Inside the candy cottage, Hansel and Gretel remained huddled in the chest, their breaths shallow and rapid. The sounds of the fight outside had ceased, replaced by an eerie silence. Gretel gripped Hansel’s hand tightly, her sharp eyes scanning the sliver of light that seeped through the lid.

"Do you think it's over?" Hansel whispered, his voice trembling.

"I don't know," Gretel replied, her tone steady despite the fear tightening her chest. "But we wait. Just a little longer."

They stayed motionless, their hearts pounding as the stillness stretched on. Outside, the faint scent of blood and smoke lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the battle that had just ended.

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The clearing was still, save for the soft crackle of dying embers in the distant forest. Hansel and Gretel sat huddled inside the candy cottage, the warmth of its hearth wrapping around them like a fragile cocoon. Their breaths slowed, but the tension in their bodies didn’t ease.

“Is she… gone?” Hansel whispered, his voice barely audible.

Gretel glanced at the door, her sharp ears straining to catch any sound beyond the walls. “I think so,” she said, though her tone held no certainty.

The events of the chase weighed heavily on them. Mary’s relentless pursuit, her mocking laughter, and the sight of her monstrous form would haunt them for nights to come. They had survived, but the victory felt hollow.

“We should’ve helped her,” Hansel murmured, his small hands clutching his wooden carving.

“Helped her?” Gretel snapped, her exhaustion giving way to frustration. “She was trying to kill us, Hansel.” Gretel sighed, her sharp tone softening. “It doesn’t matter now. What matters is we’re alive.”

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The fire crackled, filling the silence with its soft pops. Eventually, Hansel drifted into a fitful sleep on the floor. Gretel stayed awake, staring into the flames. The warmth of the cottage did little to ease the cold knot of fear in her stomach.