Harris woke to an unusual sound that morning—a soft rustling outside, far too deliberate to be the wind. He sat up in bed, listening intently. The sun had barely risen, casting the room in a dull gray light. The noise came again, closer this time. Something was moving through his garden.

He sighed, throwing off the blanket and getting dressed quickly. If it was one of the local animals, he’d shoo it away and be back to sleep in minutes. If it was one of his old minions, well, he’d have to have a longer conversation.

As he stepped outside, the cool morning air hit his face, waking him up fully. He scanned the garden, eyes narrowing as he noticed the bent stalks of his newly planted flowers. Something had trampled them. Harris moved quietly towards the disturbance, his senses heightened.

There, near the fence, he spotted a figure—a small creature, its form hunched as it tugged at one of his plants. It looked like some kind of goblin, its skin a mottled green and its eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and hunger.

“Hey!” Harris called, his voice sharp. The creature froze, its head snapping up to look at him. For a moment, they stared at each other, the goblin’s eyes narrowing before it turned and bolted towards the forest beyond the fence.

Harris moved quickly, vaulting over the fence and chasing after it. He wasn’t about to let some creature ruin his hard work. The goblin darted through the underbrush, but Harris was faster, his instincts from years of battle guiding his movements. He caught up to it near the edge of the woods, grabbing it by the scruff of its neck.

“Got you,” he muttered, holding the struggling creature at arm’s length. The goblin hissed and kicked, but Harris gave it a stern look. “Calm down, or this is going to end badly for you.”

The goblin stilled, its eyes wide with fear as it took in Harris’s expression. Harris sighed, loosening his grip slightly. “What are you doing here? This village is off-limits.”

The goblin blinked, its gaze shifting nervously. “Hungry,” it said, its voice high-pitched and trembling. “No food in forest. Came for food.”

Harris frowned. It wasn’t uncommon for creatures like this to venture into human settlements when food was scarce, but it was unusual for them to be so bold. “There’s nothing for you here,” he said. “You’ll only bring trouble on yourself.”

The goblin whimpered, its eyes darting towards the village. “Not just me. Others too. Hungry. Desperate.”

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Harris paused, his grip loosening further. Others? This could be a problem. If more goblins were nearby, it could lead to conflicts with the villagers—conflicts that would force him to reveal more of himself than he wanted to. He sighed, lowering the goblin to the ground but keeping a firm hold on its arm.

“Take me to them,” he said. The goblin looked up at him, confused. “Your friends,” Harris clarified. “Take me to them. Maybe I can help.”

The goblin hesitated, then nodded slowly. Harris released it, gesturing for it to lead the way. They moved through the woods, the goblin glancing back at him nervously every few steps. Harris followed in silence, his mind racing. He had come here to escape his past, to live a quiet life, but it seemed trouble had a way of finding him no matter where he went.

After a short walk, they reached a small clearing. Harris’s eyes widened slightly at the sight before him—a group of goblins, huddled together, their eyes hollow with hunger. There were at least a dozen of them, some smaller goblin children among them. They looked up as Harris and the goblin approached, fear and desperation in their eyes.

Harris took a deep breath, stepping forward. “I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, his voice calm. “I want to help, but you can’t stay here. The villagers will see you as a threat.”

One of the older goblins, a female with a scar running across her cheek, stepped forward. “No choice,” she said, her voice rough. “Forest dying. No food. We come here to survive.”

Harris frowned, looking around the clearing. The trees here were thinner, their leaves sparse. Something was wrong, something beyond just a lack of food. He knelt down, examining the soil. It was dry, far too dry for this time of year. He looked up at the goblins, his mind working quickly.

“Something’s affecting the forest,” he said, more to himself than to them. He stood, turning back to the goblins. “I can help you, but you have to stay away from the village. I’ll bring you food, but you need to keep out of sight.”

The goblins exchanged glances, then nodded slowly. The female goblin stepped forward again. “You help us, we listen,” she said.

Harris nodded. “Good. I’ll be back soon. Stay here and keep quiet.”

He turned and made his way back towards the village, his mind racing. This was more than just a hungry goblin problem. Something was affecting the forest, and if it continued, it could threaten more than just the goblins—it could put the entire village at risk.

As he approached his cottage, Harris spotted Liam walking up the path, a smile on his face. “Hey, Harris! I was just coming to see if you needed help again today.”

Harris forced a smile, nodding. “Actually, Liam, I could use your help with something a bit... different.”

Liam’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Different? What do you mean?”

Harris glanced back towards the forest, his expression serious. “There’s something going on in the woods. I think it might be affecting the village. I need someone I can trust to help me figure it out.”

Liam straightened, a determined look on his face. “You can count on me, Harris. Whatever it is, I’m in.”

Harris nodded, a sense of relief washing over him. Maybe, just maybe, he could handle this without drawing too much attention. But deep down, he knew this was only the beginning. Trouble had found him, and it wasn’t going to let go easily.