence between us wasn’t just from exhaustion—it was heavy, tense. None of us wanted to be the first to talk about what was coming, but the unease was as palpable as the mist hanging in the trees. I wrapped my arms ...

The Hidden Monster Wars Chapter Four The sanctuary had fallen quiet, but the silence felt heavy, like the moments after a thunderstorm when the air is still charged. The soft hum of the repaired barrier echoed faintly, the glowing runes on the trees shining steadily now. It was almost peaceful, but the smell of burnt ash lingered in the air, a grim reminder of what had just happened. I stared down at the sword in my hand. Its glow had dimmed to a faint shimmer, and it felt oddly warm, like it had its own heartbeat. My arms trembled under its weight, though I couldn’t tell if it was the sword or the adrenaline crash. “Sam?” Mia’s voice broke through my thoughts, soft and tentative. She knelt beside me, her hand brushing my shoulder. “Are you okay?” I looked at her, my vision blurry from unshed tears. “I—I think so. But that…that was insane. I didn’t even know I could do that.” Her face was pale, smudged with dirt and streaked with sweat, but her eyes held something I hadn’t seen before:...

The howl grew louder, a bone-rattling sound that seemed to vibrate through the ground. It wasn’t just one howl now but many, rising into an eerie chorus that made the air feel heavier, like a storm pressing down on us. Around us, the sanctuary pulsed faintly with its protective energy, but cracks had started to spiderweb through the glowing runes on the trees. The soft hum of magic had shifted into a faint, discordant whine. Evelyn’s face tightened, her jaw set like iron. “This is it. They’re coming.” Her voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that made the hair on my arms stand up. She tossed Brady a crossbow, its worn wood gleaming in the dim light, then turned to me and Mia. “Stick together. Watch each other’s backs,” Evelyn ordered, her green eyes locking with mine. “And remember what I taught you.” “What about you?” Mia’s voice cracked as she spoke, her hands trembling slightly on the hilt of her sword. “I’ll hold the line,” Evelyn said without hesitation, pullin...

I couldn’t sleep. Not that I didn’t try—I buried myself in the threadbare blankets Evelyn handed us, curled up on the creaky couch, and squeezed my eyes shut. But every time I did, I saw glowing eyes, claws, and teeth. I kept hearing that horrible howl. Mia was on the other end of the couch, just as restless. Every few minutes, she shifted or sighed. Finally, she sat up, her face pale in the dim light of the fireplace. "Sam, are you awake?" she whispered. "Yeah." My voice cracked, betraying how freaked out I was. Mia hugged her knees. "Do you think it’s true? What Evelyn said? That this...weapon...is connected to us?" I shrugged, though she probably couldn’t see it. "I don’t know. None of this makes any sense. Maybe it’s all some big mistake." "Does it feel like a mistake to you?" she asked, her voice quiet but sharp. I didn’t answer. By morning, Evelyn had transformed the cabin into a battlefield prep zone. Weapons were laid out on the...