I heard the creature before I saw it. The hum that had been nagging at us now had a face, a twisted, grotesque face. The glowing eyes, the spiked body. It was wrong. All wrong.

I knew immediately we were in danger. The creature's eyes locked on Alex and Lyra. That's when I moved. There was no time for hesitation.

But then something strange happened.

Finn.

I didn't know what he was doing at first—his eyes locked on the creature, but it wasn't fear in his gaze. It was something else. Something I couldn't name.

The creature stopped. Just... stopped. It didn't move. It didn't advance. It didn't lunge at us. It was as if the world around it had been put on pause. Finn's expression was strained, like he was holding something back. I felt the air thicken, and for a split second, I thought I saw time itself slow, almost as if the creature was frozen in place.

Then, without thinking, I stepped forward, pushing the words out of my mouth. I didn't know how I knew what to say, but it felt right. "Stop," I commanded. The creature hesitated, lowering its head. It listened.

My heart pounded in my chest. I had no idea how I did that. How my voice had the power to bend the creature's will. But in that moment, I knew one thing: we were all stronger than we thought.

Finn looked at me, his eyes wide. There was a crack in his usually calm exterior. The creature was retreating, stepping back into the shadows.

"We're not alone," I whispered to myself. But it wasn't just about the creature anymore. It was about us. We were connected, bound by something bigger than just survival.