The night had stretched quiet over the camp — the kind of quiet that made even the fire crackle softer, as though afraid to disturb the peace that hung in the cool air. The moon bled silver light through the canopy above, catching faint glimmers off the tents and the faint hum of the forest insects.
Valkyrie sat alone on a fallen log just a few meters away from the main campfire. Her head was slightly bowed, a loose strand of orange hair falling across her cheek. In her hands, she clutched the mysterious necklace she had found deep in the tunnel — its black crystal center pulsing faintly like a slow heartbeat.
Her thumb brushed across its cold surface, and she muttered to herself, voice low and frayed around the edges.
"Why me? What are you?"
She thought to herself.
The necklace didn't answer. It just hummed quietly, a vibration only she could feel through her palms.
