The group had scattered around the room in search of supplies, their frantic movements a mix of determination and desperation. Surprisingly, they managed to find some useful items: potential-looking weapons, tattered blankets, and all the medical supplies they could scrounge. Ben was currently tending to Ashlyn's wound, and he was surprisingly adept at it, his focus evident as he poured the antiseptic over her arm. The moment the liquid touched her skin, Ashlyn winced, her eyes squeezing shut as the stinging sensation shot through her. The pain was unbearable, and she began tapping her feet uncontrollably against the floor, a rhythmic distraction from the agony.

Y/N watched intently as Ben skillfully cleaned and bandaged Ashlyn's injury, shaking her head in approval, relieved to see that he was following the correct steps. Suddenly, the loud sound of glass shattering jolted everyone in the room, sending a wave of tension through the air.

"Aye, look, another weapon!" Aiden’s voice rang out, breaking the uneasy silence. He stood there, grinning widely, holding a broken yet sharp bottle in his hand. The shards scattered around the floor glinted ominously in the light, creating a hazardous landscape.

"Hey, watch it! You should've done that in the bathroom! Now there's glass everywhere!" Tyler exclaimed, his frustration evident as he glared at Aiden.

"I-I’ll get the broom," Logan stammered, his voice tinged with nervous energy, yet he quickly dashed to find it to clean up the mess on the floor.

While Logan busied himself, Y/N turned her head down toward her knees, her mind swirling with thoughts and questions about the haunting voice she had heard in her dream.

'I still can't wrap my head around this. That voice… They said we were all in danger, but how could it have known? That's the kicker; how could they have known this would happen? Could they be the ones behind this? If so, why would they warn me? They sounded so genuine about wanting to help.' She jolted slightly, shaking her head as if to clear it, 'Focus! If it’s not them, then who, or what?'

Y/N felt stuck in a spiral of doubt and confusion. 'Damn, am I really going to get into the topic of the paranormal?' She spaced out again, lost in her thoughts as more questions bombarded her mind.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure was approaching. Y/N snapped out of her daze and blinked as she noticed a shadow looming over her. She raised her head and gasped, startled to find Aiden crouched in front of her, their faces mere inches apart. His cheerful smile contrasted sharply with her wide-eyed fear.

"Ah!" Y/N yelped, her heart racing as she instinctively recoiled, pressing her back against the wall. With nowhere to go, she hoped he wouldn’t invade her space further.

"Hi," Aiden said casually, his grin unwavering as he kept his eyes locked on her.

"Um… Hi?" Y/N replied, her heart gradually slowing, but her nerves still frayed as a bead of sweat trickled down her brow. The moment felt charged, an intensity that made her wonder about his intentions.

Aiden studied her E/C eyes for a few seconds, then shifted his gaze to Ashlyn. He extended a hand holding a single cloth toward her. "Here, wanna squeeze this?"

"...Thanks." Ashlyn took the cloth, clutching it tightly against her wounded arm.

"Yep!" Aiden replied cheerfully, then settled down on the ground with his legs crossed, finally giving Y/N some space to breathe. "I never took you for the leader type."

"...I’m not. But my parents are."

"Your parents?"

"They're both from the military," Ashlyn replied, her voice steady as Ben continued to patch her up.

"Ah, I get it. So you're used to being told what to do in situations like this."

"Well, not a situation like this—"

"Then do you also know self-defense?"

"I’ve taken a few kickboxing classes."

Ben finished bandaging Ashlyn’s arm and closed the medical kit.

"Thanks, Ben. You're pretty good at this." Ashlyn smiled as she tested her arm’s mobility.

"Lol, yeah, he’s used to patching me up."

"...From?"

"Mm, various things? Skateboard tricks, rock climbing, hiking, jumping off tall places, stuff like that?" Aiden explained, and Ben couldn’t help but beam at the compliment.

As the two chatted, Y/N drifted back into her thoughts, struggling to shake the lingering remnants of her dream. Just then, Aiden's voice broke through her reverie again.

"What about you?" he asked, his gaze shifting back to her, that same weirdly happy smile on his face.

Noticing his attention, Y/N tilted her head slightly. "What about me?"

"Aren't you going to explain about earlier?"

Confusion washed over her. "Hmm?"

"That thing you did earlier. I've been meaning to talk about it ever since we came."

Y/N felt a flicker of realization. "The move I did on the creature?"

Aiden nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, what about it?"

"It's pretty crazy how you dealt with that monster head without a second thought. Though it was also cool that I got to see some action."

"What—"

"How did you do it? Did you study the art of Kung Fu or something?"

"No, I learned from my dad. We used to train together. For my safety, he taught me self-defense in case I ever needed it, and it just so happened to come in handy at that crucial moment." She explained, her voice steady.

"If you don’t mind me asking, what exactly did your dad do back then?" Ashlyn interjected, curiosity evident in her tone.

Y/N paused for a moment, lost in thought, before continuing. "My dad did military training, and then he wanted to teach me. I found it fun back then, but like I said, I only use it when necessary."

"Wow! Just like Ashlyn. Cool! You mind teaching me?"

"No," Y/N said, her expression neutral.

Ashlyn scanned the room and stood up, walking over to where several metal bars were stacked haphazardly.

"How many of these do we have?" she asked, crouching down to get a better look.

"Uh, eight including the ones we're taking off right now," Tyler responded.

Ashlyn was deep in thought, contemplating how to use them when Tyler broke the silence. "It's been quiet for a while..." He sounded uncertain. "D-Do you think the monsters are gone?"

But Ashlyn's instincts told her otherwise. She strained to listen, noting the faint rustling outside. "They're... still outside the door," she announced. "I can hear them, but... not in a normal way."

"What do you mean?" Logan asked, his voice tight with nerves.

"...Remember how I said I had sensitive ears?"

"Ooh, that's right! So you can hear them moving outside or something?" Aiden's curiosity piqued.

"Sort of. They make a certain... sound I don’t think you guys can hear."

"So, you're like a cat whisperer, but can just hear those creatures?" Y/N asked, trying to grasp her abilities.

"No... Not—Well, yes, but—"

"Can you get to the point?" Tyler interrupted, annoyance creeping into his tone.

'I'm trying, you jerk. This isn’t easy to explain.' Ashlyn thought, frustration bubbling under the surface. "The thing is, because of how loud everything is for me, I hear... phantom noises as a side effect. Sounds that aren’t really there. In the Sorrel Weed House, I thought I was hearing phantom noise, and when I saw the monster... I believed it was just a type of hallucination." She paused, her gaze distant. "But then it grabbed me."

Normally, Y/N would have found that hard to believe if she hadn’t seen the phantom grab Ashlyn and witnessed the terrifying shadow that loomed in the Sorrel Weed House. Yet, seeing Ashlyn's injury and knowing what they all experienced, she realized that what they were encountering was indeed real.

Tyler scoffed, "A hallucination that grabbed you, injured you, and that all of us saw? And you thought it wasn’t real?"

"Well, you thought it was a prank and—" Ashlyn started to defend herself but then stopped. "No, never mind. It doesn’t matter right now." She clenched the object in her hand tightly, ready to smack him, but restrained herself.

"What I'm getting at is that I can hear and locate them when you guys can’t." Ashlyn finished, her voice steady but carrying the weight of their dire situation.

The tension in the room thickened as everyone absorbed her words, a newfound sense of urgency hanging in the air.