The hum was back.

At first, it had been a distant echo, almost like it was just a figment of my imagination. But now, the sound vibrated in the air, pulling me toward it like a magnet. I could feel it in my bones, a strange tug that didn't belong. I glanced at Kai, who was already moving ahead, eyes narrowed. I could tell he heard it too. He was always so attuned to danger, so focused, even when the rest of us didn't see it yet.

"It's getting louder," I said, my voice barely audible against the constant hum. I didn't want to say it out loud, but it was impossible to ignore.

Kai glanced back at me, his jaw set tight. "Stay close. We don't know what it is yet."

I nodded, the lump in my throat growing. This was dangerous. But what if it wasn't? What if the hum was something... good? I couldn't let myself hope for that.

We kept moving, stepping carefully between the trees, the hum pulling us forward until it was impossible to ignore. And then, we saw it—massive and terrifying, its eyes glowing in the dark. The creature.

The world seemed to slow. My breath hitched in my chest as it stepped closer, its claws scraping the ground.

I wanted to run, but I was frozen. The others were frozen too.

Then, Finn stepped forward. I don't know what he did, but the creature stopped. It didn't just freeze. It stayed frozen—as if it were trapped in time. I couldn't explain it, but it was like everything slowed down. I looked at Finn, and for a split second, I saw the strain on his face, as though he were holding the entire world still.

And then Kai stepped in.

"Stop," Kai's voice was low, commanding. The creature hesitated. I didn't know how, but I could feel it responding to him. His power wasn't just words. It was something deeper, something I couldn't quite grasp yet.

But the creature, big and deadly, slowly began to retreat, its eyes dimming as if it had been... ordered away.

I couldn't believe it. Kai had controlled it. And Finn—Finn had made it stop in its tracks, frozen like time itself had been ripped apart.

"We're okay," I whispered, my voice barely a breath.

But my heart was still racing. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was something different. Something... bigger.