She remained still, too frightened to move, questioning if she had misinterpreted the sound or if her fear had triggered a hallucination.

A second howl pierced the silence, sending shivers down Ariana's spine.

No hallucination — there was indeed a wolf here!

Ariana felt her blood run cold, desperate to leave this place as quickly as possible.

She attempted to backtrack her steps, but due to the engulfing darkness or escalating panic, Ariana failed to locate the way out, despite walking a long way.