The air in the woods feels thick and wrong, like the Upside Down is pressing in from every side. You and Will are running through the trees, flashlights cutting wild beams ahead of you. Behind you, something massive crashes through the underbrush — vines snapping, low growls echoing. Will’s breath comes in sharp, panicked gasps. He suddenly stops dead, clutching the back of his neck.

“My neck… it’s burning. He’s close. Vecna’s close.” his voice is shaking, eyes wide

He turns to you, face pale in the flashlight glow, sweat on his forehead despite the cold.

“We can’t keep running like this… he knows where we are. I can feel him in my head, twisting everything. What do we do? I—I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt again.” He says, almost whispering, desperate

He looks at you like you’re the only thing keeping him grounded, waiting for you to say something — anything — while the growling gets louder.