The forest behind the house was denser than they remembered. The branches moved even without wind, and the moss-covered trunks looked like watching eyes. The group advanced slowly, in silence, with Adam at the front.
He activated Hunter's Sense in short bursts, detecting areas with residual energy. It wasn't life—it was presence. Traces of something ancient… and hungry.
— "The forest feels like it's breathing," Érica murmured, her voice fragile.
— "Maybe it is," Adam replied. "Stay sharp. Something's walking with us. At a distance."
Janaína limped a bit, the injury from the fall still fresh. Adam approached her and offered the Emergency Adrenaline Cartridge, but she refused.
— "If I use that now, I'll die in the next fight. I can take a bit more."
Adam nodded, respecting her strength. He knew she was right.
Then came the sound.
A child crying.
— "No. Don't listen to it," Adam warned. "It's a psychic trap."
Thomas covered his ears, but his eyes were already red. He began to tremble, mumbling.
— "I… I let my brother die… he… he was screaming… and I ran…"
— "THOMAS!" Érica shouted, gripping his shoulders.
Adam took a deep breath. It was time to use something he had avoided. His spiritual communication ability, acquired during the Friday the 13th mission. He closed his eyes and muttered in ancient Latin, allowing his mind to open like a door.
The cold was immediate.
He connected.
The crying stopped.
The forest fell into total silence for a few seconds—and then Adam felt it. Not just one presence. Many. Watching. Testing. Whispering words in languages that didn't belong to this world.
He opened his eyes forcefully.
— "Let's move. We've got ten minutes before something bigger finds us."
— "Adam…" Janaína watched him closely. "How did you do that?"
— "I'll explain later."
But Thomas looked at him with fear.
— "You… you spoke to them, didn't you? The dead?"
Adam didn't answer. But they all understood.
As they continued along the path, the scenery changed. The branches seemed to form faces, and the mist fell like a veil. They found a clearing, where an old stone structure stood, covered in ritual markings.
There, they would be tested.
But it was not yet the time for the final confrontation.
Adam gripped the revolver at his waist. The tension was at its peak. The group was slowly coming together, but mistrust remained—especially toward him.
And hell was still just beginning.