Shadows in the Glass

Chapter 1 - Shadows in the Steam

The wind howled across the mountain pass, carrying with it an eerie stillness. Aurelia stood in the centre of a fog-shrouded valley, her heart hammering against her ribs. The world around her felt oddly oppressive, as though the very air pulsed with a sinister energy. She was alone—completely alone—yet the weight of unseen eyes bore down on her with every step.

The scene should have been breathtaking: a serene, natural hot spring nestled between jagged peaks, waterfalls cascading down from the clouds. A strange, haunting beauty lay in the stillness, the kind that would make any mortal soul pause. The mist curled around her, almost beckoning her toward the steaming waters, where the reflection of the dark sky danced on the surface like a mirror to another world.

It was pure bliss—but something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Everything felt off.

The mist wasn't soothing; it clung to her skin like a cold, wet shroud. The sound of the waterfall wasn't melodic; it echoed like the mournful wail of something long lost. As Aurelia moved toward the inn that sat on the edge of the hot spring, a sharp, unyielding pull urged her forward, as though an unseen hand guided her. Her bare feet, damp from the stone pathway, felt the chill seep into her bones. She could feel eyes on her now, watching her every move. Each time she glanced over her shoulder, there was nothing. Only the swirling fog, silent and endless.

Her instincts screamed for her to stop, to turn back, but her legs carried her toward the inn's wooden door, seemingly of their own will. The lanterns flickered erratically, their dim light casting twisted, elongated shadows across the inn's worn walls. There was something sinister in the air, something darker than the clouds that loomed above. It felt like the calm before a storm.

As her hand reached for the door handle, a shadow moved in her peripheral vision.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Something—or someone—was there.

She spun around, her breath hitching in her throat, but there was nothing. Just the vast emptiness of the valley stretching into oblivion behind her. She should have felt safe in the open air, but instead, she was suffocating under the crushing weight of dread that pressed against her chest.

The door creaked open on its own, the warm, golden glow from within spilling into the cold mist. Aurelia hesitated for only a second before stepping inside, as though some unseen force was urging her forward.

And then the atmosphere shifted.

The moment she crossed the threshold, the air inside the inn felt heavy, oppressive. A thick, suffocating pressure pressed down on her chest, making each breath a struggle. The once-warm glow felt unnatural, as if it were barely holding back the darkness that lurked just beyond. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to escape—but her body refused to move. The inn was small, intimate, and empty. There were no voices, no movement—only the deafening weight of silence.

Aurelia's feet moved of their own accord, dragging her deeper into the building, where the air smelled faintly of damp wood and decay. Room after room passed in a blur, each one more dilapidated than the last, the walls sagging under the weight of mold and neglect. The creaking floorboards beneath her feet groaned with every step, as though they, too, were warning her to leave.

She came to a halt in front of a wide, empty space. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the gloom, and as the darkness slowly pulled back, she saw it.

A shadow.

Standing at least seven feet tall, a silhouette of power and control. His presence was palpable, his eyes—if they were even eyes—boring into her soul from the far end of the room.

Aurelia's breath stilled in her chest. The air felt thicker now, charged with electricity. Her gaze locked with his, and in that moment, it was as if the entire room pulsed with his presence. His overwhelming aura hit her like a tidal wave, washing over her with an intensity that left her frozen in place.

She wanted to move, to flee, but her legs refused to obey her commands. A shiver of pure, primal fear crawled up her spine as she realized he had been waiting for her.

He tilted his head slightly, as if studying her, and without a word, she knew.

He had been waiting for her.

The realization made her heart race. Her body trembled, her muscles screamed for her to run, but she couldn't. The room around her seemed to come alive, the shadows stretching and contorting, swallowing the walls and ceiling until she felt trapped in a void.

The walls—those once solid and old—now warped, as though something monstrous was pushing from the other side. The peaceful glow of the lanterns flickered out, plunging her into a suffocating darkness. Objects began to crash to the floor as if tossed by an unseen force, the air swirling violently around her. The serene atmosphere of the inn was violently replaced by chaos, and with it, Aurelia's terror surged.

She didn't wait to see what happened next. She turned and ran.

Her feet pounded against the creaking floorboards, the sharp thuds echoing in the empty halls. Each step felt like a battle against the oppressive darkness closing in around her. She didn't dare look back. She didn't have to—she could feel him, that dark presence, chasing her. He was close, far too close.

The cold air hit her like a slap when she burst through the door and into the open valley once more. But the relief was short-lived.

Dozens of eyes stared back at her.

The people—the same ones she had barely noticed before—stood motionless, their faces blank, their eyes locked on her with a chilling intensity. They watched her as though she were prey, ready to be devoured.

The mist curled around their still forms like serpents, twisting in the cold air. Her throat tightened with fear. Every instinct told her to run.

Aurelia's legs moved faster than she thought possible, carrying her away from the inn, away from the suffocating stares, and into the misty wilderness beyond.