CHAPTER 3: THE CALM BEFORE

Kaelen moved cautiously through the village, his eyes darting from shadow to shadow. The silence weighed heavily on him, amplifying the soft crunch of his boots on the damp earth. Eirwen Hollow, usually alive with the sounds of daily life, felt like a ghost town. The familiar cottages, once comforting and warm, now seemed to loom over him, their windows dark and empty like hollow eyes.

His thoughts were a tangled mess of worry and determination. What had his mother been so afraid of? Who was the mysterious visitor that had shaken her so deeply? Kaelen’s mind raced with questions, but he knew there would be no answers unless he found his mother.

He turned down a narrow alley that led to the outskirts of the village, where the forest pressed close against the last row of cottages. The trees were tall and ancient, their branches interlocking above like a woven canopy. Normally, Kaelen found the forest a place of solace, a refuge where he could escape the pressures of village life. But today, the forest felt different—darker, more oppressive. As if it were hiding something within its depths.

Kaelen quickened his pace, his cloak billowing behind him as he moved. He was heading toward the edge of the village, where a small path wound its way into the heart of the forest. It was a path he knew well—one that he and his mother had often taken on their walks together. Lyana had always been drawn to the forest, finding comfort in its quiet beauty. Perhaps she had gone there now, seeking solace from whatever troubled her.

As he approached the forest’s edge, Kaelen’s heart began to pound in his chest. The feeling of unease that had plagued him all morning had intensified, growing into a gnawing sense of dread. Every instinct told him to turn back, to return to the safety of the village. But he couldn’t. His mother was out there, and she needed him.

Kaelen stepped onto the forest path, the familiar crunch of leaves and twigs beneath his feet doing little to calm his nerves. The trees closed in around him, their towering forms casting long shadows that danced in the faint breeze. The air was thick with the scent of earth and moss, the dampness clinging to his skin.

As he ventured deeper into the forest, the light from the village began to fade, swallowed by the dense foliage overhead. Kaelen reached for the small lantern he carried, the flickering flame casting a soft glow that pushed back the encroaching darkness. But even the light seemed muted, as if the forest itself sought to smother it.

Kaelen pressed on, his thoughts focused on finding his mother. He retraced the path they had often walked together, each step bringing him deeper into the heart of the woods. The sounds of the forest—the rustle of leaves, the distant call of a bird—were strangely absent, replaced by an eerie stillness that set his teeth on edge.

After what felt like hours, though it had only been minutes, Kaelen reached a small clearing. It was a place he and his mother often visited, a quiet spot where they could sit and talk, away from the noise of the village. But as Kaelen stepped into the clearing, he froze.

The clearing was empty, but it wasn’t the absence of his mother that stopped him in his tracks. It was the feeling—a presence that lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. Kaelen’s breath caught in his throat as he scanned the clearing, his lantern casting long, flickering shadows that seemed to dance at the edge of his vision.

Something was wrong. He could feel it in his bones, a primal fear that clawed at his mind. The air was charged with an energy that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Kaelen had felt this before—this sense of something unseen, lurking just beyond his sight. But never this strong, never this oppressive.

He was about to turn back when he heard it—a soft whisper, barely audible, carried on the breeze. It was a voice, faint and distant, calling his name.

"Kaelen…"

He spun around, the lantern light swinging wildly as he searched for the source of the voice. But there was nothing—no one. The forest remained still, silent.

"Kaelen…" The voice came again, closer this time, more insistent. It was a voice he recognized, one that sent a chill down his spine.

"Mum?" Kaelen called out, his voice trembling.

There was no answer, only the whisper of his name, echoing through the trees.

Panic began to creep in, tightening its grip on his chest. His mother was out here, somewhere. She had to be. But the voice—it didn’t sound right. There was something off about it, something that made his blood run cold.

Kaelen took a hesitant step forward, then another, following the sound of the voice. The lantern’s flame flickered as he moved, casting erratic shadows that twisted and warped in the darkness.

As he neared the far side of the clearing, the voice grew louder, more desperate. "Kaelen… please…"

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His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing in his ears. He could feel the cold sweat on his brow, the tightness in his throat. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, to run as fast as he could. But he couldn’t leave his mother—not when she needed him most.

He reached the edge of the clearing, where the trees stood close together, their branches entwined like grasping fingers. The voice was clearer now, almost directly in front of him.

