Land of Shadows

The three of them ran with all their might, stumbling between the trees, while the deep voice they had heard echoed in their minds. The shadow was following them silently, as if it were playing with them, blocking their escape and making the forest seem endless.

"Here!" Mark shouted, pointing to a narrow path barely visible among the tangled trees.

They rushed toward the path, not knowing where it would lead, until they found themselves standing in front of an old wooden cabin, appearing as though no human had touched it in decades. The windows were covered with a thick layer of dust, and the wooden door was weathered but tightly shut.

"Get inside!" Ryan shouted as he pushed the door open with force, causing it to creak loudly and eerily.

They entered the cabin quickly, closing the door behind them. The place was completely dark except for the faint moonlight filtering through the cracks.

"Do you think we're safe here?" Amy asked, catching her breath.

"Relatively safe," Mark said, trying to light one of the old lamps he found on the table. Fortunately, the lamp ignited, casting a faint light over the room.

The room was cramped, filled with neglected items: old books, worn-out tools, and closed wooden boxes. But what caught their attention were the walls.

The walls were covered with carved symbols, identical to those they had seen on the trees. Some of them looked ancient, while others appeared disturbingly recent.

"What is this place?" Amy whispered, looking around cautiously.

"It looks like a shelter for someone who knew the secrets of the forest," Mark said, approaching one of the books lying on the ground.

He picked up the book carefully and began flipping through its torn pages. It was filled with strange symbols and terrifying drawings. One of the pages contained a detailed sketch of the gate they had seen in the previous book, but this time it was surrounded by shadows resembling the creature that had been chasing them.

"The gate again…" Ryan said, staring at the drawing in concern. "This thing is connected to everything happening here."

As they tried to decipher the book, Amy noticed something strange on the floor. There was a dark spot, almost like a static shadow, despite the lack of any light source that could explain it.

"Mark… Ryan… look at this," she said, her voice trembling.

Both of them approached and looked at the spot. It seemed to be moving slowly, as if it were a living entity. Suddenly, a black hand extended from the spot, trying to grab Amy's foot.

Amy screamed and yanked her foot back quickly, while Ryan pushed the table toward the spot. Fortunately, the shadow seemed to stop moving, as if it had vanished.

"What the hell was that?" Mark said, retreating backward.

"I don't think this cabin is as safe as we thought," Amy said, trying to control her fear.

"We need to get out of here before that thing returns," Ryan said, searching for anything useful.

But before they could leave, Mark found a small wooden box beside the fireplace. He opened it carefully and found an old metal key and a folded note inside.

"What is this?" he said as he read the note.

The message was short and written in a shaky hand:

"The gate leads to the truth, but beware of the shadow. The key will only open it if you're ready to pay the price."

"The key? Is this what it's talking about?" Mark said, holding the key up.

"Pay the price?" Amy wondered. "What does that mean?"

Before they could think further, they heard a loud noise coming from outside. The shadow had returned, but this time it wasn't alone. More shadows were moving between the trees, slowly approaching the cabin.

"We've found them…" the deep voice said again, but this time, it was clearer.

"We have to run now!" Ryan shouted, opening a small window in the back wall.

The three of them jumped through the window and started running again, leaving the cabin behind. But they took the key with them, unaware that carrying it had

bound them to a fate darker than they could have imagined.