The Mother who Fed the Dark
A fragment of doubt, a whisper of restraint.
For a moment, hope flickered.
But the child moved on. They walked toward the village outskirts, toward the world beyond, stepping over the ruins with a purpose. Shadows followed, bending reality to their will. The Darkness whispered in their mind, alive, complete, and yet strangely cooperative—an alliance forged not out of necessity, but inevitability.
The child looked to the horizon, eyes glinting black like twin voids. The stars above dimmed. A crow cawed and fell mid-flight, landing at their feet. They lifted a finger, and it disintegrated into shadow.