Riya stood frozen, staring at the window. The reflection had vanished, but the amulet felt heavier, pulsing with a slow, deep rhythm that mirrored the sound coming from the forest. It was a heartbeat—a giant, earth-shaking heartbeat.
Against her better judgment, Riya felt pulled toward the forest. The trees seemed to part for her, their branches like long, skeletal fingers reaching for the amulet. As she walked deeper, the shadows grew longer, and the air turned cold enough to make her breath visible.
In the center of the forest, she found a tree that didn't belong. Its bark was as black as obsidian, and instead of leaves, it grew twisted iron thorns. A single tear leaked from the weeping eye of her amulet, hitting the stone in its center. Instantly, the ground beneath the tree split open, revealing a hidden stairwell that led into the dark.
A voice, not from the shadows this time but from within her own mind, whispered: "Come, chosen one. The hunger must be fed."