Title: The Shadows of Blackwater

Chapter 1: The Last Message

The first time I heard about Blackwater, it was through a voicemail. A simple beep, then a trembling voice, barely a whisper.

“Don’t come here. No matter what I told you before… forget everything. Forget me. It’s already too late.”

Then, deafening silence.

The message was from Noah Campbell, my best friend. The one who had disappeared three days ago without a trace.

Everyone said he ran away, that he had his reasons. But I knew that wasn’t true. Noah would never have left without telling me. Without telling me why.

And that message… it sounded like a goodbye.

It came from a place I had never heard of before: Blackwater. A secluded town on the coast, trapped between a dense forest and a lake as dark as ink. A place that, according to rumors, swallowed people whole and never spit them back out.

I could have listened to the warning. I could have let it go.

But Noah once saved my life. And now, it was my turn to save him.

So, with a backpack and an old map I found online, I hit the road.

Heading to Blackwater.

And I wasn’t coming back the same.