The engine sparks, dying with a final, metallic wheeze. Smoke billows from the open hood, stinging the eyes. Seth stares at the ruined wiring, his knuckles white as he grips the hood’s edge. Behind him, Stella and Miller scan the dark treeline, the silence of the forest heavier than the cold air.
Seth
Everything is falling apart. The SUV is a coffin if we stay here. We need to move on foot before the sound of the engine draws them in.
Seth turns, his expression hardening. He gestures toward a narrow ridge snaking upward into the mist. It is a steep, treacherous climb, but it leads away from the main road and toward the high ground of the limestone bluffs.
Seth
Miller, [Stella:7], leave the gear that slows us down. We move to the ridge. Now.
Miller
Seth, if we go up there, we’re exposed. But staying here? That’s suicide. Let’s go.
They abandon the smoking vehicle, disappearing into the gray wall of the forest as the first howls of a distant pack ripple through the trees.
+ Scene Quest Added
Reach the limestone bluffs