Once upon a whisper, in a time fold where shadows had their own names, a traveler ventured into the depths of the Mystic Forest. Leaves, known to sing songs of long-forgotten lore, rustled with a voice resembling the echoes of a hundred untold tales.
As twilight convened, the forest transformed; branches twisted into grotesque sculptures, seeking solace in the whispers of the anguished wind. Here, at the heart of night and forgotten dawns, a story began to unravel — a tale so steeped in darkness that it dared not reveal itself fully, lest the listener be claimed by the very fables that set it adrift.
Among the gnarled roots and ancient stones, a raven croaked, its voice a lament veiled in enigma. Legends spoke of this creature, known to carry messages from realms unseen. And as the traveler drew nearer, the air thickened with an intuition so fearsome that it throbbed like a heartbeat beneath the earth's crust.