Warning:Trans Vincent
The wind howled through the dense forest, its cold breath carrying the scent of damp leaves and wet earth. Rody Lamoree trudged along the narrow path, his hands trembling with anticipation and fear. His heart thudded loudly in his chest as he neared the small, crooked cottage that lay deep within the woods. The cottage was said to belong to Vanessa, a witch of unimaginable power, a woman whose name was whispered with a mixture of fear and reverence in the village.
But tonight, Rody wasn't here for superstition. He was here for Manon.
She had been gone too long-days had turned into a week with no word from her, no sign of her laughter or the glimmer of her wings in the moonlight. Manon was everything to him-a delicate forest fairy, her beauty as fleeting as her existence, but it had been enough to ensnare him fully. Rody had fallen for her the moment she had appeared to him by the stream, her radiant presence turning the woods into a sanctuary. He had never felt so alive, so in love.
But now, the world felt cold without her. And with every passing hour, a gnawing fear had taken root in his chest-a fear that she had wandered too far, perhaps to the edge of the forest where people like Vanessa held dominion over the old, dark magics.
He swallowed hard as he approached the cottage, a small, crooked thing draped in creeping vines and half-shrouded by the mist that clung to the trees. The door stood slightly ajar, and from within, the flickering light of a hearth cast eerie shadows through the cracked windows.
Taking a deep breath, Rody stepped inside.
The smell hit him first: a pungent mix of herbs, smoke, and something faintly metallic. The interior of the cottage was cluttered with shelves overflowing with strange trinkets, jars of preserved organs, and vials of potions that shimmered in the dim light. Candles flickered around the room, their flames casting an ominous glow over everything.
And there, standing at the far side of the room, was Vanessa.
She was even more striking than the rumors had led him to believe. Tall and statuesque, with impossibly long black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of shadows, she moved with an ethereal grace, her presence filling the small space. Her eyes, dark as onyx, glinted in the candlelight as they fixed on Rody, and her lips curved into a slow, deliberate smile. She wore a dark, flowing gown that hugged her figure, accentuating her sharp, delicate features. There was a beauty about her, but it was the kind of beauty that concealed something far more dangerous beneath.
"Rody Lamoree," Vanessa said, her voice soft but cutting, like a knife wrapped in silk. "What brings a farmer so deep into the forest on a night like this?"
Rody swallowed, his throat dry. "I'm looking for someone. Manon. A fairy. She-she's been missing."
Vanessa's smile widened, though her eyes remained unreadable. "Ah, Manon. The forest fairy you love." Her words hung in the air, and there was something in her tone that made Rody's skin prickle with unease. "Yes, I know of her."
His heart leapt in his chest. "You've seen her?"
"I have," Vanessa replied, stepping closer to him, the light of the candles catching the gleam of something silver resting on a table nearby. It was a vial, and inside, a swirling, iridescent liquid shimmered in the low light. "She came to me of her own accord, you see. Fairies are drawn to magic, Rody. They cannot resist it."
Rody's stomach turned. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and desperation. "What did you do to her?"
Vanessa's dark eyes flickered with amusement, and she slowly approached him, her long hair trailing behind her like a cloak of shadows. "What I had to," she said, her voice low, almost mournful. "Manon... she was special. But not for the reasons you think. She had magic in her, ancient magic that I needed. Forest fairies are such fascinating creatures. They have so much magic yet such a small lifespan"
