CHAPTER 29: MURDER FOREST.

We stood outside the cursed inn, panting like we’d just run a marathon. Which, technically, we had.

The students were all in various states of shock. Felix was muttering prayers to every god he could remember. Wallace was frantically scribbling in his notebook like he was preparing a research paper on How to Survive a Haunted Death Trap. Cassandra, of course, was completely unbothered.

And then there was Julien.

"That was awesome," he announced.

I rubbed my temple. "I will throw you back inside."

He grinned. "You’d miss me."

Felix snapped. "NO, WE WOULDN’T."

Leo groaned. "So, uh. What now?"

I glanced around. The wind howled through the dead trees surrounding us, carrying the faint smell of something rotting. The only light came from the half-dead lantern Wallace was clutching like his life depended on it.

Mira hugged herself. "Please tell me we’re not sleeping outside."

I exhaled. "Well, unless you want to go back inside—"

CREEEAAAK.

We all snapped our heads toward the inn. The windows were completely dark... except for the faintest, faintest shadow of something moving behind the second-floor glass.

Felix made a strangled noise. "I CHOOSE OUTSIDE."

Garrick crossed his arms. "There’s no shelter here. What if it rains?"

Leo groaned. "What if it eats us?"

Cassandra, still eerily calm, tilted her head. "It doesn’t want to eat us."

"...Oh."

"It just wants to drag us into the walls."

Everyone stared at her.

Felix whimpered.

Julien whispered, "That’s so much worse."

Mira shivered. "You know, I was starting to feel better."

I took a slow breath. "Alright. New new plan—we find a different shelter. A normal one. With walls that don’t eat people."

Wallace glanced at the sky. "We should move fast. We don’t have much light left."

We turned and started walking.

That was our first mistake.

We trudged through the dark, damp forest, following a barely visible path that I hoped led to something that wasn’t another death trap.

Felix kept darting glances behind us. "Is it... still watching us?"

I sighed. "Felix, the house isn’t alive."

CREEEAAAK.

We froze.

Slowly, we turned.

The inn—now about a hundred meters behind us—had shifted.

The front door, which had been locked tight, was wide open.

A single wooden chair sat in the doorway.

As if waiting.

Felix turned back around. "Nope."

Julien whispered, "That’s so cool."

I grabbed the back of his collar. "Shut up."

Mira shuddered. "Okay. That’s officially the worst thing I’ve ever seen."

Leo swallowed. "We should move faster."

I didn’t argue.

We picked up the pace.

After what felt like forever, we found another building.

A barn.

It was old, abandoned, and looked like it might collapse if I sneezed too hard, but it was still better than a living house.

Felix sagged with relief. "Finally."

Julien tilted his head. "It might also be haunted."

Felix turned to glare at him. "SHUT. UP."

I pushed the barn doors open.

The inside was dusty, but surprisingly intact. Wooden beams stretched overhead, and the faint smell of hay clung to the air.

No creepy whispers. No flickering lanterns. No murderous shadows.

Mira exhaled. "Okay. This’ll do."

Wallace tapped his chin. "You know... barns are usually built near farmhouses. There might be a well nearby."

I nodded. "Good thinking. Garrick, Leo—see if you can find water."

They nodded and disappeared outside.

I turned to the rest of them. "The rest of you—check for anything useful."

Felix blinked. "And you?"

I exhaled. "I’m going to sit here and not have a breakdown."

He nodded. "Fair."

Things were almost peaceful.

We settled into the barn, spreading out the blankets we’d salvaged from our bags. The students found a small storage room in the back filled with old farming tools and some questionably edible grain.

I sat against the wall, running a hand down my face.

Maybe, just maybe, the nightmare was over.

Then something laughed.

Directly. Above. Us.

Felix squeaked.

Mira flinched. "What. The hell. Was that?"

Julien grinned. "Ghost."

Felix grabbed him. "STOP BEING EXCITED ABOUT THIS."

Another laugh echoed.

This time, the ceiling creaked.

I immediately grabbed the lantern and pointed it upwards.

The rafters stretched overhead, covered in dust.

Nothing.

I narrowed my eyes. "Everyone. Stay together."

Cassandra looked up, eyes calm. "It’s not in the rafters."

"...Then where is it?"

A long pause.

Then Cassandra pointed.

At the walls.

The wood.

Felix made a high-pitched whimper. "Oh, COME ON."

I took a slow breath. "Alright. Nobody panic."

Julien elbowed me. "You’re panicking."

"I am not."

"You’re sweating."

"I SAID I’M NOT PANICKING."

Then the walls... moved.

Like something inside them was shifting.

The wooden panels bulged, pressing outward, like a thousand hands were trying to push through.

A whisper slid through the barn.

"Stay."

The lantern flickered.

Felix screamed.

Julien let out a delighted laugh. "OH, HELL YES—"

I grabbed him by the collar and threw him toward the door. "RUN."

We BURST out of the barn just as the walls buckled inward, like something was trying to swallow the space inside.

Felix tripped, barely catching himself. "WHY IS EVERYTHING IN THIS FOREST ALIVE?!"

Mira turned to me, panting. "New plan?"

I ran a hand down my face. "I—"

The barn door slammed shut.

Silence.

We all stared at it.

It looked... normal.

Like nothing had happened.

Felix whispered, "Do we go back inside?"

I turned and glared at him.

"No," I said, voice flat.

"Right. Dumb question."

Julien scratched his chin. "Sooo... What now?"

I sighed. "We keep moving."

Felix whimpered. "Into the murder forest?"

"Yes."

He made a strangled noise. "Oh. Great. Cool."

Mira groaned. "At this point, I don’t even care if I die. I just want to sleep."

Leo scowled. "If one more thing tries to kill us, I swear—"

A branch snapped.

We all froze.

Slowly, I turned.

A shadow stood between the trees.

Tall. Thin. Wrong.

Watching.

Felix took one look and bolted.

I followed.

Because I wasn’t waiting around to see what the hell it was.

As we ran, Julien shouted, "Wait! What if it’s friendly?"

I turned and screamed, "IT IS NOT FRIENDLY."

Felix wailed, "WHY DOES EVERYTHING WANT US DEAD?!"

Mira groaned, "I SWEAR TO GOD, IF I GET CURSED AGAIN—"

Julien grinned, completely unbothered. "Best trip ever."

I was definitely throwing him off a cliff when this was over.