Raine awoke to the soft, pale light of morning spilling through her window, painting the room in muted gold. The memory of her mother's words lingered stubbornly in her mind, like a shadow she could not shake: "Do not go to the forest, Raine. It's dangerous." She rubbed her eyes, trying to chase away the unease, but her thoughts drifted back to the previous day.
She remembered the forest's edge, standing tall and silent, yet vibrating with a quiet energy she couldn't explain. No whispers had called to her—at least, not exactly—but there had been something there, just beyond her perception, that made her heart quicken and her skin prickle. The rustling of leaves, the subtle shift of branches, the faint glimmer of sunlight on the moss—all of it felt deliberate, almost sentient.
The hours crawled by. Raine found herself distracted at every turn, her mind constantly pulled back to the forest. And before she realized it, evening had fallen, painting the sky in bruised purples and deep oranges. Somehow, without knowing how, she was at the forest again. Her feet had carried her here of their own accord, guided by a force she couldn't name.
The moment she stepped beneath the dense canopy, a chill of anticipation ran through her. Branches swayed gently, reaching out as if brushing her arms, guiding her along a path that seemed to open just for her. Shadows stretched and shifted, making the familiar forest strange and alive.
Raine's eyes widened as she noticed the animals around her. Birds perched silently on gnarled branches, their heads tilting as if watching her, and small creatures paused mid-step to glance her way. A fox, striking and silent, emerged from the undergrowth. Its amber eyes locked onto hers, unblinking, as though it understood secrets she had yet to uncover.
A mix of fear and fascination tightened in her chest. Every step forward felt like stepping deeper into a dream she could not wake from. The forest seemed aware of her presence, moving aside, opening corridors between the trees, leading her deeper into its hidden heart. She whispered to herself, "How… how is this happening?"
Then, as her senses stretched with wonder and dread, a soft voice drifted through the air, chilling and intimate: "Raine…" Her breath caught. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, curling around her, echoing through the shadows like a secret meant only for her.
Raine froze, her pulse racing, eyes scanning the twisting forms of trees, the dark hollows between them. Fear prickled at her spine, yet beneath it lay a strange, electric thrill—a sense that she had been expected, that the forest had been waiting for her. And somewhere deep inside, she knew that tonight was only the beginning. Something in the forest had claimed her attention, and there was no turning back.