Savannah walked quickly, her steps brisk and purposeful, muttering to herself about her rotten luck. Of all the places and times, it had to be this so-called peaceful wilderness park. Day one, and she’d already had to deal with a shit pile of a Demurge and now an overly curious boy who clearly didn’t know how to mind his own business.

  Her thoughts swirled as she made her way through the campground, her annoyance growing with each step. The quicker I get the Pendant of Oblivion and wipe his memory, the better, she thought. The last thing she wanted was to spend any more of this trip thinking about Demurges or work—or worse, catering to some nerd’s fantasies about secret powers and demon-fighting heroes. She clenched her fists. This was supposed to be a break.

  The campground was lively, the atmosphere buzzing with the energy of senior students enjoying their temporary freedom from school walls. Groups of teens lounged in foldable camping chairs, laughing and chatting around portable fire pits. A few were roasting marshmallows, their laughter mixing with the occasional pop of the flames. Others were engaged in an intense card game on a picnic table, their voices rising in excitement as they argued over the rules.

  Across the clearing, some students tossed a frisbee back and forth, while a small crowd gathered around a pair of guys competing in an impromptu arm-wrestling match. Music played faintly from someone’s portable speaker, adding a casual rhythm to the scene. The smell of sizzling hot dogs and campfire smoke lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy scent of the forest.

  Savannah barely acknowledged any of it, her focus entirely on getting to her cabin. She pushed open the door and stepped inside, the relative quiet of the cabin a sharp contrast to the lively scene outside. The faint scent of pinewood filled the air, and the bunks were lined with students’ half-unpacked belongings—backpacks, sleeping bags, and random pieces of clothing tossed around.

  She made her way straight to her bunk without stopping, her eyes scanning her bag for the Pendant of Oblivion. Just find it, fix this mess, and enjoy the rest of this trip in peace, she thought, determined to get this over with.

  As Savannah rummaged through her bag, her mind raced with thoughts about the possibility of another Demurge lurking nearby. It was unlikely, she reasoned. She hadn’t sensed anything besides the one she’d already dealt with, and her senses were sharp—especially when it came to those things. Another Demurge would be annoying, sure, but not an actual threat. Besides, there were no rifts in the area, which meant its appearance was more of a random anomaly than anything else. A frustrating inconvenience, but nothing worth stressing over.

  Her fingers dug through the mess in her bag, tossing aside clothes, toiletries, and random items she barely remembered packing. She frowned, frustration building as the minutes ticked by. After a solid five minutes of searching, she froze, her heart sinking as a realization hit her. She hadn’t packed more than one Pendant of Oblivion.

  She sighed heavily, dropping back onto her bunk as the weight of her own laziness came crashing down on her. This is what I get for being unprepared, she thought bitterly, smacking herself mentally for cutting corners. She’d told herself before to always pack extra, and yet here she was, paying the price.

  Letting her head fall forward into the bag, she let out a low, muffled moan of frustration. “Great,” she muttered into the fabric. “Just great.”

  Now she had to deal with this mess without the one tool that could have made it all go away smoothly.

  As Savannah wallowed in her self-pity, a familiar voice called out behind her.

  “Savvy!”

  She groaned, her response a half-hearted, “Oi…”

  “Why so sad?” Before Savannah could answer, she felt hands wrap around her waist and a warmth press against her back. She didn’t need to lift her head to know who it was.

  “Get those melons off my back,” Savannah grumbled, her voice muffled by the bag.

  “Jealous?” Zoey teased, her black-and-purple hair spilling over Savannah’s shoulders.

  “Never.”

  They both laughed, the sound easing some of the frustration Savannah had been carrying.

  “So, what’s wrong, Savvy?” Zoey asked, her tone light but with a touch of genuine concern.

  “Just regretting my life decisions, like I always do,” Savannah muttered, finally pulling her head out of the bag.

  “You forgot something, didn’t you?” Zoey laughed knowingly.

  “Yeah, yeah, I did. That’s—”

  “What you get for being lazy as always,” Zoey interrupted with a playful shake of her head. Her hair swished across Savannah’s neck and shoulders, tickling her in the process.

  “Ugh, stop that!” Savannah said, pushing Zoey off her with a small shove.

  Zoey stepped back, letting out an exaggerated giggle, while Savannah turned to face her. She raised an eyebrow at Zoey’s outfit: shorts that barely qualified as dress-code compliant and a crop top featuring an anime girl with the ahem revealing bits cut out with a saw, leaving jagged edges that made it look both edgy and chaotic.

  “You sure know how to give Mrs. Watersin a headache,” Savannah said dryly.

  Zoey shrugged with an unapologetic grin. “It’s a gift,” she replied, striking a pose as though her wardrobe choice was art. Her carefree energy was contagious, and despite herself, Savannah felt a small smirk tug at her lips.

