CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO - THE UNSEEN FOE

After an hour of fruitless searching, Nikolai suddenly froze. "Anna," he hissed, pointing to a nearby tree. "Look." Anna squinted in the darkness, her heart racing as she made out a strange symbol carved into the bark. It resembled a crude wolf's head with a dagger through it. "I've never seen this before," Nikolai murmured, tracing the symbol with his gloved hand. Anna pulled out her phone, quickly snapping a picture. "This could be the proof we need. Let's keep looking." As they ventured deeper into the forest, more symbols appeared, seemingly marking a trail. Anna's unease grew with each discovery. Suddenly, a twig snapped nearby. Anna and Nikolai whirled around, hearts pounding. "Who's there?" Anna called out, her voice trembling slightly. A figure emerged from the shadows, and Anna gasped in recognition. It was the nervous villager she had spoken to earlier. "What are you doing here?" Anna demanded, suspicion coloring her tone. The villager, a middle-aged man with a weath