The forest never slept.
Even in the stillness, I could feel it breathing — shifting — watching.
Seonwoo and Kaelen rested beneath the thick roots of an ancient tree. Kaelen's bandages were soaked through. Seonwoo had fashioned a brace for his leg out of bark and cloth. They were still. Exhausted. Wounded.
But my mind wouldn't stop.
I sat with my knees drawn up, arms wrapped around them, the book closed tight in my lap. It hadn't moved since we changed the path. No new ink. No whisper. As if it was sulking.
Good.
Because I didn't need it. Not for this.
I'd been watching the monsters.
At first, it had been just terror — survival. Run, hide, slash, survive.
But last night, when the wind shifted and I saw one of them pause just at the treeline, I noticed something. It didn't see us. It smelled us. It sniffed the air like a bloodhound, its head jerking when Seonwoo shifted too loudly.
And then it left.
Not because it couldn't find us — but because something kept it from entering the hollow.
I chewed the inside of my cheek, eyes on the dirt.
The monsters weren't just mindless. They followed patterns. Rules. Like predators with a territory.
That meant this forest wasn't just wild. It was a game board.
And I was going to flip it.
I rose quietly and walked toward the edge of the hollow. The moon was half-covered by clouds, casting silver lines across the bark. Just enough light to see.
I crouched near a tree and dug my fingers into the dirt, thinking
Kaelen stirred behind me. "Can't sleep?"
"No."
"Neither can I," he murmured. "It's like the trees are breathing."
"They are," I said. "But that's not what keeps me up."
He waited.
I glanced over my shoulder. "I've been thinking about the way those things hunt. They move in circles, track by scent. They don't like fire, but they hate the shallow trees. The old roots."
Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "You think we can use that?"
I nodded. "We don't need to fight them. Just guide them. Herd them."
"Into what?"
I turned back to the dirt, dragging a finger through it — sketching rough lines. "A trap. A path that leads them in loops, one that gives us space to move while they chase shadows."
Kaelen leaned forward. "Like baiting wolves from a camp."
"Exactly." I smiled faintly. "We just need to stop acting like prey."
Behind us, Seonwoo groaned. Awake now, half-lucid with pain.
Kaelen stood and moved toward him. I stayed crouched by the tree, staring at the crude diagram I'd traced in the dirt.
"Seo Harin," Kaelen called softly. "We'll need your fire."
I smirked, rising to my feet.
"I've got more than fire," I said. "I've got a plan."
Because I wasn't the hunted anymore.
Now I was the hunter.
The plan was simple, but it required precision.
I couldn't let them think I was just the survivor. Not anymore. If I had any hope of keeping us alive, I needed to be more than that. I needed to be the one pulling the strings.
Seonwoo was awake now, leaning against the roots, his expression unreadable. Kaelen stood by, eyes sharp but still hesitant.
"What's the plan?" Seonwoo asked, his voice hoarse from the past night's exhaustion.
I met his gaze, letting the weight of my words settle in.
"We lead them. But we lead them where we want."
Kaelen looked skeptical, but he didn't argue. Instead, he glanced at Seonwoo, who was frowning deeply. "How exactly do you suggest we do that?"
I nodded toward the forest. The monsters had gathered again in the distance, lurking near the treeline. I could almost feel their eyes on us.
"I'll set the fire," I said, pointing to a patch of dry wood near the slope. "I'll make it big enough that they have to follow the smoke. Kaelen, you'll keep their attention. Draw them into the circle I've mapped out."
Kaelen's jaw tightened, and for a second, I saw the flicker of doubt in his eyes. "That's dangerous."
"It's not if you know what you're doing." I kept my voice low, steady. "They'll track the smoke, but if we create enough noise, we can force them into a tight space. They won't be able to move without trampling each other."
"And then what?" Seonwoo grunted, his eyes flicking over the map I'd drawn earlier. "What do we do with them once they're all in the trap?"
I didn't answer right away. I didn't need to. They both understood.
"We let them fight each other," I said quietly.
There was a pause. Seonwoo looked at me like I'd just told him I planned to burn the forest to the ground. Kaelen's gaze turned calculating, though he wasn't thrilled about the idea of throwing themselves into a fight with monsters just to watch them destroy each other.
Seonwoo was the first to break the silence.
"You want us to get in the middle of that?"
"You won't be in the middle of it," I said, my voice firm, my plan already coming to life in my mind. "You'll just keep them distracted long enough to get them in the right spot. I'll make sure they fight each other first."
Kaelen didn't look convinced, but he stood. He wasn't about to leave the decision to Seonwoo alone. He understood, too. Survival wasn't about playing fair. It was about playing smart.
Seonwoo pushed off the ground with a grunt, his sword in hand.
"I'm in. But if this goes sideways—"
"It won't," I cut in, pulling out the fire-starting kit from my bag. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
The fire would be the signal. It would lure them, pull them. They couldn't resist it — monsters were drawn to fire like moths to a flame, and I was going to use that to my advantage.
I crouched down and began to gather dry twigs and leaves, working quickly. The air was thick with tension, but I didn't let it reach me. My hands moved mechanically, each action deliberate. I glanced at Kaelen and Seonwoo as I worked.
"You ready for this?" I asked, not looking up.
Kaelen didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked over at Seonwoo, who gave him a quick nod. Kaelen's lips pressed into a thin line, but he stepped forward.
"I'll do my part," Kaelen said, voice low, determined. "Just make sure your fire's big enough to do the job."
