I looked back at the deer. It was already moving toward the woods, pausing as if waiting for me to follow.
And I did.
The forest swallowed us. The deeper I walked, the quieter everything became. No wind. No birds. Just silence—heavy, pressing, unnatural.
The trail led to a hidden clearing, dominated by a massive, ancient oak tree, its twisted black branches clawing at the sky. The smaller deer stood beneath it, watching me.
Then it was gone.
That’s when I saw it: fresh soil disturbed at the base of the tree. I hesitated, but curiosity dragged me closer. Beneath the earth lay a stone tablet marked with the same symbols. Inside a hollow cavity beneath it rested a sealed parchment.
I opened it.
“For the one who is chosen: The truth is not safe. The truth is not gentle. But if you seek it, follow the signs. This is only the beginning.”
The locket felt heavy in my pocket. A deep chill spread through my chest. This wasn’t random. The deer. The offering. The message.
I was part of something. Something ancient. Something still alive.
The next morning, I scoured local archives. And what I uncovered chilled me to the core: a legend about a secret order, centuries old, tasked with guarding something powerful called The Veil.
The symbols? Their mark.
The deer? Their messengers.
The locket? A key.
A key to something I was never meant to find.
Now I can’t shake the feeling someone else knows I’ve been chosen. And I don’t know where this is leading. But I know this: not everything in the woods is random.
If this gave you chills, share it—because the scariest part? This all started with one small moment that could’ve been missed.