The cold wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves like hushed murmurs. The forest stood shrouded in darkness, its twisted branches clawing at the sky.
The air felt thick and heavy, clinging to Athena's skin like a damp shroud. Faint wisps of mist slithered across the ground, curling around the roots of gnarled trees.
The scent of decaying wood and damp earth filled her senses. In the distance, the faint echo of that cursed melody danced through the air, sweet, yet laced with something sinister.
Athena's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped in shock, she was no longer in her bed. She was lying on the cold, wet soil of the forest floor.
Her fingers dug into the dirt, feeling the coarse texture of leaves and brittle twigs beneath her. How had she ended up here?
Her last memory was resting in Mr. Yao's house, yet now, she was alone, deep within the cursed forest.
