Akiko felt her heartbeat quicken as she tried to make sense of the strange new world around her. The air was unnervingly still, as if even the winds feared to stir. Yet, the growl she had heard echoed once more from the shadows ahead, sending a chill down her spine.
She was being watched.
Trying to steady her breath, Akiko took a cautious step forward, her senses heightened. Every footstep she took seemed to reverberate loudly in the eerie silence, as if the very ground itself was absorbing her presence. Her fingers grazed the twisted remnants of what appeared to be long-dead trees, their bark blackened and decayed.
Something was moving in the distance.
Akiko's eyes darted toward the movement, but before she could react, a figure emerged from the shadows. At first, it was nothing more than a flicker—quick, too quick to be real. But then, it stepped fully into view.
It was humanoid, but distorted—its body was tall and unnaturally thin, with elongated limbs and a hunched posture. The creature's face was featureless, a smooth, pale surface that glowed faintly in the dim light. It stood motionless, staring at Akiko with an unblinking gaze.
For a moment, Akiko stood frozen, unsure of what to do. But then the creature tilted its head, and a chill ran down her spine. This wasn't just a shadow. This was something that had existed here long before her arrival.
Before she could speak or react, the creature stepped forward, its long limbs swaying with eerie fluidity. It didn't make a sound—its movement was unnatural, like a twisted version of reality itself.
Akiko instinctively took a step back. She didn't know what it was or what it wanted, but something deep within her told her she was in danger. And then she remembered the words of the cloaked man. The darkness wants you.
Panic surged through her, and she turned to run, but the creature was faster. It closed the distance between them in a blink, and before Akiko could react, it was right behind her.
Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the creature paused.
Akiko froze, her breath caught in her throat. It was so close she could feel the cold emanating from its form. But it didn't move further. It simply stood, as if waiting.
And then, in a voice that wasn't quite a voice, a whisper echoed through her mind.
"You belong to the darkness now."
Akiko's heart raced as the whisper faded, leaving only silence in its wake. The creature slowly stepped back, its eyes locked on her with an unsettling stillness.
Akiko's body trembled as she struggled to understand what was happening. Whatever this place was, it was not a place of salvation. It was a prison. And she had been chosen to stay.