"Quite a surprise," Vlad muttered under his breath.
But a welcomed one.
The words felt out of place the moment they left his mouth, but somehow, they grounded him.
A cabin. Real walls. A door. Maybe even a bed!
In this endless nightmare, it almost looked… safe.
The group stood still for a long moment, the flickering torchlight casting uneasy shadows across the cabin's weather-worn walls.
The brown-haired girl was the first to speak, her voice hushed, "Who would build something like this out here…?"
Broccoli narrowed his eyes, scanning the surrounding trees. "I've never heard of a cabin being in this part of the mountain. It wasn't on any of our maps."
Jasmine took a half-step closer, her hand tightening on the strap of her shawl. "Me neither," she whispered. "Many came here to research but not a single person mentioned anything like this."
Explains the corpses I suppose…
Vlad kept his eyes on the crooked door, the way it hung open just enough to feel intentional.
"Is it still usable?" he asked, his voice just above a breath.
A pause.
Then from the side, soft and almost unsure, Tori spoke, "Maybe… we can take some rest here."
Broccoli took a slow step forward, his boots crunching on frost-bitten leaves. He raised his torch slightly, casting flickering light across the cabin's rough frame.
"Well… from the outside, it looks good," he murmured.
He reached out, fingers brushing the warped wood of the door, then gave it a firm push.
The door creaked open all the way, moaning softly on rusted hinges. The torchlight spilled inside revealing a narrow, dusty interior. Faded walls, an old table, splintered chairs, a fireplace long gone cold. Empty… but intact.
Broccoli stepped inside. His voice echoed slightly off the wood. "Inside's pretty great," he said, glancing back. "No wind. Less cold." He gave a short nod, "Let's take some rest. Like Tori said."
One by one, the others followed.
Jasmine first, silent and watchful. The brown-haired girl after, eyes scanning every corner. Then Vlad stepped over the threshold with slow caution. Tori came last–pink bottle still clutched loosely in one hand.
The wind softened. The cold faded–not entirely, but enough to feel like a layer had been lifted.
The door creaked again as it swayed slightly behind them.
Tori quickly closed it and the cold wind ceased entering.
Inside, the shadows receded.
Vlad's eyes scanned the cabin. His gaze settled on the fireplace built into the far wall–a crumbling stone structure still holding the remains of long-burnt wood.
"Light up the fireplace," he said, voice low but clear. "There's some wood still left in there."
Broccoli turned toward it, stepping past the others. "The woods dry, it'll burn but this little wood won't last for long," he muttered, crouching and lowering his torch to the pile.
The dry remains caught fire quickly. A faint flame bloomed, casting soft, wavering shadows across the cabin's walls.
Vlad was already moving toward the door. "There's plenty of sticks nearby," he said, taking the torch from the brown-haired girl. "I'll go get some."
I'm not dying of cold.
***
The door creaked again as Vlad stepped back inside, a thick bundle of branches and sticks cradled in his arm. The warmth hit him immediately–faint but real–wrapping around him like a breath.
The fire was burning now, crackling softly. Broccoli knelt in front of it, keeping the fire going. Off to the side, his torch had been strapped to a battered wooden chair with some old ropes, its flames still flickering dimly.
"That was quick," Jasmine said.
Vlad turned toward her voice. The three girls were sitting on the wooden floor, their backs resting against the wall, huddled close.
His eyes caught both Tori and the brown-haired girl wrapped in their cloaks with water bottles at hand.
"There were a lot nearby, as I said," he replied with a faint smile, walking over to the fire and kneeling down. He set the bundle beside the fire, brushing the cold from his sleeves.
"I grabbed all that I could."
Broccoli glanced back and nodded. "I'm surprised you carried this much." He smiled then grabbed a few sticks and fed them into the fire, the flames flaring gently in response.
Vlad stood, his mood now somewhat bright. He walked to the chairs and fastened his torch to one with the same worn rope. Then he lowered himself to the floor, resting his back against the wall.
