The drive up the mountain had been long, winding, and filled with anticipation. The group of five—Elias, Alex, Nathan, Olivia, and Leo—had been planning this trip for months. Two whole months in an old wooden cabin, surrounded by endless trees, no neighbors, no internet—just them and the raw wilderness. A real adventure.
The cabin was smaller than expected. Dark wooden walls, creaky floors, a fireplace that smelled like old smoke. There were only three rooms—one for Nathan and Olivia, one for Alex, and the last… Elias had assumed he’d share with Leo.
That assumption shattered the moment Alex strolled into the room with her suitcase.
Her vibrant red hair, almost unnatural in its intensity, cascaded over her shoulders. She wore a fitted black top with lace sleeves, ripped jeans, and her signature confidence. Her eyes, deep and unreadable, flicked toward Elias as she dropped her bag onto the bed opposite his.
Elias swallowed hard. “I… I thought—”
“Nah, Leo snores like a chainsaw. You wouldn’t survive.” She flopped onto her bed, stretching out like she owned the place.
He was, however, a guy who had spent years being helplessly in love with her.

The First Night
The wind howled through the trees, rattling the windows. Elias lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Across the room, Alex was fast asleep. The room felt too small, too intimate.
Then—
A scream.
It was distant but unmistakable. A shriek of pure horror slicing through the night.
Elias shot up. So did Alex. Their eyes met for a split second before they both scrambled out of bed and rushed toward the sound. The kitchen. Leo lay sprawled on the wooden floor, unmoving. A knife was buried deep in his chest, blood pooling beneath him. Nathan stood frozen, his face pale as death. Olivia clutched the counter, her breathing ragged. Leo was now a motionless corpse. Nathan turned to them, his voice shaking. “Someone… someone murdered him him.” The walls of the cabin suddenly seemed much closer.