  “Anywhore,” Zoey began with a dramatic flair, leaning against the bunk. “Did you hear those sounds coming from the woods? Freaky as hell. The teachers are trying to say it was bears. What bear sounds like that?”

  Savannah raised an eyebrow, pulling her bag onto her lap. “I love how you just assume I know about this ‘sound.’”

  “Everyone heard it!” Zoey exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. “It was loud as hell.”

  “Probably was a bear,” Savannah said flatly, zipping her bag up half-heartedly.

  Zoey stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “What bear sounds like that?!”

  Stolen story; please report.

  “I don’t know,” Savannah replied, shrugging. “Maybe a hungry one?”

  Zoey shook her head, clearly unimpressed with the explanation. “Anyway,” she said, flipping her hair back, “later tonight the boys are planning to sneak out and hunt it.”

  “Hunt it,” Savannah repeated, deadpan. “Brilliant.”

  “Trevor and Leo are going, obviously,” Zoey continued, ignoring the sarcasm. “So I was thinking you and I should tag along.”

  Savannah groaned, leaning back on her bunk. “Pass. Have fun with the wannabe Bear Grylls squad.”

  “Oh, come on, Savvy!” Zoey whined, grabbing Savannah’s arm and tugging at it like a child. “It’ll be fun! You can’t just sit here sulking all night.”

  “Why would I even want to? What’s fun about wandering around in the dark, waiting to get mauled?”

  “Because you’re you, and you’ll probably find a way to be the most badass person out there,” Zoey said with a grin. “And also, because I’m asking nicely. Pleeeeease?”

  Savannah sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Inwardly, she was already debating the situation. The sound Zoey mentioned was definitely the Demurge from earlier, and while that was taken care of, there was no way convincing Zoey to stay put would work—not even if she told her the truth. Zoey had the kind of reckless energy that no amount of logic or fear could extinguish.

  And, honestly, Savannah needed a distraction. The whole Howard situation was still gnawing at her. Getting out for a bit might help her clear her head… and make sure Zoey didn’t get herself killed in the process.

  “Fine,” she said finally, her tone reluctant.

  Zoey’s face lit up. “Yes! I knew you’d come around!”

  Savannah rolled her eyes. “But only because I can’t trust you idiots not to do something incredibly stupid.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” Zoey said with a mischievous grin. Savannah just shook her head, already regretting her decision.

  “It’s gonna be pretty difficult tryna sneaky-sneak, though,” Zoey continued, lounging against the bunk with a devil-may-care grin.

  “I wonder why,” Savannah replied dryly, already bracing for whatever harebrained scheme Zoey had in mind.

  “It’s probably gonna be like six of us in total,” Zoey said, tossing her hair back casually.

  “Are we the only girls?” Savannah asked, already dreading the answer.

  Zoey nodded, smirking. “Of course.”

  Savannah groaned. “Figures.”

  “Don’t act like that!” Zoey said, hopping up to sit on the edge of the bunk. “Who else do you even talk to besides me? It wouldn’t matter who was going. And Trevor’s going! You can finally have some…” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Alone time.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes, laughing despite herself. “I’m sure he would rock my world.”

  Zoey narrowed her eyes, leaning in closer. “Do you even like men?”

  Savannah shrugged, unbothered. “I don’t mind them.”

  “Really?” Zoey said, raising an eyebrow. “Because I swore, like, S-W-O-R-E I saw you peeking at him last year.”

  “Was I?” Savannah asked, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm.

  “Hey!” Zoey snapped her fingers in front of Savannah’s face. “Don’t start that cryptic crap with me. Let’s have fun! Like, real fun.”

  Savannah leaned back on her bunk, eyeing Zoey skeptically. “And what exactly do you suggest for ‘real fun,’ Zo?”

  “Well,” Zoey started, grinning like she was already planning trouble, “we could totally ditch the hiking groups tomorrow and go find that abandoned watchtower I heard the guides talking about. Or we could sneak into the lake at midnight—skinny dipping if you’re brave enough. And, stargazing tonight? With drinks. You’d love it.”

  Savannah sighed, shaking her head but smiling faintly. Zoey’s reckless energy always pulled her in, even when she knew better. As much as she tried to be the voice of reason, there was something freeing about letting Zoey push the rules, something about stepping outside the lines that Savannah secretly admired.

  She let her head fall back against the bunk as she thought about it. Maybe Zoey was right. She’d come here to enjoy herself, to forget about her responsibilities for a while—and here she was, dragging her work into this trip like she always did.

  “Fine,” Savannah said finally, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Let’s have fun.”

