whispers in the forest

The forest was cloaked in mist, its shadows shifting like living things. Trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches clawing at the gray sky. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the faint metallic tang of something... unnatural.

Lila paused, her breath clouding in the chill. Somewhere ahead, the whisper came again-soft, haunting, her name barely a breath.

"Lila."

Her pulse quickened as the fog thickened, the trail fading beneath her feet. The locket was close. She could feel it, pulling her deeper into the silence.

But she wasn't alone.