Birthdays in Hibistrious are not celebrations.
They are warnings.
A quiet reminder that time is slipping through your fingers, that every year brings you closer to something you cannot escape.
And today…
I turn thirteen.
"Emily!" my mom's voice calls from downstairs. "Come on, sweetheart, don't keep everyone waiting!"
I stare at my reflection a moment longer before moving.
Emily Carter.
Just a normal name in a very unnatural place.
My brown hair falls in loose waves over my shoulders, slightly messy no matter how much effort I put into it. My eyes—everyone says they're too curious. Always searching. Always questioning.
Always looking toward the Dark Forest.
I let out a quiet breath before opening my door.
The house is already filled with voices.
When I step into the living room, everyone turns toward me at once—neighbors, family friends, people I've known my entire life. Smiles stretch across their faces, but something about them feels… forced.
"Finally!" Noah grins, rushing over. "I thought you were going to skip your own birthday."
"I thought about it," I mumble.
"Of course you did," Olivia says with a small laugh from across the room. She leans against the wall, arms crossed, watching me closely. "She's probably counting how many years she has left."
The room goes just slightly quieter.
Not silent.
But enough.
"Olivia," my mom—Rachel—warns gently.
"I'm joking," she says quickly, though her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes.
But we all know she isn't.
Thirteen means five years left.
Five years until eighteen.
Five years until marriage…
Or the Dark Forest.
"Come sit," my dad—Daniel—says, gesturing toward the table. His voice is calm, steady, but there's something behind it. Something tight. Controlled.
I nod and sit down.
Rachel places a plate in front of me, her movements careful, almost too careful. "It's your day," she says softly. "Try to enjoy it."
Try.
That word again.
I pick at the food, barely tasting anything. The room fills with conversation again, laughter rising and falling, but it all feels distant—like I'm underwater, hearing everything through a thick layer of silence.
Because my mind is somewhere else.
It always is.
Derek Hayes.
The name slips into my thoughts like it belongs there. Like it's been carved into my mind and refuses to leave.
Everyone else has forgotten.
Or at least… they pretend to.
No one talks about that day anymore. No one mentions the way the enchanted water reacted, or the way the room filled with fear when the name appeared.
But I remember everything.
Every second.
Every whisper.
Every look.
"Emily?"
I blink, realizing Noah is staring at me.
"You're doing it again," he says quietly.
"Doing what?"
"Spacing out." He lowers his voice. "Thinking about… you know."
I stiffen slightly. "No, I'm not."
He raises an eyebrow. "You're a terrible liar."
Across the table, Olivia exhales. "You really need to let it go, Emily."
My head snaps toward her. "How?"
The word comes out sharper than I intended.
"How am I supposed to just forget something like that?"
"Because it doesn't matter," she replies, though there's hesitation in her voice. "It was probably just… a mistake."
"There are no mistakes," I say quietly.
The words settle heavily over the table.
No one argues.
Because we all know it's true.
In Hibistrious… nothing like that happens by accident.
"Emily," my dad says firmly, his tone ending the conversation. "That's enough."
I look down at my hands, my fingers curling slightly.
Enough.
Everything is always "enough."
Don't ask questions.
Don't think too much.
Don't look at the forest.
Don't wonder about the name.
Don't try to understand the life you've been forced into.
A sudden wave of frustration rises in my chest, sharp and suffocating.
"I need some air," I mutter, pushing my chair back.
"Emily—" my mom starts.
"I'll be back," I say quickly, already heading for the door.
This time… no one stops me.
The moment I step outside, I breathe easier.
The air is cool, brushing against my skin, carrying the familiar scent of damp earth and something darker—something that always seems to drift from the edge of the village.
I start walking without thinking.
Past the houses.
Past the narrow streets.
Past the quiet whispers that follow me wherever I go.
I can feel their eyes on me, even when I don't look.
The girl with the strange destiny.
The girl with the name that doesn't exist.
The girl who doesn't belong.
My chest tightens.
"I hate this place," I whisper under my breath.
The words feel wrong…
But also true.
Hibistrious has never felt like home.
It feels like a cage.
A life already decided. A future already written. A path I didn't choose but am expected to follow anyway.
Marriage at eighteen.
To someone I didn't pick.
To someone I don't even know.
Or worse…
Something shifts in my chest at the thought.
The Dark Forest.
I look up.
And there it is.
The edge of it.
Dark. Endless. Watching.
The trees rise high into the sky, their branches tangled together like they're trying to keep something hidden—or trapped. Shadows stretch between them, thick and impenetrable.
I step closer.
Then closer.
Until I'm standing right at the edge.
My heart starts to pound.
This place…
It doesn't feel like the rest of the village.
It feels alive.
Like it knows I'm here.
"What if you're real?" I whisper.
The words leave my lips before I can stop them.
Derek Hayes.
The name echoes in my mind.
If he isn't from the village…
Then where else could he be?
A chill runs down my spine.
The answer is obvious.
Too obvious.
The forest.
My breath catches slightly.
"I can't live like this," I murmur, my voice shaking just a little. "I won't."
I don't want the life they've planned for me.
I don't want to wait until I'm eighteen just to be handed over to a name in water.
I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what if.
My gaze fixes on the darkness ahead.
Because whatever is in there…
At least it's real.
At least it's something I can choose.
The wind moves suddenly, rustling the leaves.
And then—
That feeling.
Strong.
Clear.
Undeniable.
I'm not alone.
My breath stills.
"Hello?" I call softly.
Silence.
But the feeling doesn't go away.
If anything… it grows stronger.
Like something is watching me.
Studying me.
Waiting.
My heart races, but I don't step back.
I can't.
Not anymore.
Because for the first time in my life…
I feel like I'm standing at the edge of something that actually matters.
Something that might finally give me answers.
About the name.
About my future.
About him.
I take a small step forward.
Right to the very edge.
One more step…
And I would be inside.
"I'm not afraid," I whisper.
But the truth is—
I am.
Just not enough to stop.
"I'm going to find you," I say, my voice barely more than a breath.
The forest remains silent.
But deep within the shadows…
Something moves. 🌑
And this time…
It's definitely watching back.