19

As I swayed with each step, the forest unfolded around us, the moon casting na ominous glow on the path ahead. The air held a chill, and the nocturnal symphony of the woods seemed to echo the foreboding sense of captivity — na unsettling soundtrack to the enigma of my unwanted journey.

Caught in the surreal dance between consciousness and captivity, I could do nothing but endure the chilling embrace of the cloak-shrouded captor, my destiny hanging in the balance as we ventured deeper into the heart of the malevolent night.

The haunting melody of footsteps in the night suddenly ceased, leaving na eerie silence in its wake. In the blink of na eye, I found myself violently cast from the mysterious figure’s shoulder, hurtling into the icy clutches of the brook below. The frigid water closed in around me, a shocking embrace that stole the very breath from my lips.

A chorus of screams, born of fear and desperation, tore through the tranquility of the forest. Each gasp for air felt like a de