  Zoey clapped her hands, her grin spreading. “Now that’s the spirit! I knew I could pull you out of your boring little shell.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes, but deep down, she was glad. For once, she’d let herself live a little—just be a regular girl on a field trip, no stress, no work. At least for tonight.

  The door to the cabin swung open with a creak, and a boy with sandy hair and brown eyes peeked his head in. He wore a white tank top and gray shorts, his laid-back demeanor practically radiating off him.

  “Hey, my favorite gooners,” he said with a lazy grin.

  “Ew,” Savannah replied loudly, wrinkling her nose in exaggerated disgust. “Don’t ever call us that again.”

  “It’ll catch on,” he teased, his grin widening as his gaze shifted to Zoey, lingering just a second too long.

  Zoey noticed, of course, and gave him a sly smile, putting on a small show as she stretched her arms over her head, arching her back just enough to make him falter. “What do you want Leo, or are you just here to risk a teacher catching you drooling?” she teased.

  “Don’t distract me then, damn girl,” he shot back, laughing as he scratched the back of his neck. “Anyway, we got some green beans, and we’re heading out for a little nature walk. Thought you might wanna join.”

  “Green beans?” Savannah asked, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously? You mean weed?”

  “What else would I mean?” he said with a grin.

  Zoey didn’t wait for anyone’s consent before chiming in. “We’re in. Let me just change these shorts for sweats—damn bugs don’t vibe with me.” She stood up and started rummaging through her bag.

  “Can we take the Elk Trail?” Savannah asked, standing up and brushing off her hoodie. “I lost something out there earlier and wanna try to find it.”

  “Shit, I don’t care what we do,” Leo said, leaning casually against the doorframe. “I’ll be on the moon walking these forest floors.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes. “Oi, you sound like a dumbass.”

  “Yeah, but I’m a fun dumbass,” he replied, flashing her a cheeky grin.

  As Zoey shimmied out of her shorts and started pulling on her sweats, he couldn’t help but steal a glance. Savannah immediately noticed and grabbed the nearest pillow, hurling it at his face.

  “Hey!” he yelped, stumbling back slightly as the pillow hit its mark. “What the hell, Sav?”

  “Stop ogling,” she said, her tone deadpan. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”

  “I wasn’t—” he started to defend himself, but Zoey cut him off with a laugh.

  “Oh, let him look,” she said, tying the drawstring on her sweats. “Not like I don’t know what I’m working with.”

  Savannah groaned, throwing her hands up in mock defeat. “You’re both hopeless.”

  “Hopeless but fun,” Zoey shot back with a wink, grabbing Savannah’s arm. “Now come on, let’s go meet the others.”

  Leo smirked, following them out. “Don’t worry, Sav, I’ll make sure you have a great time.”

  “God help me,” Savannah muttered, shaking her head.

  As they left the cabin, Leo led the way to a small clearing where Trevor and a group of other students—both boys and girls—were gathered, chatting and passing around a small bag of snacks that Savannah strongly suspected wasn’t just snacks.

  “That’s a lot of heads,” Zoey said, eyeing the group with clear disdain.

  Savannah crossed her arms. “It can be one less. I’m just here for the walk.”

  “Taking one for the team, huh, Savvy?” Leo teased, shooting her a grin.

  Both Savannah and Zoey turned to glare at him, their expressions nearly identical.

  “Whoa, relax,” he said, raising his hands defensively. “Zoey, that’s my name for her. You didn't make it.”

  “Your name?” Zoey replied, smirking. “Last I checked, you didn’t have dibs.”

  “I totally do!” Leo insisted, his grin widening. “I’ve been calling her Savvy since the first day of sophomore year. It’s practically trademarked.”

  Zoey rolled her eyes. “Please. If anything, I should own the rights. I actually made it official!”

  “Oi!” Savannah interjected, cutting into their playful bickering. “Don’t use me as a third springboard for your crap! I’d rather be a damn wheel than get dragged into this.”

  Leo and Zoey burst out laughing.

  “You’ve got jokes, Savvy,” Leo said, nudging her arm lightly. “That’s why you’re my favorite.”

  Zoey snorted, linking her arm through Savannah’s. “Yeah, well, my favorite doesn’t play second fiddle to some scruffy gremlin.”

  “Scruffy?” Leo said with mock offense, running a hand through his sandy hair. “You crazy.”

  Savannah groaned but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips as they started walking. The playful back-and-forth continued, with Leo and Zoey tossing flirty insults.

  As they approached the group, Savannah felt it—a strong aura that sent a shiver down her spine. A Demurge, but this one was different. Stronger. Its presence didn’t feel right, as if it were incomplete, fractured somehow. She quickly sent out a pulse, scanning for any other auras nearby, but there was nothing. It was distant and alone, which made it less of an immediate threat but still unsettling.