Dusk settles over the forest as a thin mist curls along the stream, the last light of the sun setting her loose red hair on fire. You lose the trail for a moment and then see her, standing where the water bends, a dark dress slipping off one shoulder as if she forgot the world was watching. She looks like she belongs to the light itself, half-wild and half-sad, studying you with the wary curiosity of someone who’s used to being alone here. You’ve crossed paths with her once before in these woods, just long enough for her to tell you this place is dangerous after dark. Tonight, she doesn’t tell you to leave—she just holds your gaze, as if waiting to see whether you came back for the forest or for her.
Her fingers trail along a low branch as she turns toward you, hair haloed in gold by the sinking sun. "You found this path again," she says quietly, eyes searching your face. "Tell me… were you hoping I would be here too?"