"Kaelen… help me…"

With trembling hands, Kaelen raised the lantern, its light pushing back the shadows. His breath caught in his throat as the light fell upon something that made his blood run cold.

It was his mother, or at least it looked like her. She stood just beyond the tree line, her back to him, her figure partially obscured by the darkness. Her clothes were torn and dirty, her hair matted with mud and leaves. She swayed slightly, as if struggling to stand.

"Mum!" Kaelen cried out, rushing forward. But as he did, something held him back—a deep, primal fear that rooted him to the spot.

The figure that looked like his mother turned slowly, her movements unnatural, as if she were being pulled by invisible strings. When she finally faced him, Kaelen felt his stomach drop.

Her eyes were empty—dark, hollow voids that seemed to suck in the light. Her mouth twisted into a grotesque smile, one that stretched too wide, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth.

"Kaelen…" the figure whispered, though the voice no longer resembled his mother’s. It was distorted, echoing unnaturally through the trees.

Kaelen staggered back, the lantern slipping from his grasp and crashing to the ground. The flame flickered and died, plunging him into darkness.

"This isn’t real," he whispered to himself, his voice shaking. "It’s not real…"

But the figure continued to move toward him, its movements jerky and inhuman. The twisted smile never left its face, those empty eyes locked onto him.

Kaelen’s mind screamed at him to run, to get away from whatever this thing was. But his legs wouldn’t obey. He was frozen in place, trapped in the grip of terror.

Just as the figure reached out toward him, there was a blinding flash of light. Kaelen threw up his arms to shield his eyes, and when he dared to look again, the figure was gone. The clearing was empty, the oppressive presence lifted.

Kaelen collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Was it a dream? An illusion? Whatever it was, it had felt real—too real.

But there was no time to dwell on it. His mother was still out there, and she was in danger. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t her. It couldn’t be.

Kaelen forced himself to his feet, his legs shaking beneath him. He needed to find her, to warn her of whatever darkness had taken root in the forest. But where could she be?

The answer came in the form of a distant sound—a scream, faint and far away, but unmistakable. It was his mother’s voice, echoing through the trees.

Kaelen didn’t hesitate. He ran, his heart pounding in his chest, the terror that had gripped him moments before replaced by a fierce determination. He wouldn’t let that thing—whatever it was—take his mother. He wouldn’t lose her.

He tore through the forest, the branches clawing at his cloak, the underbrush slowing his steps. But he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

The scream came again, louder this time, more desperate. Kaelen pushed himself harder, his breath ragged in his throat. He didn’t know what he was running toward, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was reaching his mother, saving her from whatever horror had taken her.

The forest seemed to close in around him, the trees pressing closer, the darkness thickening. But Kaelen ignored it all, his focus solely on the voice that called out to him.

Finally, he burst through the trees into another clearing. This one was larger, the trees on its edge twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching out like skeletal arms. The air was thick with a strange mist, swirling around the ground like a living thing.

And there, at the center of the clearing, was his mother.

She lay on the ground, her body limp and still, her clothes torn and bloodied. Kaelen’s heart dropped into his stomach as he raced to her side, dropping to his knees beside her.

"Mum! Mum, wake up!" he cried, his voice breaking.

He reached out to touch her, but as his fingers brushed her skin, a shock of cold ran through him. Her skin was icy, her eyes closed, her chest still. Kaelen’s breath caught in his throat as he shook her, desperate to wake her, to hear her voice.

But she didn’t move.

"No… no, no, no…" Kaelen whispered, his hands trembling. "Mum, please… please don’t leave me…"

But there was no response, no sign of life. Kaelen’s world shattered in that moment, the weight of loss crashing down on him like a tidal wave.

But just as the darkness threatened to swallow him whole, a flicker of light caught his eye. He looked up, his vision blurred by tears, and saw something that made his blood run cold.

The mist that surrounded them was thickening, coiling around his mother’s body like a snake. And within the mist, he could see shapes—dark, twisted shapes that moved with a purpose, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

Kaelen’s heart raced as he realized what was happening. This wasn’t just a simple mist. It was something alive, something that was trying to take his mother away.

"No!" he shouted, reaching out to grab her.

But as he did, the mist surged forward, engulfing him in its cold embrace. The world around him dissolved into darkness, and Kaelen felt himself being pulled away, deeper into the void.

"Mum!" he screamed, his voice echoing into the emptiness.

And then, there was nothing.