The early morning air was crisp, the forest alive with the gentle rustling of leaves as Alex jogged a familiar path near the cabin. His breath came steady and rhythmic, grounding him after restless nights and strange dreams.
Suddenly, ahead among the towering trees, he noticed a girl standing still, her gaze fixed on him. There was something unusual about her—her eyes were hollow, dark pools that seemed to absorb the morning light rather than reflect it.
She didn't speak or move closer but murmured softly under her breath, words lost in the wind, unintelligible to Alex but filled with a haunting cadence. The quiet repetition of her voice sent a shiver down his spine.
Despite her strange demeanor, the girl held a certain magnetic pull—eerily calm, yet unsettling.
Alex stopped, heart quickening, unsure whether to approach or retreat. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath in the stillness of that unsettling moment.
In the blink of an eye, the girl was gone. It was as if the forest itself had drawn her into its shadowy depths, swallowing her whole without leaving a trace.
Alex stood frozen, heart pounding. Was she really there just a moment ago, or had his mind played a trick on him? The hollow eyes, the whispered murmur—it felt too real to be a mere illusion.
Determined, he switched on his flashlight and cautiously moved deeper into the forest, searching for any sign of her presence. The beam sliced through the darkness, illuminating twisted roots and fallen leaves, but no glimpse of the girl returned.
Her murmur echoed faintly in his mind, stirring a hope—maybe she knew something about the mysterious lullaby haunting his nights.
After minutes that stretched like hours, Alex reluctantly turned back to the cabin, the silent woods suddenly feeling much larger and lonelier.
Returning inside, he found Grey in the kitchen, the warm smell of breakfast filling the air, a steadying constant in the midst of uncertainty.
In the warm glow of the cabin kitchen, Alex found Grey busy at the stove, the rich scent of breakfast filling the room. As he settled at the table, Grey glanced over with a rare softness. "So... went for a jog this morning?" he asked casually.
"Yeah," Alex replied, taking a bite but wary of the unexpected question.
They ate in silence for a while, the quiet punctuated only by the clink of utensils. Then Grey surprised him again. "How's the new school?"
Alex nearly choked. Grey had never once asked about school—never mentioned exams, grades, or anything related to academics. The question caught him off guard.
"It's good," Alex managed, shrugging slightly.A small smile flickered on Grey's face as they moved into light small talk. Then, as breakfast ended, Grey grew serious.
"We're living here until you graduate. No moving before that."
Those words hung heavy in the air. For the first time, the weight of permanence settled on Alex's shoulders. But with it came a glimmer of hope—a feeling that maybe, just maybe, he could carve out a place in this school, build friendships, and find a new kind of home.
At school bell rang to signal the end of the first class, Alex noticed a sudden shift in the room. A cluster of classmates approached him, their eyes bright with curiosity.
"So, what happened with those bullies yesterday?" one asked. Another quickly added, "Yeah, my dad's a cop at that station. Heard all about it."
Alex nodded, surprised at how fast word had spread. Just as he began to respond, a voice from the back row cut through the growing attention. "Trying to be a hero, huh?"
Before the mocking could sink in, a few classmates spoke up, their voices firm defending him. "Give it a rest," one said sharply. "He did what anyone should've done."
Alex felt a warm surge inside—defense from peers was something rare and precious. The sting of embarrassment faded, replaced by a cautious flicker of belonging.
For the first time, the power of community in this new school felt real, and it gave him a quiet strength to face what lay ahead.
During break, Alex settled in the quiet school library, headphones off, intent on finishing some homework. He chose a bench near the windows in a far corner—a place where the sunlight streamed in warmly, illuminating the rows of books and the dust motes dancing lazily in the air.
As he flipped through his notes, out of the corner of his eye, a familiar figure caught his attention. The girl from the forest was there too, seated silently on a bench facing the window, her posture still and her hollow eyes staring ahead as if lost in thought.
Heart quickening, Alex stood, preparing to approach her, to ask about today's encounter at morning, or who she was. But before he could take a step, the sharp ring of the school bell echoed through the halls.
The moment shattered as students began to rise and move around him. The girl remained still, and as he blinked, she seemed almost to dissolve into the shadows of the library corner.
Alex let out a soft breath, disappointed but resolute—the mystery was far from over.
At lunch break, Alex scanned every corner of the school, hoping to spot the girl from the forest again. His eyes darted between groups of chatting students, empty hallways, and quiet alcoves, but she was nowhere to be found.
He tried again after school, waking through the fading light as the building emptied around him. His footsteps echoed in the halls, his heart pounding with a mix of hope and frustration—but still, she seemed to vanish like morning mist, just out of reach.
Feeling a sinking despair, Alex stepped outside through the school gates. The day wasn't over yet, and an idea struck him.
"Maybe I should look around the market," he thought, remembering how yesterday he had only caught a glimpse of it in passing and hadn't explored much.
With time to spare and a flicker of hope, he decided to wander through the market stalls, scanning for any sign of her amid the crowd. Maybe it was coincidence, or maybe fate had led him here for a reason.
Alex wandered through the bustling market, eyes drifting from colorful stalls of fresh produce to quaint shops selling handcrafted trinkets. Each corner held something new—scented spices, old wooden carvings, and the soft murmur of townsfolk in quiet conversation.
As he continued past the crowded stalls, his gaze was drawn toward a weathered building near the town hall—a small, timeworn library, its faded sign hinting at forgotten stories within.
Curious, Alex approached the entrance, fingers brushing the cool wood of the doorframe when suddenly, a voice—soft but distinctly familiar—called out from behind him.
"Alex..."
He spun around, heart pounding, searching for the source of the voice that pulled him back into the mystery.