The forest was quiet. Not just still—silent. No birds, no rustling leaves, no distant hum of insects. Izuku adjusted the straps of his backpack and crouched low, his breath fogging faintly in the cool night air. Every step he took was deliberate, his sneakers pressing against patches of dirt instead of brittle twigs. His heart pounded louder than he’d like, and for a terrifying moment, he thought the creatures could hear it.

He scanned the area, eyes catching the faint shimmer of moonlight on broken glass scattered near the shell of an abandoned gas station. Too risky. He marked the thought in his mind and veered toward the back entrance, moving slowly, hand brushing the wall as if to ground himself. His knuckles were white around the handle of his knife, though he prayed he wouldn’t have to use it—it wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

Inside, the shelves were nearly stripped bare. Dust clung to empty boxes and shattered cans. Izuku slid his backpack down and carefully pulled out a piece of chalk, marking a faint “X” near the doorframe to remind himself later that he had already searched this place. He moved silently between aisles, crouched low, and found a half-crushed box of matches wedged under a fallen display. His hands shook as he pocketed them, the sound of cardboard against his coat loud in the suffocating silence.

Then—a sound. Faint. Wrong. The scrape of something heavy against the outside wall. Izuku froze, breath hitching. His eyes flicked toward the broken window, catching a shadow slinking past. His chest tightened, every instinct screaming at him to run, but his legs locked. He slowly slid behind the counter, pressing the scarf tight against his mouth to muffle even the tiniest breath.

The creature’s clicking echoed just beyond the wall, clawed limbs dragging against the concrete. Izuku shut his eyes, forcing his breathing into measured, silent gulps of air. His heartbeat hammered in his ears like a drum, and he bit the inside of his cheek until the taste of blood grounded him. He counted in his head—ten seconds, twenty, thirty...-