As Nicholai exited the gates of Antykla, he immediately noticed the peculiar change in the surrounding environment. The trees, unlike the dark ones he was accustomed to, were made of strikingly pale wood, their branches reaching up like skeletal fingers against the sky. He walked a few yards, the silence of the forest broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath his feet. He scanned his surroundings, a sea of these unusual trees stretching out in every direction, an unsettling uniformity to their appearance.

The road out of Antykla was vastly different from inside the town. It was not calm or predictable. Beyond the gates, the world around Anytkla paid closer attention, there were chilling vibes that kept Nicholai on his toes. His danger levels were at an all time high. He had never felt like this before.

After stepping out of the gate he adjusted the strap of his bag, taking a deep breath he started walking again. The pale gravel being bitten by his boots. The Town disappeared into a shadow as he got further away. The bells made a faint sound as they struck twice. Then it was silent. Nothing but the wind in the trees.

​In the distance, a faint shape caught his eye. At first he thought it was a toppled marker stone. He ran out of curiosity. With each stride it grew clearer. It was a sign. Curiosity overriding caution, he broke into a run, the sign growing clearer with each stride. As he drew closer, the stark message etched onto the pale wood became undeniably clear: "Turn back, danger ahead." The words seemed to vibrate in the still air, a chilling warning in this strangely silent forest.

After seeing the sign he turned around to walk back the way he came. Back to Antykla. A noise rang through the air. He turned around. There was a shadow in the trees, it looked like a person. He took a few cautious steps towards the shadow. It was a person wrapped in grey. Just standing there watching what Nicholai was doing.

They looked at each other, the other person was small. ‘Is this a child?’ Nicholai thought to himself. He walked towards the person, “the road’s long to walk alone.” The figure took a step back. Nicholai stopped wondering if he had made a mistake, thinking this could be another trick, if it was a lure shaped by the thing that was following him.

The hood tilted as if the head was bent to the side. A voice emerged. “I will walk alongside you but not with you.” It was a girl's voice. The shadow of her hood hid most of her features, the only thing he could see was her eyes. The light caught them oddly. They did not reflect it so much, more like refusing to hold it back. A lock of dark hair slipped loose, a faint silver colour to it. Like wet stones.

The girl put the hair back in the shadow of the hood.“I’m Elara,” she said. “Nicholai. I’m bound for Marokale.” “As am I.” The two of them just stood looking at each other. He took a deep breath and said “We all require company on long walks. Would you like to join me?”“Shall we walk now?” Asked Elara. Nicholai just nodded.

As they walked the air lightened around them, their steps breaking the silence. The wind seemed reluctant to go through the gap between them. There was a gap but it went around them.

Elara looked at Nicholai, “are you okay? You walk like someone who is expecting trouble.” She said, Nicholai turned to her “You walk like someone who already met it.” A faint smile touched her mouth but not her eyes, they stayed expressionless. There was something about this girl that made Nicholai feel weird.

Nicholai stopped walking. There was a prickle at the base of his neck joined by pressure behind his eyes, he had felt this before. Again it started off gentle, like fingers testing a glass. It only came outside of the town walls. It was as if whatever was causing it did not go into the towns. Was it fear of witnesses?

Elara looked at Nicholai, “do you feel that too? The feeling in your neck and eyes?” She asked. He looked at her, “how did you know what I was feeling?" She looked at him, “I feel it all the time wandering around these woods.” They just stood looking at each other, and a loud bang came from behind them. They started to run. As they were running the pressure they felt in the air had returned. It was heavier this time. The sky darkened too quickly for it to be natural. They could barely see the road ahead.

Nicholai turned his head. It came threading over the hills, it was the same thing over and over. It wasn’t the wind but also not quite speech. Then he heard his name, it was said slowly, stretched. It sounded like his own voice “Elara, did you hear that whisper?” He asked. She shook her head. Looking at him worried, she asked, “hear what?” Nicholai looked around frantically trying to figure out where it was coming from.

The whisper thickened into a roar. The land seemed to bend inwards around them, not like a physical body but more like a distortion. The shadows of the pale trees did not point away from the light but towards the distortion. He started running, Elara just stood still. “STOP RUNNING!” They both heard surrounding them. Nicholai froze on the spot. He looked at Elara, she looked frightened.

She stepped off the road, she turned to Nicholai, pulled down her hood and looked at him. Her eyes were unmistakable, they looked pitch black. Seemingly stareless. Like nothing lingered in them for long. With a confusion on his face he looked at her closely. She pulled her hood up, turning away from him and taking a step. “Follow me.” she said.

It sounded like there was something walking towards them. Elara stopped walking. She turned around quickly. “Nicholai, you need to walk now. Towards me but do not look back and do not run, just walk fast.” She said with a worried look on her face. With his first step, whatever it was seemed to move faster, “just keep walking” Elara said quickly and clearly. As he got closer to Elara the land around them, it seemed distorted.

Nicholai looked ahead, he could see gates. They looked like the ones for Marokale. They walked quickly towards them. As they made their way to the gates the hills surrounding them changed, it became a pale forest of white-barked trees. The branches were interlocked overhead as if they were bone. The air seemed to grow heavier around them.

