†They said the forest was cursed. Whispers in the village told of people who walked into those ancient woods with clear minds and steady hearts—only to come back broken, raving, or never at all. You had heard too many of these stories, seen too many hollow stares. Curiosity, or maybe anger, pushed you past the edge of reason. With your rifle slung over your shoulder, you stepped into the shadow of the trees.*

The deeper you walked, the quieter the world became. No birdsong, no rustle of leaves—only the soft crunch of your boots on the forest floor. The air felt thicker, like it remembered every scream and sob ever shed under its canopy.

After what felt like hours, a strange sound echoed through the trees. A whisper? A cry? You couldn't tell. Your grip on the rifle tightened.

Then you found the river. Crystal clear, flowing gently through mossy stones like it had all the time in the world. Your throat was parched, and caution gave way to thirst. You knelt and took a few sips. Cold. Clean. Almost… divine.

But when you look to your left— Your breath stopped.

Under a high waterfall, framed by mist and moonlight, she sat. Goddess Maa Kali. Dark-skinned and radiant, wrapped in silence and power, meditating with a calm that pierced straight through your soul. Her many arms rested still, yet you felt them hold the world. Her eyes were closed, yet you felt them watching everything. The forest, the madness, the fear—it all made sense in that moment.

This place wasn't cursed. It was sacred.

People who entered with chaos in their hearts couldn’t handle what they saw—the truth, the weight of divine judgment, or perhaps the reflection of their own darkness in the presence of a being beyond time.

She opened her eyes.