The light from Ash's palm wasn't a glow anymore—
it was a warning flare, sharp and blinding in the darkness.
Palo grabbed his wrist and hissed,
"Keep it down—cover it!"
Ash tried, pressing his other hand over the symbol, but it still pulsed through his fingers like a heartbeat too strong to contain.
Outside, the pressure on the wall shifted.
A slow, deliberate inhale.
Then—
A whisper.
So quiet Ash almost didn't hear it.
"There you are."
Palo's grip tightened.
"Ash… now. Move."
Ash nodded numbly, adrenaline surging through him. Palo guided him toward the back of the cabin, stepping lightly, soundlessly across the wooden floorboards.
Another creak from outside.
Closer.
Ash and Palo froze.
Silence.
Then—
A sudden, sharp tap on the window glass.
Once.
Twice.
Like someone knocking politely.
Palo mouthed, go, and Ash forced himself to keep moving.
They reached the tiny back exit—a narrow panel Ash's mother must have built to escape through if she were ever cornered.
Palo eased it open.
Wind rushed in, cold and sharp, carrying the scent of wet leaves and the distant creek.
Palo whispered,
"Go first."
Ash crawled through the opening.
As soon as he landed outside under the trees—
the symbol on his hand flared again.
Bright.
Painfully bright.
Palo climbed out after him just as something struck the front door with a heavy thud.
Ash flinched.
Palo grabbed his shoulders and spun him toward the forest.
"Run."
Ash obeyed.
---
Into the Trees
The forest was pitch-black, branches clawing at Ash's clothes as he stumbled forward. Palo stayed right behind him, pushing him when he slowed, guiding him when he veered off course.
The creek's distant rushing grew louder with every step.
Palo whispered, "Just a little further—keep going—"
But Ash suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
The symbol on his palm wasn't pulsing anymore.
It was burning.
Not heat—
but pressure.
As if something was pulling on it from far behind them.
Palo crashed into him lightly.
"Ash—why'd you stop?"
Ash lifted his hand.
The symbol's light bent—
angled—
as if pointing.
Back toward the cabin.
Palo's breath hitched.
"He's following the signal."
Ash whispered,
"He doesn't need to see me. He can feel me."
A branch cracked in the distance.
Not behind them.
Not in front.
To their right—
parallel.
Palo's eyes widened.
"He's tracking your movements… matching your pace."
Another crack.
Closer this time.
Ash's pulse skyrocketed.
"Palo—he's trying to flank us."
Palo grabbed his hand and yanked him forward.
"Then we run faster."
They tore through the underbrush, slipping on wet leaves, dodging branches that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Ash could feel him.
The copy.
Not physically—
but like a pressure at the base of his skull.
Following.
Adjusting.
Calculating.
Getting closer.
---
The Creek
The sound of rushing water hit them suddenly, breathlessly.
Palo pointed, voice trembling.
"There—it's right there!"
Ash burst through a cluster of bushes and stumbled down the slope toward the creek, nearly falling into the freezing water.
Palo caught up, sliding to his knees beside him.
"Into the water—he can't track you if the signal breaks!"
Ash hesitated.
"What if he follows it anyway?"
Palo didn't let him think.
He grabbed Ash's shoulders and gently pushed him toward the water.
"Trust me."
Ash stepped into the creek.
The cold bit into him instantly, shocking his senses.
As the water rose past his ankles—
his calves—
his knees—
The symbol on his palm flickered.
Palo whispered urgently,
"It's working. Keep going deeper."
Ash stepped further—
The light dimmed.
Wavered.
Almost went out—
Then flashed violently.
Ash gasped.
Palo stumbled backward.
"What—what is it?!"
Ash clutched his palm.
"He—he's speeding up—he knows I'm trying to break the signal!"
Palo pulled Ash into the water with him, deeper until it reached their waists.
"Stay. Stay until it stops."
The light sputtered—
twitched—
faded—
"Come on," Palo whispered,
"please—please—"
Then—
It went out.
Just darkness.
Ash nearly collapsed in relief.
Palo exhaled shakily, gripping Ash's arms.
"We did it… we actually—"
A twig snapped right behind them.
Ash froze.
Palo turned slowly, eyes wide.
They both looked at the riverbank.
A figure stood there—
unmoving—
half-shrouded in the darkness between the trees.
Not glowing.
Not speaking.
Just watching.
Ash's breath trembled.
He whispered,
"Palo… the symbol stopped glowing."
Palo nodded slowly.
"But he didn't."
The copy stepped forward.
And even in the dark—
Ash saw the faintest glint of a smile.