Teaser

Kain is lying on his bed.

He opens his eyes, and stares.

He heard his name…

He’s sure of it.

Just a whisper.

“Kaaain.”

Kain sits bolt upright.

There it is again.

He gets out of bed and walks towards the door. It’s dark outside. The camp is covered in a shroud of mist. A bright shaft of moonlight penetrates the canopy. It bathes the camp in a ghost-white hue. Kain looks up. He sees the vague outline of a full moon forcing its way through the dense canopy. Something catches Kain’s eye. He turns sharply. Stood at the edge of the forest, is a woman dressed in white. Her dress takes on the same ghost-white hue as the moonlight.

She reaches out beseechingly.

“Kaaain.”

The woman turns, and disappears into the forest.

Kain tries to call out, but chokes on his own voice.

He sprints to where the woman was stood.

Nothing!

Kain stands perfectly still, and strains to listen.

The sound of rustling leaves causes him to turn.

He catches a glimpse of the woman.

Kain bursts into the forest, and looks right and left.

Vanished!

Once again, Kain strains to listen.

“Kaaain.”

There it is again.

Kain catches another glimpse.

The woman scurries away.

Kain locks onto his target, and sprints after it.

The figure glides across the ground, smoothly weaving its way through the thick undergrowth, and effortlessly breezing over hurdles.

Kain strains every nerve and sinew, he pushes his way through the thorny undergrowth as it hits him in the face. His hands and face are ripped to shreds. But Kain ploughs on regardless. He somehow manages to keep up—then comes to an abrupt halt.

Standing before him is the mysterious woman...

Teaser

Shiva decided they had to keep moving. Despite it being their second night without sleep. They had no choice, not if they wanted to make up ground on the killers. No words were spoken. Shiva simply strode off into the distance. Dagon and Malachi exchanged glances, and followed. They followed unquestioningly and without hesitation. No words were needed.

Shiva’s relentless pace continued through the night. She didn't look back once. Nor did she utter a single word. Dagon and Malachi did the same. Shiva had no words. But Dagon and Malachi could hear the muffled cries. They watched her wipe away the tears. And when her arms were by her side, they saw that her hands were dripping wet.

It’s dawn, and Shiva continues to set a relentless pace. Malachi is clearly exhausted. He stumbles and falls. Shiva doesn't look back. Why should she? It’s not the first time he’s fallen. And it won’t be the last. Shiva hasn't looked back once. Dagon helps Malachi to his feet, and dusts him down. They frantically pick up the pace as they play catch-up.

Shiva comes to an abrupt halt, as something comes into view.

Ahead, is an abandoned campsite.

Shiva smiles.

Their hard work has paid off.

She gestures towards something on the ground.

“See what it is, Dagon.”

Teaser

Troy’s group has finally reached the top of High Ridge. They pause for a while and stare eastwards. The further east they travel, the less barren the terrain becomes. The shrubland beckons them on towards their goal. But it’s dusk. The shrublands can wait until tomorrow. In the distance, Wayward Forest looms large. A dense wall of green obscures the horizon as it spreads uninterrupted across the landscape. According to legend, no light penetrates Wayward Forest. Entry is barred by a deadly network of thorns. Attempting entry is futile. Those who have tried have become entangled, and died where they stood. Legend has it that fleshless corpses litter the entire perimeter. Frozen in time. Serving as a portentous reminder to those foolish enough to believe that Wayward Forest can be breached.

Troy stares down at his map, and wonders how they will find a way through.

Teaser

Quinn thinks back to the night when his parents died. He was a young boy. No more than five years old. Quinn was asleep in the corner of the tent. He remembers waking up, and seeing two hooded figures staring through the tent aperture. Quinn froze with fear. His parents lay fast asleep in middle of the tent next to the fire. The flames from the fire lit up the two intruders. One figure was much taller than the other. They stepped into the tent, and pulled back their hoods, then made their way towards Quinn’s parents. The taller man’s shaven head glinted in the firelight. Quinn watched, unnoticed.

Long shadows hit the back of the tent as the figures approached. They moved in complete silence as they walked towards their prey. Both crouched down as they reached their targets. Quinn tried to avert his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away. The two figures lowered their heads and started to feed.

Teaser

Geraint and his party stand face to face with their next challenge. They stare in awe of Tower Ridge… a huge monolith formed from sandstone over eons of time. The ridge is bereft of any plant life because of its solid structure. It dominates the horizon like an impenetrable wall as it shimmers bright orange in the midday sun. A white band of cloud obscures the summit. The top of Tower Ridge vanishes into the mist as it continues to rise, creating an illusion of boundless infinity.

Geraint stands gawping.

He points towards the obscured summit.

“Please tell me that, um, we don’t need to climb that!”