Night settled over the forest like a heavy blanket.
The temperature dropped sharply, and Tadashi could see his breath in front of him now — thin clouds forming and fading. Goro had built a small fire from old branches and dry bark he collected earlier. It crackled softly, giving off just enough warmth to fight the cold.
Tadashi sat across from him, knees pulled close to his chest. He felt… strangely calm. Not safe. Not healed. But calmer than any other moment since waking in this place.
Goro poked at the fire with a stick.
He didn't look up when he spoke.
"Try to sleep. We'll move at dawn."
Tadashi hesitated. "Do you… really think it'll be safer then?"
"Safer than sitting here till every hungry beast smells us," Goro replied bluntly.
"Night is when the forest wakes up. Everything gets desperate."
Tadashi swallowed. "Is that why you stopped me earlier?"
Goro snorted. "I stopped you because you were walking around like a kid looking for trouble. But yes… night's the worst time to be alone out here."
Tadashi nodded slowly.
The fire popped.
Crickets chirped quietly in the distance.
For a moment, it almost felt peaceful.
Goro leaned back against a fallen log, one hand resting on his walking stick.
"You drift off first. I'll keep watch."
"You need rest too," Tadashi argued softly.
"I'm old, not fragile," Goro muttered.
"I'm used to sleeping wherever my back decides not to break."
Tadashi almost smiled. Almost.
He lay down near the fire, pulling Goro's spare blanket over himself. For the first time in forever, he felt his body relax — not completely, but enough that his eyelids grew heavy.
He didn't fall asleep, though.
Something in the air felt… wrong.
The wind stopped.
Goro must have noticed too, because he suddenly straightened and raised a hand.
"Boy," he whispered, barely audible, "sit up."
Tadashi's heart tightened, and he pushed himself up slowly.
"What is it?"
Goro didn't answer.
He listened.
And then Tadashi heard it too.
Soft steps.
Slow.
Heavy.
The sound of paws pressing into the dirt.
More than one.
Goro whispered very quietly,
"Wolves."
Tadashi felt his breath catch.
Wolves — hungry ones. The kind that didn't fear fire or humans.
Goro lowered his voice even more.
"Stay behind me."
Tadashi shook his head.
"No… I can help."
"You barely been alive an hour," Goro hissed.
"But I'm still here," Tadashi whispered back.
The old man paused — just for a second — before clicking his tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. You better not slow me down."
Tadashi didn't answer.
His heart was beating fast. Not from fear… but something else.
He didn't want to die. He didn't want Goro hurt. For the first time in a while, he actually wanted to fight.
Branches shifted in the dark.
A pair of yellow eyes glowed faintly between the trees.
Then another.
And another.
The wolves stepped into the firelight slowly — lean, strong, and cautious. Their fur bristled. Their teeth showed. Their breath steamed in the cold air.
Goro raised his stick and stepped forward slightly.
"Stay low. Don't turn your back. They like going for legs first," he muttered.
Tadashi crouched, pulse racing. His hands shook, but not the same shaking he had felt before. This was… adrenaline. Something alive.
A wolf growled deeply, stepping closer.
Tadashi whispered, "What do we do?"
"What do you think?" Goro said. "We survive."
The first wolf lunged.
Goro swung his stick hard, striking its side. The wolf stumbled back, snarling in pain, but two more rushed in immediately.
Tadashi jumped to his feet instinctively. His mind — usually blank in danger, suddenly sharpened.
His eyes flicked to movements, legs, teeth, angles.
He didn't have a weapon.
But he had reflexes born from countless close calls.
A wolf leaped at him. Tadashi sidestepped on instinct, letting it pass him and slide on the dirt. Another snapped at his arm — he jerked back just in time, heart pounding.
Goro shouted, "Don't just stand there! Move!"
"I am moving!" Tadashi shot back, dodging again.
A wolf lunged lower this time. Tadashi reacted without thinking — he kicked dirt toward its face. The wolf shook its head wildly, giving him a split second to step back.
The old man was right beside him now, breathing hard.
"You're not half-bad," Goro muttered.
"You're not either," Tadashi replied, panting.
The wolves circled again, angrier than before. Their growls grew louder, deeper, vibrating through the ground.
Tadashi gulped.
"…They're not leaving, are they?"
"Nope," Goro said. "And that's the problem."
As the circle tightened, Tadashi felt something rising inside him — something fierce.
He braced himself, fists clenched, breathing sharp.
"Goro," he whispered.
"What?"
"When they rush again… don't stand in front of me."
Goro blinked. "Why not?"
Tadashi's eyes narrowed.
His voice steadied.
"Because this time… I'm not dying."
The wolves growled.
The fire crackled.
The night pressed in.
And Tadashi stood ready.