"I will," I said. "Just don't make it harder than it needs to be."
Seonwoo snorted, but he didn't argue.
As the fire started to crackle to life, I watched Kaelen and Seonwoo take their positions. Kaelen moved quietly into the shadows of the trees, his posture tense and alert. Seonwoo, despite the wound on his leg, was already in motion, checking his sword and making sure he had a clear line of sight.
The fire was nearly roaring now, the heat rising with the smoke, and I felt the first stirrings of the plan coming to life.
I took a deep breath, watching the flickering flames.
"They're coming," I whispered, eyes fixed on the horizon.
And sure enough, I saw the shapes moving through the trees, drawn to the smoke. The creatures — those twisted things — stopped in their tracks as they sensed it.
The first monster was large, its grotesque form slinking toward the fire, snaking through the underbrush with unnatural speed. But it wasn't alone. More appeared. And more after that.
Kaelen stepped out of the shadows, moving toward them.
Seonwoo was already getting their attention, drawing his sword in sharp, decisive strokes. He wasn't fighting them. Not yet. He was just… making them aware of him, keeping their focus fixed on him and Kaelen.
"Now," I muttered.
I pulled a small vial from my pack. A concoction of dried herbs and sap, potent enough to mask the smell of our blood. I tossed it onto the ground near the fire, and the air thickened with a sharp, pungent scent.
The creatures stopped. They sniffed the air, confusion flickering in their eyes. The smoke and scent were too much.
My plan was simple: Get them confused. Throw them off-balance.
I grabbed my sword, ready to move, the fire crackling as the monsters swarmed into the circle.
I stepped back, letting the chaos unfold.
The monsters rushed in, disoriented by the smoke, the scent, and the chaos. They charged toward the fire like wild animals, their massive bodies crashing through the underbrush, heedless of the other creatures trailing behind them.
I felt my heart pound in my chest as I watched them stumble into the trap. The creatures were hungry — confused — desperate. Perfect.
I glanced over at Kaelen and Seonwoo. They had done their part, creating a wall of noise, moving swiftly between the trees, and pulling the monsters into the tight circle I'd designed. They had no choice but to follow.
Now, the real work began.
The first wave of monsters collided with the fire, their growls mixing with the crackling flames. The heat wasn't enough to keep them away — they needed the smoke, the scent. But they were too close now, too distracted, their senses overwhelmed. The others followed mindlessly, trampling over each other, creating chaos as the creatures crashed into one another in a frenzy.
I could feel the pull of the battle, the noise of the beasts, the wildness of their instinct. But I stayed focused. My mind was sharp, my eyes fixed on the unfolding disaster. This was exactly what I wanted.
Kaelen was dodging the beasts' claws, his sword flashing in the firelight as he took quick, measured strikes. His movements were fluid, precise. He wasn't trying to kill them. Not yet. He was just thinning them out, forcing them into the center of the trap.
Seonwoo was on the opposite side, his leg clearly hurting, but he moved like he was born for this. He cut through the monsters' ranks with brutal efficiency, forcing them toward the fire.
I didn't wait for the moment to pass. As the creatures thrashed, I made my move. With a sharp whistle, I struck the ground with my sword, sending a jarring shockwave through the chaos.
"Now!" I shouted.
Kaelen and Seonwoo heard the command. They both shifted with precision, pushing the monsters deeper into the circle, into the narrowing gap where they had no choice but to fight each other. The creatures were too disoriented to distinguish friend from foe. The air was thick with their growls and snarls as they turned on one another.
The battle was no longer ours to fight. It was theirs.
I stood just outside the circle, watching it unfold with cold detachment. The monsters tore into each other, claws and teeth raking against flesh as they collided in a frenzy of blood and rage. It was chaos. It was beautiful.
I barely flinched as the battle reached its peak, the creatures locked in brutal combat. I'd done it. The plan worked.
Seonwoo and Kaelen were still in motion, watching, waiting, as the remaining monsters turned on their own kind. The air smelled of fire, blood, and something that could only be described as victory.
Finally, when the last of the monsters fell, I stepped forward, wiping the blade of my sword against the dirt. My heart was still pounding, but it wasn't fear that rushed through me.
It was excitement
"Well," I said softly, turning to face Seonwoo and Kaelen, "that was easier than I expected."
Kaelen stepped forward first, wiping sweat from his brow. He didn't look at me right away, but I saw his gaze flicker toward the chaos we'd orchestrated. The way the creatures lay in disarray, their bodies twisted and broken, their blood mingling with the earth.
"You're… ruthless," Kaelen said, the word not quite an insult, but something close to admiration.
I shrugged. "You said it yourself. If we want to survive, we don't have the luxury of mercy."
Seonwoo limped forward, his eyes scanning the aftermath.
I watched the fire burn low, the crackling embers still catching the wind. The monsters were gone, scattered across the clearing, their threat extinguished.
I felt the weight of their gazes, the tension between us growing. They hadn't known me as the strategist, the one who could manipulate a situation to their advantage. But now they did.
Kaelen's expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker in his pale eyes — recognition. Respect, perhaps, but also wariness. Seonwoo didn't hide his discomfort. He knew what I was capable of now, and something about that unsettled him.
"Can we move on?" Seonwoo's voice was harsh, tired. "This place is starting to feel like a graveyard."
"We'll move on when we're ready," I said.
That was the truth. The monsters didn't stand a chance, not against the way I saw the world, the way I could twist it to my advantage. And neither would any other threats we faced.
We were going to survive.