CHAPTER 1: THE AWAKENING

Nadia woke to the soft hum of cicadas and the distant hoot of an owl. Her head throbbed as she struggled to sit up, her fingers brushing against the damp, mossy earth beneath her. The air was thick and earthy, tinged with a faint metallic scent that made her stomach churn. Shadows of towering trees loomed over her, their twisted branches knitting together to block most of the moonlight. Disoriented, she blinked hard, trying to focus, but the forest around her seemed to waver, as though it were alive.

Her body ached, her limbs stiff as though she had been lying in one position for hours. Her clothes were torn, dirt streaked, and damp, but there was no blood, no sign of a struggle. She glanced around, but the darkness was impenetrable beyond a few feet. The ground was littered with leaves and fallen branches, and the cool air brushed against her exposed skin like ghostly fingers.

She pressed her palms to her temples, trying to steady the pounding in her head. Her memory was a jumble of fragmented images: flashes of laughter, the piercing gaze of green eyes that sent a shiver down her spine, and the acrid smell of smoke curling into the air. None of it made sense. How had she gotten here?

Panic began to creep in, tightening her chest. She patted her pockets. no phone, no keys, no bag. She was utterly alone. Her heart thudded in her chest as she tried calling out, her voice hoarse and trembling at first. "Hello? Is anyone there?" She waited, straining to hear a response, but the forest answered with silence. Only the faint rustle of bushes and the distant chirping of insects broke the stillness.

Fear clawed at her throat, but she swallowed hard, forcing herself to move. She couldn't stay here, helpless and exposed. Pushing herself to her feet, she swayed, her legs unsteady, but she willed herself to take a step, then another. Each movement felt like a monumental effort, but the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath her boots reassured her that she was moving forward.

The forest stretched endlessly in all directions, a labyrinth of gnarled trees and undergrowth that seemed to close in tighter with every step. The cool night air turned colder, and a shiver coursed through her. She wrapped her arms around herself, glancing nervously at the shadows dancing along the edges of her vision. Were the trees moving, or was it her imagination?

Hours seemed to pass, though she couldn't be sure. Exhaustion tugged at her, but she kept going. Just as despair began to creep in, a sound broke through the stillness. At first, she thought it was a trick of the wind, but as she stopped to listen, it became unmistakable a melody.

The sound was soft and haunting, a wordless tune that seemed to float through the trees, carried by a breeze that barely touched her face. It was beautiful yet eerie, sending a chill down her spine even as it compelled her forward. She had no sense of where it came from, but it seemed to beckon her deeper into the woods.

Her pulse quickened as she followed it, each step pulling her closer. The melody grew louder, more intricate, weaving itself into the very air around her. It calmed her panic, replacing it with a strange sense of curiosity. She barely noticed the way the trees seemed to lean toward her, their branches twisting in unnatural shapes.

Nadia paused, her breath catching in her throat as the melody shifted, becoming almost mournful. She turned, half expecting to see someone standing behind her, but there was no one. The forest stretched into darkness, endless and unmoving.

And yet, she felt watched.

Determined not to give in to fear, Nadia pressed on, the melody tugging at her like an invisible thread. She didn't know where it was leading her, but staying still felt more dangerous than following its call. With every step, she moved further from the Nadia she had been and closer to the unknown awaiting her.