Raphael's hand moved toward the revolver before the thought fully formed.
Then the face changed back.
A perfectly ordinary middle-aged man, eyebrows furrowed slightly in mild puzzlement, already turning back toward the road.
"You alright back there? Looked like something startled you. Big reaction for someone half asleep."
He kept his eyes forward.
"Heading out to the outskirts this late, you one of those livestreamers?
Seen plenty of that type. Dare videos, haunted location stuff."
Raphael exhaled and settled the revolver back into the holster.
Given his constitution, genuine tiredness wasn't a realistic explanation.
Then through the side window, past the tree line, he caught it.
Far from the highway, tucked against the back slope of a hill, something pale and grey rose above the canopy, just the highest portion visible, most of it swallowed by forest.
Even getting out here, reaching it on foot would take a while.
