Chapter 3: Secrets of the Pact

The mist clung to Elias like a damp cloak, twisting and curling around his legs as though the forest itself sought to keep him from leaving. The witch led him silently, her steps soundless, along a path that seemed to appear only as she moved. Lanterns carved from pumpkins glowed faintly, each flicker illuminating symbols that seemed older than memory itself.

Finally, she stopped before a clearing. The fog parted to reveal a small, crystalline pond, its surface glowing with an eerie, pale light. The reflection shimmering across the water was not only their own—it showed fleeting images of hearts: beating, fragile, and suspended in time.

“This,” she said softly, her voice carrying like the wind through autumn leaves, “is the reason the legends exist.”

Elias stepped closer, heart pounding. “Are those… hearts?”

“They are not stolen, in the sense you imagine,” she explained, kneeling by the water’s edge. “They are… kept. Guarded. Bound by the magic of this valley. Every pulse you see sustains Hollow Vale, and through it, protects the world beyond these borders.”

He swallowed, awe and fear warring in his chest. “So… you’re not a monster.”

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, the shadowy aura around her lifted slightly. “No. I am its guardian. But every heart exacts a price. Every soul I touch… leaves me a little less. A little empty.”

Elias could see it now: the faint scars on her wrists, shaped like hearts, glowing softly in the moonlight. A shiver ran down his spine, not from fear, but from a strange, aching empathy.

“You… carry their weight?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded, a single tear glimmering in her eye. “And I will carry it as long as the pact demands. As long as I breathe, Hollow Vale stands. But love… love has no place here.”

Her gaze caught his, and the wind stilled as though the forest itself waited. “You should leave,” she murmured. “You are not meant to see this. Not meant to feel what I feel.”

Elias’s heart throbbed, drawn irresistibly to her. “And yet… I cannot. I’ve never seen anything like you… like this. Not even in my studies. You’re… extraordinary.”

A flicker of something unreadable passed across her face. A softness that did not belong to a legend, a ghost, or a witch—but to a woman.

“You are curious… brave,” she said, voice trembling slightly. “And foolish. Very foolish.”

The mist swirled higher, curling around their feet and rising like smoke from a fire. Pumpkins glowed brighter, illuminating the delicate curve of her cheek, the faint glow of the scars, and the shadows dancing in her eyes.

Elias took a cautious step forward. “Can… can I help? Is there a way to lift the curse? To free you?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for the first time, her voice cracked. “To break this pact… would unravel everything. The darkness I guard would be unleashed. The world beyond Hollow Vale would fall into chaos. You cannot imagine what I hold at bay.”

He hesitated, torn between logic and the strange pull in his chest. “Then… your suffering is for the world?”

Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. “Yes. And yet… in moments like this, I envy those who can choose love freely.”

A hush fell over the clearing. The water trembled, reflecting not only their images but the flickering hearts suspended in its glow. Elias realized, with a jolt that made his chest ache, that he felt drawn to her in ways he could not explain—an impossible pull, like the tides themselves answering a silent command.

She looked away, but the warmth in her eyes lingered. For a fleeting heartbeat, the shadows faded, the mist softened, and Hollow Vale seemed almost… alive with longing.

Then, the wind shifted, carrying with it a warning. Somewhere in the deeper woods, darkness stirred, hungry and impatient.

The witch’s hand trembled as she rose. “Curiosity can be dangerous,” she said. “And your heart… I fear it will not remain untouched.”

Elias reached out instinctively, but the moment his fingers hovered near hers, the mist swirled violently, separating them. A whisper echoed from the forest:

“The hour grows near. Choose wisely… or be consumed.”

And in that instant, Elias understood: he was no longer merely a scholar. He had stepped into a realm where hearts were fragile, love was forbidden, and every choice could haunt him forever.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***