Eira crept through the darkening village, her sword at the ready. She had been searching for hours, but every door she knocked on was met with silence. Every window was shuttered, every curtain drawn. It was as if the villagers had vanished into thin air.
As she turned a corner, she heard a faint whisper in her ear. "You shouldn't be here." Eira spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the walls.
Suddenly, the sky grew darker, as if night had fallen in an instant. The air grew colder, and Eira could feel a malevolent presence closing in around her.
She tried to run, but her feet felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. The whisper grew louder, more urgent. "You shouldn't have come here. Now you'll never leave."
Eira's heart raced as she saw shadowy figures emerging from the darkness. Their eyes glowed with an otherworldly light, and their presence seemed to draw the very life out of her.
She tried to raise her sword, but it felt like a lead weight in her hand. The figures closed in, their dark forms blurring together into a living nightmare.
And then, everything went black.
Eira's world went dark, but her senses remained alert. She could feel herself being dragged deeper into the shadows, the whisper growing louder in her ear. "You'll never escape. You'll never see the light of day again."
Suddenly, she was thrown to the ground, her head spinning. As she struggled to her feet, she saw a faint light in the distance. With a surge of hope, she stumbled towards it, the whisper growing fainter.
But as she emerged into the light, she realized it was only a faint glow, casting eerie shadows on the walls. She was in a damp, cold cellar, with no sign of Aria or any other living soul.
And then, she heard the voice. Low, menacing, and seemingly coming from all around her. "Welcome, Eira. You'll be staying here... forever."
As the voice faded away, the darkness closed in once more. Eira's heart raced with fear, her breath coming in short gasps. She knew she had to escape, but how?
And then, she heard the sound of footsteps, echoing off the walls. Heavy, deliberate footsteps, coming closer and closer...