Two months prior to the isolation of Elverine, in a mountainside village, a small girl is seen to be playing the flute as she looks over their family cattle, grazing over the grass. All the animals - the squirrels, birds, insects make noise in tune as if they are mesmerized by the melody being played and want to be a part of it. A tiny blob of black goo, in the size of a droplet, falls from the sky under a tree unnoticed, not far from the music orchestra.
The black goo moves wiggling and seeps into the ground, into the roots of the tree. As the day comes to an end and the sun begins to set, the little girl takes her cattle along with her, back to the farm. After closing the cattle inside their enclosure, she sits down to eat dinner with her family.
"It's been two weeks, Richard and Joe hasn't show up for the trading until now. He used to come at least once a week. Is something up with your brother?", Viola, Eliora's Mother asked Eliora's Father.
"I also tried getting in touch with him. Maybe something is up in the town. But, we don't have to worry, we can manage to get by bartering with the village down the mountain. As the winter festival is nearing, it shouldn't be much difficult due to the influx of merchants.", answered Richard.
Turning to Eliora in the dining table, "It seems it will be difficult to get the cake, that you asked for this time Eliora. I am sorry.", her father said sadly. "It is alright Papa. Eliora understands.", being the mature child she was, she told smilingly.
"Papa will take you to the winter festival in exchange, alright?"
"Hm, Papa always knows what I like." Richard could only smile affectionately at the beaming child.
"Richard, you shouldn't spoil her. Last time, we went out to the festival, she got us an earful from the guards because of her antics, remember. "
"It's alright. Eliora is now a good girl, right Eliora?"
"Yes", saying Eliora hugged her father affectionately.
"Hah", Eliora's mother Viola could only sigh and smile at the father-daughter pair.
Richard thought, I shouldn't have taken her with me that day.
Time quickly passed by and the day of the festival had arrived. The only notable thing that had happened in the otherwise event less days was the sudden withering of the huge tree near the place the pasture is present. It had been present since the time of Richards father. So, it was concerning for the family. But after checking around, nothing turned out that could suggest poisoning. But still, the family avoided the area.
Eliora was visibly excited, anticipating all the things she would be able to enjoy this time, unlike last time where she was too skinny and weak to do anything. For that reason, she had exercised and followed a healthy diet this past year. As the sun was three-fifth in its journey through the sky, Eliora and Richard left for the village. Viola couldn't join them due to taking care of one of their cows nearing delivery at any time.
As night fell, the father-daughter pair was greeted, after reaching the village, by the beautiful illuminous atmosphere of the place below the mountain. The festivity was apparent from the smiling and laughing of people walking around the place. Meanwhile, back in the house, Viola had had her dinner and was about to head to bed. Noticing a paper lying in the floor, she picked it up. It was the drawing that Eliora had drawn. A picture of their family, as drawn by a six year old. Viola smiled and kept it in the desk of their drawer. As she was about to sleep, a intense shrill of a cow made her get up. She rushed to the barn.
In front of her was a calf covered in a unknown black substance, with only its silhouette visible. Looking near it, she saw the pregnant cow sprawled on the ground dead. Its stomach wide open organs and blood gushing from it. Looking away, she sensed the abnormality present in the barn. It was unnaturally dead silent. It was not like all the cows would sleep this early. Similar to how a fallen leaf has a darkish brown, all the cows' bodies lying down were also shriveled up. As if they were starved for days. Looking closer horridly, she realized that they were also dead. Turning her attention to the calf, she saw that the calf was no longer obstructed the black substance. It almost looked like a normal calf, if she didn't know better. It was staring straight at her, assessing her. Without any waste time time, Viola ran out the barn and closed the entrance. As she started running away from the barn, a black tongue struck the barn door, creating an hole. She ran frantically towards the village to warn her family and others without looking back.
As she ran along the narrow path leading to the village down the mountain, she tripped down several times. It was to be expected, considering the way was never a paved path. Looking back, the calf- no, the demon was not to be found. As she was about to get up, she felt something slithering around her neck. Looking up, she saw rows of sharp teeth in circular fashion and that the thing slithering around her neck was the demons neck. The last thing she remembered was her head going into the mouth of the calf and slowing munched on.
Meanwhile, behind one of the stalls set around the village, a man could been seen coughing violently with blood pouring out all his pores. After a few more minutes of coughing, the man fell limp. There was no one around him to notice what happened. Soon, the same black substance covered over his body. In a short while, he woke up quickly washing all the blood on him and cleaning up the area. He returned back to the stall where he was selling special winter moon buns. As the festivity reached the peak, the village bell rang, which meant for all to gather.