Unknown POV
The forest stretched in every direction, a sprawling labyrinth of towering pines and dense underbrush. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and pine needles, mingling with the faint, sharp tang of something more sinister. The forest, once full of life, now felt quiet—unnervingly so. Even the usual calls of the night's creatures were muted, as though the trees themselves were holding their breath, waiting for something.
In the heart of the woods, where the mist curled through the branches like fingers reaching for the sky, I waited. I was nothing more than a silhouette against the backdrop of the forest, cloaked in shadow, perfectly still. Every part of me blended with the night—dark clothing, a face obscured by the hood of a cloak, and movements so subtle they seemed to dissolve into the surrounding gloom. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time.