Chapter 2: Whispers in the Dark
The wind didn't stop. It howled all night, and when Mikel awoke the next morning, the rain had turned to a fine mist, clinging to the trees like a veil. The fire had died down to a faint glow, and Sarah was no longer sitting by the hearth.
He stood up quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. Had she left?
He searched the house, calling her name softly, afraid to disturb the peace of the morning too loudly. When he reached the kitchen, he found her standing by the window, staring out at the mist-covered forest beyond the cottage.
"Sarah?" Mikel's voice was tentative.
She turned to him, and the look in her eyes—blank, distant—was unsettling. "I need to go," she said softly.
Mikel crossed the room toward her. "You don't have to go anywhere yet. You can stay as long as you need to."
She shook her head slowly, a look of sadness in her eyes. "I can't stay here. I don't belong here."
Her words struck Mikel deeply, though he couldn't understand why. She had only been in his life for a few hours, yet he felt an undeniable connection to her.
"At least let me help you," he said, his voice firm but kind. "You don't have to face whatever it is alone."
She glanced at him, her gaze lingering for a moment before she turned back to the window. "You can't help me, Mikel. This is something I have to do."
A chill ran down his spine at the mention of his name. How did she know? He hadn't introduced himself.
"How did you—?"
But Sarah was already walking toward the door, her movements almost ethereal. Before Mikel could stop her, she had opened the door and stepped into the mist, disappearing into the fog.
Mikel stood frozen for a moment, his mind reeling. What was going on?
After a few moments, he grabbed his coat and rushed outside. The air was thick with moisture, and the ground was soft beneath his boots. He walked quickly toward the bridge where he had first found her.
As he approached, he noticed something strange. The bridge seemed... different. The once-worn wooden planks looked freshly carved, as though untouched by time. And the forest on the far side of the bridge appeared darker, more foreboding, than he remembered.
He stepped onto the bridge, his heart racing as he tried to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Then he heard it.
A soft whisper, like a breath against his ear. "Mikel..."
He turned sharply, but there was no one there.
"Mikel, come find me," the voice whispered again, but this time, it wasn't Sarah's voice. It was deeper, more resonant, like an ancient echo.
Mikel's instincts screamed at him to turn back, but something inside him urged him forward. The voice, calling his name, was pulling him in.
He followed it, deeper into the woods, each step heavier than the last. The trees seemed to close in around him, their branches reaching like hands to grasp him. The mist thickened, and soon he couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him.
And then, just as he was about to lose hope, he saw it.
A faint glow ahead, like a lantern in the dark. He quickened his pace, his breath coming faster. The glow grew brighter until he was standing in front of an ancient stone circle, its stones covered in strange, intricate carvings.
In the center of the circle stood Sarah, her back to him. She was completely still, her arms outstretched toward the sky, as though offering herself to whatever force was at play.
"Sarah!" Mikel shouted, his voice echoing off the stones.
She didn't respond.
The air was thick with magic, palpable and electric. Mikel could feel it pulsing, drawing him in, but he couldn't take another step closer. Something was holding him back—an invisible force that made his skin prickle.
"Sarah, stop!" he cried out again.
But Sarah's head slowly turned, and for the first time, Mikel saw fear in her eyes. "You shouldn't have come," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.
Before he could speak, the earth trembled beneath his feet, and the stones began to glow brighter. A deep rumble echoed from within the earth itself, and Mikel felt something ancient stir in the air around him.
Suddenly, everything stopped. The mist cleared. The glow faded.
And Sarah was gone.
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