Elias stepped cautiously through the mist, the forest around him alive in ways that made no rational sense. Every footfall pressed into soft moss that seemed to recoil like skin, and every snap of a twig echoed as though the trees themselves whispered secrets to one another.
Jack-o’-lanterns appeared sporadically along the winding path, their flickering flames illuminating grotesque smiles that seemed almost sentient. One, carved with the face of a weeping woman, blinked—or at least, Elias swore it did.
A sudden rustle made him spin. Two black cats emerged from the fog, their eyes glinting with unnatural intelligence. They sat side by side, tails curling like question marks. One tilted its head and spoke:
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Elias staggered back. “I… I’m a scholar. I—”
“Curiosity can be dangerous,” the second cat interrupted, voice low and melodic. “And tonight, the veil is thin.”
He blinked. Perhaps exhaustion had warped his mind. Perhaps the fog was thicker than he realized. Yet when the cats disappeared in a puff of black smoke, he knew the valley was not bound by ordinary rules.
The forest seemed to shift around him, each step deeper feeling like crossing into another world. Shadows lengthened unnaturally, crawling along trunks and twisting around roots, forming shapes that whispered unintelligible words. The air smelled of wet earth and burnt sugar, of smoke and something sweetly metallic.
And then he saw her again.
She was perched atop a stone, cloaked in black, her hair spilling over her shoulders like liquid night. In her hand, a small, glowing vial pulsed like a heartbeat. Her eyes locked with his—green as misted glass, sharp and luminous.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, her voice now tangible, echoing slightly, as if the mist itself carried it. “Yet here you are. Why?”
“I… I want to understand,” Elias admitted. “The legends. The… heart-stealing. Is it true? Are you… a monster?”
Her laugh was low and musical, yet tinged with sorrow. “A monster?” she repeated. “Perhaps in the tales told by frightened people. Or perhaps I am the one keeping the monsters at bay.”
The wind twisted around her, lifting the edges of her cloak like dark wings. A flock of ravens erupted from the trees, black silhouettes against the pale moon, their cries blending with the whispers of the fog. Elias felt a strange pull, a tug at the core of his chest, as though the valley itself measured his worth.
He stepped closer, curiosity overcoming caution. “Then… why the warnings? Why the fear?”
She tilted her head, eyes glimmering with an ancient sadness. “Because people fear what they do not understand. Because love is dangerous. And because I am bound to this place… for eternity.”
Elias caught a glimpse of her wrists, pale and marked with faint, heart-shaped scars that seemed to pulse with faint light. His breath caught. She wasn’t the monster he expected—she was a guardian, a soul burdened with a curse.
A sudden chill ran through the forest, and the jack-o’-lanterns flickered violently, casting grotesque shadows across their faces. The mist swirled violently, forming a twisting vortex that seemed almost alive.
“You should leave,” she warned, stepping closer, yet not touching him. “Once the witching hour strikes, the valley demands… payment.”
“I can’t,” he whispered, heart pounding. “I need to know. I need to see the truth for myself.”
Her gaze softened, a flicker of something almost human passing through her eternal eyes. “Curiosity is brave… and foolish. Very well. But beware, Elias… the hearts I guard are not just mine to protect.”
The night deepened. Shadows lengthened into grotesque shapes, and the fog whispered secrets too terrible and beautiful to fully comprehend. And in the midst of it all, Elias realized he had crossed a line he could never return from.
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