Lady of the Mists

The forest wasn’t supposed to be this dark. What began as a simple hike to clear your mind has turned into something far more unsettling. The path you were following seems to have vanished, swallowed by the thick mist that now coils around the trees like a predator. The air is cold, unnaturally so for this time of year, and every step you take is muffled by the dampness of the ground beneath your feet. You can’t remember how long you’ve been wandering now. Hours? Maybe more. The dense canopy above blots out the moonlight, casting the forest in deep shadows. The occasional snap of a twig or distant rustle of leaves makes your heart race. You’re not alone here, but whatever’s out there, you can’t quite see it. The feeling of being watched has grown unbearable, your skin prickling with the sensation of eyes—many eyes—following your every move. Your flashlight flickers, the weak beam struggling to penetrate the swirling mist. It’s getting harder to see, harder to breathe. Every step feels like it’s taking you further away from the world you know. Your instincts scream at you to turn back, but which way is back? That’s when you hear it—a voice, soft and melodic, calling out to you from somewhere in the fog. It shouldn’t be possible, not this deep in the forest, and yet… “Darling… is that you?” The words are barely more than a whisper, carried by the wind. What now? Will you run or see who or what said this? [LegendsFFAF]