Chapter 1 The Village of Ashood

Author: Yusluvpro The Village of Ashwood*

The village of Ashwood lay shrouded in an eternal gloom, as if the sun never quite reached its streets. The thatched roofs of the cottages seemed to blend seamlessly into the misty veil that surrounded the village, making it difficult to discern where the buildings ended and the forest began. A sense of unease hung in the air, like a whispered secret that only the villagers understood.

Lena, a young apprentice to the village's elderly healer, Elwynn, felt the weight of this atmosphere. She'd grown accustomed to the gloom, but sometimes, in the quiet moments, she'd catch glimpses of something lurking just beyond the edge of town. The villagers spoke of the Shadows in hushed tones, as if afraid to summon them by speaking their name aloud.

"Elwynn, what lies beyond the forest?" Lena asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she gathered herbs in the healer's garden.

Elwynn's eyes clouded, and she paused in her work. "Beyond the forest lies darkness, child. The Shadows wait for the unwary, and none return to tell the tale."

Lena's imagination ran wild with the possibilities. She'd heard stories of strange creatures and unexplained occurrences, but she'd always been skeptical. The villagers' fear seemed genuine, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the Shadows than met the eye.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the village in an even deeper gloom, Lena felt an inexplicable pull to the forest. She tried to focus on her work, but her gaze kept drifting toward the trees, their branches swaying ominously in the fading light.