There came a deep, hollow knocking, it echoed in every direction. Nicholai looked around as he continued walking to see if he could figure out where it was coming from. He could not pinpoint the direction. They reached the edge of the trees, in front of them was just an open field with a path down the middle of it.

Elara walked to the right, she knelt by a stone marker. The knocking grew louder, like it was getting closer even though all the trees were now behind them. Heading forward they just walked on, side by side. Elara pointed, “there is a bridge over there, I have never seen that before.” She said, “I never saw it on my way out of Marokale either.” Nicholai replied. As they got closer Nicholai noticed the creek bed was dry. Overhead a rusted lantern swayed without a breeze. Elara just carried on underneath it as if it wasn’t there. Elara stopped and put her hand on Nicholai to stop him. She just stared in front of them, Nicholai realised why, there was a shadow. It was in front of them but then spread and ended up everywhere around them.

For a heartbeat everything seemed to freeze, the shadow pinned to a single moment and forced into a shape. It was human but not at the same time. Everything around them vanished, it was once again just an empty field. Nicholai turned to Elara, “where did everything go? Even the bridge and creek are gone. The swinging lantern.” Elara just walked on as if he hadn’t said anything.

Out of the floor appeared a golden brown stone rose, there was an arrow on the stem. Elara walked towards it. Nicholai walked towards it and looked in the direction it was pointing. It was showing the outer road of Marokale. The silence around him caused his ears to ring so sharply.

Nicholai staggered forward, he was gasping. Struggling to breath, Elara walked up to where Nicholai was and stopped next to him. She looked at him and just made him stand up straight, his breathing eased. It was starting to go dark. “We must hurry.” Said Elara. We do not want to be outside of a town wall when it goes dark.” With this they both walked towards the gates. It was smooth until they got right near the gates.

Nicholai noticed the gates were open, he was told they are never left open, only opened when someone was there visiting them. He slowed down, a gut feeling throwing fear through his whole body. His hands trembling in his sleeves. He couldn’t move, frozen on the spot through fear. Elara grabbed his hand and encouraged him forward.

As they stepped closer “Nicholai, you are back!” They heard from inside the open gates. It was Jonah. He ran towards Nicholai. “Why are the gates open Jonah?” He asked. “We saw two people walking this way, we opened the gates to get you in as quickly as possible so we could close them.”

They got to the gates and they slammed closed. “You will not go there Elara, or you Nicholai. We are not finished!” A voice echoed loudly around the three of them. Jonah looked worried, “this is what we wanted to intercept.” He said. All three of them walked towards the gates. Elara started to float upwards. “I will put her down when Nicholai moves away from the gates.” The voice said. He stepped away from the gates and she was lowered back to the floor.

The gates opened again, Jonah walked through them back into Marokale. “Let us go!” Elara shouted, “we just need to rest for the night.” The voice started laughing hysterically in a menacing way. Slowly getting quieter, “No only one of you must go on, you must decide.” It said, “Elara looked at Nicholai, “you go ahead, I have lived on this side of the wall for a long time, I am more used to it.” “But you are just a child.” Nicholai and Jonah said at the same time. “Just go, I will be fine.” The voice started humming quietly. “I cannot leave you,” he insisted. But he suddenly started floating towards the gates then it was as if he had been thrown through them and they closed.

Elara looked at Nicholai, “this is where our roads divide,” she called out. “You walk where walls protect you. I walk where they cannot.” He looked at the floor and turned away, not sure what else to do. He crossed the square towards the fountain. The townspeople stopped their whispers. Jonah, an old friend, stood by the fountain, his face a mask of grief.

Jonah’s voice trembled. “Everyone remembers those who leave. Not all of them remember to return. But... why is she still out there?” Nicholai turned. Elara was a grey speck against the horizon. The light of Marokale refused to touch her. He started walking towards the gate but before he was even half way there she was gone, she hadn’t run and just disappeared.

Jonah and Nicholai walked towards the inn where he had stayed during his last visit. He ended up in the same room as last time as well. He just thanked Jonah and went into his room. He lay on the bed just staring at the ceiling hoping Elara was alright.

He must have nodded off at some point as he opened his eyes. He checked the clock on the wall outside his room. It was 8am, he was asleep all night. He shot up and got himself ready to leave to go find her.

He walked out of his room and down the stairs. Walking as fast as he could so he could get back outside the gates. Back to Elara, hoping she was standing there waiting for him. Charlotte was behind the desk. “Oh, hello Nicholai.” She said excitedly. “It’s lovely to see you again.” Nicholai just looked at her and apologised for not being able to stop but he had somewhere to be.

He walked out the door and tried to get out as quickly as possible. He managed to get all the way to the gates before anyone saw him. “Nicholai.” It was Johan. “Please do not go back out there, nobody knows who that girl is, even other towns have no clue who Elara is.” He turned around. “I’m sorry but I need to go, I cannot leave her alone any longer, she is just a child.” With this he signalled for the gates to be opened and walked out of them without a single look back.