Morning came slowly, the pale light of dawn filtering through the trees and casting long shadows across the fort. Garnetta awoke to the sound of birds chirping in the distance, their calls a stark contrast to the eerie silence that had filled the night. The events of the previous day lingered in her mind, a heavy cloud that refused to lift.
Raphael was already awake, standing near the window with a distant look in his eyes. He had barely moved since the early hours, keeping a silent vigil as the night passed into day. Garnetta could see the tension in his posture, the way his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if bracing for something unknown.
"Bonjour, mon ange," Raphael greeted her softly as he noticed her stirring. His voice was calm, but Garnetta could hear the underlying worry.
"Good morning," she replied, pushing the blankets aside and sitting up. "Did you sleep at all?"
Raphael shook his head, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine, ma chérie. My mind was too busy to rest. There's much to think about."
Garnetta knew better than to press him. Raphael had always been the strong one, the pillar of support she could lean on in times of need. But she also knew that even he had his limits, and the weight of their current situation was pushing him close to them.
"We'll get through this," Garnetta said, her voice filled with determination. "We've faced worse before, and we'll find a way to deal with this too."
Raphael's smile widened, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I know we will, ma petite. We always do."
The morning passed in quiet preparation. They gathered their belongings, making sure they had everything they needed before heading back into town. The plan was simple: gather information, speak to the townspeople, and try to uncover anything that might shed light on the symbol and the strange occurrences in the woods.
As they prepared to leave, Garnetta couldn't shake the feeling that they were walking into something much larger than they could understand. The air was thick with tension, every breath feeling heavy in her lungs. But there was no turning back now; they had to see this through.
The journey back to town was uneventful, the forest around them calm in the early morning light. But Garnetta couldn't help but feel as though they were being watched, the trees seeming to close in around them as they walked. She stayed close to Raphael, her senses on high alert for any sign of danger.
When they finally reached the town, it was just beginning to wake. The streets were quiet, the shops and houses still closed, but there were a few people moving about, going about their daily routines. Garnetta and Raphael kept to the edges of the town, avoiding unnecessary attention as they made their way toward the center.
Their first stop was the town hall, a modest building that served as the heart of the community. Inside, they were greeted by the town clerk, an older man with a kind face and a welcoming smile.
"Good morning," the clerk said, his voice warm and inviting. "What can I do for you today?"
Raphael stepped forward, his tone polite but firm. "We're new to the area and were hoping to learn more about the town's history. Specifically, we're interested in any local legends or myths that might explain some of the strange occurrences we've heard about."
The clerk's smile faltered slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studied Raphael and Garnetta more closely. "Strange occurrences, you say? There have been a few stories, yes, but nothing more than the usual superstitions. Is there something specific you're looking for?"
Garnetta exchanged a glance with Raphael, sensing the man's hesitation. "We've encountered some unusual things in the woods," she said carefully. "We were hoping to find out if there's any record of similar events in the past."
The clerk's expression grew more guarded, his eyes flicking between the two of them. "The woods have always been a place of mystery," he said slowly. "There are stories, of course—old tales passed down through generations. But nothing concrete, nothing that could be called fact."
"Anything you could tell us would be helpful," Raphael pressed gently. "We're just trying to understand what we've experienced."
The clerk sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he seemed to weigh his options. Finally, he nodded, gesturing for them to follow him. "There are some old records in the archives," he said quietly. "They're mostly forgotten, but if you're determined to find answers, they might be worth looking through."
They followed the clerk down a narrow hallway to a small, dimly lit room filled with shelves of dusty books and yellowed papers. The air was thick with the scent of old parchment, and the light from the single window barely reached the corners of the room.
"These records go back many years," the clerk explained as he led them to a corner where a stack of old ledgers and journals sat on a wooden table. "They cover everything from land disputes to local gossip. If there's anything in here that can help you, you're welcome to it."
Garnetta and Raphael thanked the clerk, who left them alone in the room, closing the door quietly behind him. The room was silent, save for the soft rustle of paper as they began to sift through the records.
For hours, they searched, reading through old journals, letters, and reports. Most of it was mundane—records of daily life, disputes between neighbors, and the occasional mention of a lost traveler or a strange light in the sky. But nothing stood out as particularly useful, and Garnetta could feel her frustration growing.
Just as she was about to suggest they take a break, Raphael paused, his fingers resting on the edge of a faded leather-bound journal. He opened it carefully, the pages brittle with age, and began to read.
"Listen to this," he said quietly, his voice filled with intrigue. "It's an account from nearly a hundred years ago, written by a local hunter. He talks about seeing strange lights in the woods, similar to what we've seen. But there's more—he mentions finding a symbol carved into a tree, glowing with an eerie light, just like the one we found."
Garnetta leaned closer, her heart racing as she listened. "Does it say anything about what the symbol means?"
Raphael shook his head, his brow furrowed in concentration. "No, but the hunter wrote that he felt an overwhelming sense of dread when he saw it, like he was being watched by something ancient and malevolent. He tried to erase the symbol, but no matter what he did, it kept coming back, as if it was burned into the tree itself."
A chill ran down Garnetta's spine. The description matched their own experience too closely for comfort. Whatever they were dealing with, it had been in these woods for a long time, and it wasn't something that could be easily dismissed.
"Do you think it's the same thing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Raphael nodded slowly, his expression grim. "It's possible. And if it is, then we're dealing with something far more dangerous than we realized."
They continued reading, hoping to find more clues, but the journal ended abruptly, with the hunter writing that he was leaving the area and would never return. There were no further entries, no explanation of what might have happened to him.
Garnetta sat back in her chair, the weight of the discovery settling over her. They had come searching for answers, but all they had found were more questions—and the chilling realization that they were dealing with something far beyond their understanding.
"We need to be careful," Raphael said finally, his voice filled with resolve. "Whatever this is, it's powerful, and it's been here for a long time. We can't afford to underestimate it."
Garnetta nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. The symbol, the lights, the sense of being watched—it was all connected, but how? And more importantly, what did it want?
As they left the town hall, the weight of their discovery hung heavily between them. The sun was high in the sky now, but the light did little to dispel the shadows that seemed to cling to them.
Garnetta and Raphael walked in silence, their thoughts consumed by the new knowledge they had gained. They had come to this place seeking refuge, but now it seemed that they had walked into something far more dangerous than they could have imagined.
And as they made their way back to the fort, Garnetta couldn't shake the feeling that they were no longer just observers in this mystery—they were now a part of it, whether they liked it or not.