The cabin had settled into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire and the occasional pop of sap in the wood. The warmth inside was a welcome change, making the cold and wind outside feel like a distant memory.
It's so much better inside.
The brown-haired girl hugged her knees to her chest, eyes fixed on the flames. "I'm kinda hungry heheh" she mumbled, barely louder than a whisper.
Broccoli, still kneeling by the fire, gave a tired smile and poked at the wood with a broken stick. "No dinner today, I guess," he said with a dry chuckle. "Let's have a big party or something after we get out of here."
"I want steak!" The brown-haired girl said instantly, making everyone chuckle.
"Some warm soup would be nice," Jasmine said next.
At this point it had turned into a small game of comfort–naming meals they'd like to have.
"Bread. I want to eat bread," Vlad also joined in.
His answer made everyone stunned for a second but they continued without any questions.
Broccoli said in an exasperated tone, "My mom's fried fish."
And finally, Tori ended the game by saying, "Smashed potatoes."
A short silence followed.
Jasmine adjusted her shawl tighter around her shoulders and then looked up. "We should decide who's taking the first watch. Lex, do you want the first watch?"
Lex? Vlad's eyes darted to broccoli or, well...Lex. I was kind of getting used to calling him broccoli…
Lex nodded. "I'll do it," he said, sitting back. "I'm not tired yet anyway."
"I'll be second," Tori offered quietly from her corner, not quite meeting anyone's eyes.
The brown-haired girl looked around. "Then I'll take the third, I guess."
"I can go next," Vlad said.
Jasmine nodded. "I'll take the last one then."
They all exchanged tired glances, and after some talking, slowly, one by one, they found space against the cabin walls or beside the fire to lie down. Vlad moved to the corner opposite the others, settling on his side with his back to the room, eyes half-lidded. He didn't close them.
Not even once.
He kept his breathing steady, letting the warmth lull the tension from his body but only on the surface. Inside, his mind remained sharp. Alert. Listening. Watching.
He wasn't such a fool that he'd sleep in an unknown place!
Time slipped past, unnoticed.
Eventually, Tori rose for her shift, moving quietly across the cabin and taking Lex's place near the fire. She sat with her arms around her knees, face half-shadowed by the flickering light.
Vlad didn't move. He watched her from the corner of his eye, each second stretching long and cold.
Nothing happened.
No sounds outside. No movement inside. Just fire and breath and silence.
But time passed.
More than a few hours. Maybe even more. Way past when she should've woken the brown-haired girl.
Did I…? Vlad blinked slowly. No. I didn't fall asleep. I couldn't have.
His gut twisted.
He waited another minute. Then slowly, silently, he pushed himself to a crouch, ears straining.
The cabin was silent.
Too silent.
He looked around the cabin.
Tori was gone.
Fuck!
Her space was empty. The fire had burned lower. No one else stirred.
His gaze slid across the room. One of the torches was missing.
She went outside alone? Vlad moved his gaze, his breath slowed, sharpened.
Jasmine still slept near the back wall, curled tight under her shawl. The brown-haired girl had shifted in her sleep, one arm flung limply across her chest, breath slow and shallow.
Both of them were untouched. Asleep. Unaware.
He looked at the door.
Still closed.
Vlad's eyes narrowed, the silence pressing tighter than before.
His ears perked.
Something's outside. His hand drifted toward the hilt of his blade.
He moved across the cabin, his steps light on the creaking wooden floor. The glow from the fire threw long, unsteady shadows across the walls. He crouched beside Lex and shook his shoulder once, firmly.
"Hey," Vlad whispered. "Wake up."
Lex stirred, eyes fluttering open with a quiet grunt.
But then...
Thud!
A strange, dull sound echoed from outside–distant, but heavy. Like something falling. Or being dragged.
Vlad's body went still.
What was that...
His thoughts barely formed when...
CRACK!
BOOM!
The back half of the cabin exploded inward.