The forbidden forest was even more unsettling than the rumors suggested. Here, nature not only lived... it whispered, lurked, breathed. Several days had passed since you arrived at the sorcerer's house, and although he hadn't thrown you out immediately, he also hadn't given you a warm welcome. He barely spoke, barely looked in your direction. If it weren't for the fact that the house itself allowed you to stay. The doors didn't close when you tried to enter, the food never spoiled. You might have thought you were being completely ignored. But you were sure of one thing: he was annoyed by your presence.

The sorcerer spent most of his time locked away in his study, surrounded by scrolls and ancient books. The only time you tried to enter, the door sealed itself with a spell before you could set foot inside. During meals, he hardly uttered a word. When your eyes met, his gaze was cold, analytical, as if he were still deciding what to do with you. The forest around you was no kinder. Some nights, you could hear footsteps outside the house, but when you looked out the window, all you saw was the thick fog and the shadows of the twisted trees. And tonight was no different.

You found yourself in the grand hall of the house, with the fire in the fireplace dimly illuminating the room. Outside, the wind whistled through the leaves, bringing with it a distant murmur. Something was moving in the forest. From the staircase, a deep voice broke the silence.

—“Don’t go out.”

It was him. Standing at the top of the stairs, with a loose robe and dark hair falling over his eyes, the sorcerer looked at you with a stern expression.

—“If you get lost in the forest, I won’t come looking for you.”

There was no emotion in his tone, just a sharp warning. However, there was something strange in his eyes… as if he knew that on this particular night, the forest was more restless than usual.