Chapter 167: Wendigo’s Keep (II).

『"Not today, dude..."』

After a few minutes of silence, Sophia spoke up. "So you guys know my mom’s Colombian, right?"

The four of them nodded and murmured in unison.

"But I’m also from Quebec on my dad’s side." She paused as if deciding how much to share. "It shouldn’t come as a shocker that I grew up on stories about supernatural shit like the wendigo..." She looked at Amara.

Amara gave her a small nod and an encouraging smile.

Sophia took a deep breath. "You know, folklore, warnings. Instructions on what to do if you encountered one." She let out a shaky laugh. "How to recognize the signs..."

"And?" Raj asked when she didn’t continue immediately.

"And the stories say they’re cursed," Sophia said quietly. "That the hunger is contagious. If a wendigo bites you and you survive, the hunger transfers."

Hiro glanced down at the goosebumps rising along his arm. "Why is it never flowers or sunshine with your family stories?"

Sophia ignored him. "First, the craving for human flesh, then the loss of your humanity piece by piece until you become one of them." Her eyes found Meredith’s. "At least that’s what I heard."

Meredith’s silence was all the confirmation they needed, and an uneasy caution settled over the group.

"So don’t get bitten," Hiro said. "Great. That’s just great. Any other fun facts before we walk into a cave with a cursed cannibal monster?"

"Fire works," Ishigami offered. "They’re afraid of it on an instinctual level. Most origin stories involve starvation and cold. Fire represents safety, warmth, civilization. Everything they’ve lost."

"Good to know," Amara said.

"When we arrive, I’ll take point since my earth sense can detect it underground," Meredith said. "The rest of you stay alert and don’t split up unless I give explicit orders. Understood?"

They all nodded and continued northeast, the forest growing denser, the light dimmer, the air colder despite the afternoon heat they’d left behind in the clearing.

The cave entrance opened in the hillside like a dark mouth, swallowing light and sound both.

It was roughly fifteen feet wide, twenty feet tall. The opening was natural but the area around it had been clearly disturbed.

Trees around the entrance were scarred with claw marks. The ground was trampled. And the smell...

"Oh god," Hiro gagged, covering his nose. "What is that?"

"Decomposition," Meredith said flatly. "Mixed with other things. This is definitely the nest."

The darkness beyond the entrance concealed everything. Amara manifested Angel’s Bane immediately, and the sword’s blade offered a dim glow around them.

"We’re going in there," Raj said, not a question.

"We’re going in there," Meredith confirmed. She looked at Sophia. "Sophia, I need you maintaining a telepathic link with all of us. We’ll need backup if comms fail."

Sophia’s helmet blazed as she established the connections. Amara felt the familiar, unintrusive presence of Sophia’s consciousness at the edge of her thoughts.

Meredith knelt and placed her palm against the ground. "The cave’s system is extensive. We need to split up to cover ground efficiently."

Raj pounded his fist into his palm. "Alright."

"Nobody goes more than a hundred meters from another teammate," Meredith added, looking at an overeager Raj. "Stay within my sensory range."

"Split up," Hiro repeated. "In the monster’s lair. That’s... that’s literally the worst idea in every horror movie ever made."

"This isn’t a movie." Meredith stood, her three bars glowing brighter as she channeled her power. Her gaze swept across the cave entrance before settling on the group. "We split up."

Amara looked at Hiro’s worried expression and said, "Remember what Aragorn said when he marched on the Black Gate?"

"’A day’s like gonna come when men’s courage fails... but not today, dude.’" Hiro shook his arms, then pumped both fists. "Alright! Let’s fucking go!"

Ethan glanced between both of them as his eyebrow went up, clearly amused. "I don’t know what you just said to him, but it seemed super effective."

Before Amara could respond, Meredith continued.

"Amara, you take the western tunnel. Ethan, the eastern." Meredith pointed toward each passage as she assigned them. "Raj, you’re with me on the central path."

"Sweet." Raj grinned.

Meredith turned toward the remaining three. "Ishigami, set a perimeter around the entrance. If it tries to run, I want to know immediately."

Ishigami gave a small nod. "Understood."

She then looked at Sophia. "You stay out here. Maintain the telepathic link and warn us if anything else approaches."

Sophia couldn’t hide her relieved expression at being given support duty instead of exploring the cave.

"Hiro," Meredith continued, "you’re with Sophia. Your speed makes you perfect for rapid response. And she won’t be alone if something goes wrong out here."

"I can handle being alone—" Sophia started.

"Look at me, I’m trembling," Hiro interrupted gently. "I don’t think I can do this without company, so what do you say?"

Something in Sophia’s expression softened slightly, and she nodded.

The team began their separation, each member checking their gear one final time. Amara turned to Ethan as he prepared to head toward his tunnel, and their eyes met in the dim light.

"See you on the other side?" Ethan said.

"Yeah," Amara replied.

She was about to head into her tunnel, then stopped herself. She crossed the short distance between them, rose onto the tips of her toes, and kissed him. "Stay safe, Shield."

When Amara pulled back, Ethan cupped her face with his hands for a moment. "You too, Sword."

"Ugh... really?" Hiro shook his head. "You disappoint me, Amara," he protested. "Talk about unprofessional."

"Seriously?" Sophia muttered. "Get a room you two."

"Hey! If they want to kiss, let them kiss," Raj chimed in.

"Thank you, Raj," Ethan said with a grin.

"I mean this could be the last time they get to do it," Raj continued.

"Thank you, Raj," Ethan repeated, this time with more emphasis that conveyed his sarcasm.

He disappeared into the darkness, his shields already manifesting as faint blue light to guide his way.

Amara turned toward her own assigned tunnel, Angel’s Bane resting at her side, and stepped into the cave.