The cottage was almost as I remembered , except the mold creeping up the walls, the spider webs draping every corner, and a thick layer of dust covering everything in sight.

My childhood home now felt like a forgotten past, swallowed by time and neglect. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay, making each breath feel like an intrusion.

I quickly covered Sylvie with a cloth, and masking my nose with a handkerchief as we moved forward.

The cottage's main room was simple and worn, its modest furniture barely holding on now.

A rough wooden table stood in the center, flanked by two mismatched chairs, their legs uneven and wobbling with the slightest touch.

The table creaked as I pressed my hand against it, dust clinging to my fingertips like ash. I rubbed them together, watching the fine particles scatter into the air before settling back down.

Nearby, a small shelf hung crooked on the wall, its surface cluttered with small, forgotten objects.

An old stone hearth dominated one corner, once used for cooking but now cold, with rusted pots scattered around, remnants of long forgotten meals.

I walked over to the stone hearth, where rusted pots lay abandoned, tipped on their sides. I could still imagine the warmth that once radiated from it

To the side, a door led to a cramped second room, a makeshift bedroom. I pushed open the door to the bedroom. It groaned on its hinges, and inside was a pile of old blankets and straw, barely resembling a bed.

I knelt down, brushing a hand across the worn fabric..it was coarse and rough, pieced together with whatever had been at hand.

Along the wall stood a small almirah, its doors creaking open to reveal a few worn clothes.. delicate dresses for a child and a woman, faded and moth-eaten, their numbers scarce.

I picked up the dress, the fabric crumbling slightly in my hands. It felt like everything here was just waiting to fall apart.

An old, cracked mirror leaned against the bedroom wall, its surface so dulled with grime that only vague shapes could be seen. Every corner of the cottage carried the weight of abandonment, draped in layers of dust.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Seeing my home like that pained me in a way I couldn't quite describe.

*growlll~ *

Me and Sylv glanced at each other and it was apparent that we were both hungry. So i decided to wait for Toby before searching for the thing.

----

The sky and ground were both dark. Even with flashlight, there wasn't much Toby could see. It was as if the world was made of darkness and his whole body was slowly decomposing into it as well.

He searched for firewood around the cottage, but there wasn't much to be found. Eventually, he ventured deeper into the forest.

The forest stood ancient and vast, a sprawling maze of towering trees whose gnarled roots broke the earth like jagged scars.

It was but a contrast to it's day image.The canopy above was dense, blotting out most of the moonlight, leaving the ground below in a perpetual light.

The sounds of animals echoed around him, but he didn't think much of it. It was normal for a forest to be filled with such noises.

After gathering sticks, large pieces of wood, twigs, and leaves, he was ready to head back.

He picked up all the material and walked towards the cottage.

He saw some bunnies hoping around near the cottage. He decided to hunt them for the food, knowing their tender flesh could stave off hunger for a little longer.

He tried to retrace his steps, if all went well he would be there in around 10 minutes.

The spotting of a wolf cub indicated the presence of a pack near by as well. Wolves weren't much of a threat to him alone but numbers always had their advantages.

"I should have hunted some wolves too. The look on Sirius' face would be priceless! Haha! " he chuckled, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Toby knew very well the difference between confidence and arrogance. The line between life and death was no thicker than an eyelid.

Keeping an eye on his surroundings, he moved forward. Everything was going fine, until it wasn't.

Nothing had changed, per se, but he knew something wasn't right. The wind in the forest stilled, and the surroundings fell eerily quiet, as if they had crossed some threshold into another world.

The voices around his were fading and it felt as if darkness was closing in on him.

"It's too silent. This doesn't make sense," he muttered under his breath.

The silence pressed in, sending chills through his body. He remembered the forest being alive with sound, but now it was as if everything had vanished.

'This forest is more than it seems. It doesn't feel like a normal forest.'

Despite the tension in the air, the danger hadn't yet reached a terrifying degree. His mind stayed calm, because panic wasn't going to help him.

'Maybe this is part of why Allysanne chose this place. This forest itself hides some secrets or is it Allysanne's doing to keep her and Sirius safe? Or a countermeasures?'

Even under threat, he continued to analyze the situation, a testament to his experience. A countermeasure but why now? Why him? Did he unknowing trigger a trap? was this force blind, indifferent to the presence of any who crossed its path?

He glanced around cautiously.

Leaves rustled with the faintest breeze, a soft *shhh* that seemed to whisper forgotten secrets.

Moss crept up the trunks, thick and damp, while twisted vines hung like silent sentinels, swaying slightly as if alive.

The air was cool, too cool to be comfortable and tinged with the earthy scent of decaying wood and damp soil, a fragrance that hinted at life and death intertwined.

Shadows played tricks on his eyes, dancing along the edges of vision, as if the forest itself was breathing, watching, waiting. One wrong move and you could very well be in the maw of death.

'The situation is deteriorating quickly. I'm certain I'm already lost, far from the original path I took.'

His eyes bulged widely. The more he assessed the situation, the more cautious he became.

' I am not in immediate danger yet. My surroundings are fading..an illusion spell, I think. The path ahead likely leads to the real threat. I need to break this illusion quickly. It's slow, but it's powerful.'

The moment they entered the forest, Toby sensed something off about the forest. He hoped his suspicions wouldn't be confirmed.