The moment you step beyond the village, the fog thickens around your boots. Trees rise like dark pillars on either side of the narrow trail, their limbs twisted, their bark damp with cold. Each breath leaves a pale cloud that vanishes almost instantly into the silence. T

 

he path ahead is little more than a suggestion — a faint ribbon of earth swallowed by shifting grey. Somewhere far off, a crow calls once. Just once.

The weight of the forest settles around you, patient and watchful. 

 

Whatever lies ahead… you will meet it alone.