Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Night in the Cursed Forest

"Do we really have to do this?" Aria's voice trembled as they stood at the edge of the dark, silent forest.

Lorian squeezed her hand tightly. "It's the only way."

Behind them, dozens of werewolf eyes glowed in the dim light. Alpha and Elder Grayson stood before the pack, their expressions cold and unyielding.

"From this moment on, you belong to the forest," the Alpha’s voice was like a death sentence. "If you survive until dawn, we will accept you. If not…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone knew—no one had ever made it out of this forest alive.

"Enter."

Lorian pulled Aria in before anyone could change their mind.

The moment they crossed the tree line, the world around them shifted.

The air became colder, heavier. A suffocating pressure surrounded them, as if something inside the forest had become aware of their presence.

CRACK!

A branch snapped somewhere in the distance.

Aria swallowed hard, pressing closer to Lorian. "What’s in here?"

Lorian’s eyes scanned the surroundings. "Legends say this is where the cursed souls are trapped. They can’t leave the forest, but they can—"

"AAAAHHH!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the trees, freezing Aria in place.

"What was that?" she whispered.

Lorian shook his head. "Don’t look back."

Aria didn’t need to be told twice. They moved forward, deeper into the suffocating darkness of the forest.

WHOOSH…

A cold wind swept past them, carrying eerie whispers.

"Leave… Leave before it’s too late…"

Aria shuddered. "Lorian… someone just spoke."

Lorian pulled her closer. "They want us scared. Don’t listen."

But their steps grew heavier. The very ground beneath them seemed unwilling to let them pass.

Suddenly—

THUD!

Aria tripped over an exposed root.

Lorian helped her up, but as they continued forward, she noticed something unsettling.

"Aren’t we going in circles?"

Lorian halted.

The massive tree ahead… they had passed it ten minutes ago.

Aria turned back. Their footprints—gone.

"We’re trapped," she whispered.

"No." Lorian gripped her hand tighter. "We’re not dying here."

He scanned the darkness, searching for an escape.

Then, something shifted among the trees.

Tall, gaunt figures emerged from the shadows.

Their eyes were hollow. Their skin, pale gray. Their mouths hung open, emitting a grotesque clicking sound.

Aria held her breath.

"Cursed souls…" Lorian’s voice was low and sharp.

The creatures moved slowly at first, but their numbers grew.

One step closer.

Then another.

They surrounded Aria and Lorian from all sides.

"We have to run!" Aria yanked at Lorian’s hand.

But before they could move, one of the spirits lunged at them!

"DUCK!"

Lorian shoved Aria to the ground just as the creature’s claws slashed through the air.

He drew his silver dagger and plunged it into the spirit’s chest.

"AAAKKHH!!"

The spirit let out an ear-piercing shriek before dissolving into ashes.

But the others did not retreat.

They advanced, their skeletal hands reaching out, ready to tear Aria and Lorian apart.

Aria drew her knife and slashed at the nearest spirit—

But her blade sliced through nothing but air.

They couldn't be harmed by ordinary weapons.

Lorian cursed under his breath. "We need to find shelter!"

They ran.

Aria could hear the spirits chasing them, their movements unnaturally fast. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

They weaved through towering trees, pushed through thorny bushes—

But the spirits did not relent.

Then, in the distance, Aria saw it. A faint light flickering through the trees.

"There!"

They sprinted toward it.

A crumbling stone temple stood in the middle of the forest. Its pillars were cracked, its walls partially collapsed. But ancient symbols were still etched into the ground.

The moment they stepped into the temple’s boundary, the spirits halted.

They whispered in anger, but they could not cross the threshold.

Aria gasped for breath. "They… can’t come in?"

Lorian knelt, tracing the symbols on the ground. "This is old magic. A protective barrier."

Aria sank to the floor, her legs trembling. "We almost died."

Lorian sat beside her, rubbing his face in exhaustion.

"But we’re still alive."

For now.

Aria glanced outside. The spirits were still there, waiting.

They were trapped.

And the night was far from over.