Alexander Storm had just turned 18 and moved out of his parents' house, ready to take on the world. So, what was the first thing he did with his newfound freedom? He got himself a job.
"Money's essential if you want to survive," he reminded himself, tying his hair into a low bun after his morning routine - shower, brush his teeth, and a moment of quiet reflection brushing his hair. oddly enough, these mundane tasks always sparked his best ideas, and with his new job, ideas were critical.
Today marked his first day as a paranormal journalist - a career choice his family called a "dead-end job." But Alex didn't care. Paranormal stories had fascinated him since childhood, and combining that with journalism felt like a perfect fit.
Luck was on his side when a well-known international ghost-hunting team hired him for a local story. His assignment? Investigate the nearby Hoia Baciu Forest, a notorious hot spot for UFO sightings, ghostly apparitions, and bizarre tales of time slips and inter-dimensional travel. if his report caught the attention of local news outlets, the team would fly in to film an episode, and Alex would get the chance to interview them. If all went well, this could be his ticket to managing the team's blog and magazine, traveling the world alongside them.
Eager to make a string start, Alex decided to spend a few nights in the forest alone. He planned to capture footage and get a feel for the area before interviewing locals or alerting them to the ghost hunters' arrival. Early hype could ruin his chance to get undisturbed footage.
Packing was simple. His backpack held essentials: power banks, camera batteries, a flashlight, food, water, and his phone. The one-person tent had been packed into his car the night before to avoid a morning rush. His car, a dark greed Insignia with a few 'battle scars' as he called them, sputtered reluctantly to life.
"I really need to replace those glow-plugs," he muttered, making a mental note as he drove off.
Two hours later, he arrived at the forest, cursing the government for their endless excuses about the lack of a motorway. Parking just off the main road, he grabbed his gear and started toward the forest's heart.
Growing up nearby, Alex knew the legends of Hoia Baciu Forest. He'd camped here with friends in the past but had never seen anything unusual - at least, not until one night when a glowing orb appeared in the distance, eerily floating through the trees. His rational friend dismissed it as thieves stealing timber, a common occurrence in the area, but the memory stayed with Alex, igniting his curiosity and caution.
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Reaching the clearing - a perfect circle of dry, yellow grass locals called "witch grass" - Alex couldn't help but admire how alien it felt. The white, twisted trees bordering the area looked like something out of a horror movie. He always thought that this location would have been better suited to film The Blair Witch Project, not that he had anything against the Greenway Trail along Seneca Creek in Maryland where the movie was actually shot.
He chose a spot just off-center for his camp, far enough from the tree line to avoid waking up at every rustle, but not dead center, where he always felt like unseen eyes were watching.
Setting up camp took longer than expected; no matter how many times he'd used his tent, it always felt like the first time. By the time darkness fell, his cameras were positioned, one capturing the camp and the other the clearing's edge. The footage was meant for his YouTube channel, but he hoped even a blurry animal sighting might add something supernatural to his story.
Settling into his tent with a reading light and the final book in The Witcher series, Alex got lost in the story. Almost two hours passed before a high-pitched noise yanked him out of the fantasy world.
Grabbing his flashlight and a bear spray, Alex cautiously peeked outside. His breath caught. A glowing orb hovered just feet from his tent, bathing the area in an unearthly light. Heart pounding, he instinctively grabbed his backpack and bolted - but he was already too late.
The orb expanded into a flash, enveloping him in searing white noise and an icy cold that stabbed deep into his bones. His legs gave out, and everything went black.
When Alex opened his eyes, the dry grass was gone, replaced by vibrant green blades. The sun shone high above - a stark contrast to the dark forest he'd fallen unconscious in. Groggy and disoriented, he tried to stand, only to be consumed by burning pain. Every breath felt like fire in his lungs, forcing him to scream in agony.
The forest echoed his cries, but the echoes weren't alone. Other voices - some humane, some not - joined in, an unsettling cacophony that surrounded him.
"Shouting here is a very bad idea," a calm voice said, cutting through the chaos.
Alex froze. "Help...me," he gasped, looking around, but there was no one in sight.
"I suppose I could," the voice continued. "Touch the orb."
A glowing purple orb appeared nearby. Desperation overpowered caution, and Alex reached for it. The world spun, and he found himself lying on cold stone in a dimly lit cave. The searing pain subsided slightly, replaced by a chilling sense of unease.
"You can scream here," the voice said, almost amused. "No one will hear you."
Alex's blood ran cold. Whatever had brought him here was far from over.