Chapter 3 Threads Between Us

Chapter Three – Threads Between Us

That night, sleep didn't come easily for Amara.

She twisted in her sleeping bag, the warmth of the fabric doing nothing to ease the cold sinking into her chest. The forest was silent in a way that wasn't natural. No wind, no crickets-just an oppressive, humming quiet. And under that silence, something stirred.

Not outside.

Inside her dreams.

She was standing in the forest again-Moonshade-but it was different. Wilder. Overgrown. The trees were taller, the sky red, and the wind whispered names she almost recognized. A heavy fog licked at her ankles, and something howled in the distance.

It wasn't human.

It wasn't animal either.

Then she saw Aiden-barefoot, bare-chested, blood staining his chest-standing in the clearing with his back to her. She tried to call his name, but no sound came from her mouth.

He turned.

His eyes glowed.

And she woke up, breathless.

________________________________________

By morning, she barely remembered the dream, only the weight it left on her lungs.

At breakfast, the group sat on a fallen log, passing around granola bars and apples. The mood was lighter today-at least on the surface. Jace was in full form, bragging about catching a squirrel on camera (he didn't), while Rhea dramatically applied lip balm like she was preparing for a date with a movie star.

But Amara wasn't listening. Her eyes kept drifting to Aiden.

He looked... tired. Pale. His usual quiet demeanor had turned into a withdrawn silence. Even Selene, usually unreadable herself, was watching him from across the fire.

"Did anyone else have weird dreams last night?" Amara finally asked, breaking the lull in conversation.

Jace snorted. "What, like one of those dreams where you're naked in school?"

"No," she said slowly. "More like... the forest. Except it wasn't right. It felt-different."

Rhea looked thoughtful. "Actually, yeah. I dreamed I was standing in the trees, but they were all twisted. And there was something watching me. I thought it was a deer at first, but it had glowing eyes."

Everyone fell silent for a beat.

Selene tapped her cup with her nail. "I dreamed I was running. Fast. Faster than I should be able to. And I wasn't... human."

A chill skated down Amara's spine.

"Okay, that's officially creepy," Rhea muttered. "We all just happen to have spooky dreams at the same time? In the same place?"

Jace leaned forward, voice low. "I'm just saying-this forest gives off weird vibes. The howling, the dreams, the way the teachers keep staying close to the main path... like they don't want us to go off-trail."

"Coincidence," Selene said.

"Or foreshadowing," Jace countered.

Aiden stood without a word and walked away from the group, heading toward the river. His sudden departure broke the tension, but Amara couldn't look away.

Neither could Selene.

________________________________________

Later that afternoon, the students were broken into groups for a survival scavenger challenge. They were told to pair up, locate natural resources using the map, and return by sundown.

Amara got stuck with Aiden.

They hadn't spoken since breakfast.

They walked in silence along the overgrown path, past thick roots and moss-covered stones. The forest seemed thicker here, the light thinner.

"I'm sorry," she said finally. "About earlier. The dream stuff-I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Aiden said without looking at her.

She frowned. "You don't have to act like nothing's going on."

He stopped suddenly, turning to face her. "What do you think is going on?"

His voice wasn't angry, but it was... tired. Frustrated. Guarded.

Amara hesitated. "I don't know. That's the thing. But you feel it, too. I know you do."

They stood there for a moment-two teenagers lost in a forest neither of them understood, with something invisible pressing down on them.

Finally, he looked away. "Sometimes it's easier not to talk about things."

"Easier doesn't mean better."

He smirked faintly. "You sound like Selene."

"She's not wrong," Amara said, taking a breath. "I just... I feel like there's something here. Something big. And you're not telling anyone what you know."

Aiden didn't deny it.

Instead, he walked ahead again, leaving her with only the sound of the wind whispering through the trees.

________________________________________

Back at camp that evening, the group reunited, comparing scavenger finds-berries, herbs, rocks, even a frog Rhea insisted was following her for revenge. The laughter helped loosen the air, but the undercurrent remained.

Elias, who had joined Selene's group for the hike, sat beside her by the fire, their shoulders nearly touching. They didn't speak much, but Amara noticed the way he passed her things without being asked, the way Selene lingered when he handed her a thermos.

Subtle. Soft. But real.

It reminded Amara that despite everything-the tension, the fear, the dreams-they were still just teenagers. Still figuring it all out.

She looked over at Aiden, who sat alone again.

A part of her wanted to join him.

Another part feared what might happen if she got too close.

Because she could feel it now-that invisible thread between them. Something ancient. Something waiting to wake.