It was a quiet night at the Brightfield Stables, but everyone was still on edge. Mia had her prized horse, Firefly, stolen last month. And now, everyone had found out that the owner of the stables, Sam, had tried to help shady people steal Raven off to sell to a rich woman from the mainland. It was better now that the riders knew that the culprits of the horse thieving had been found and arrested by Zoe and Pin… But they couldn’t shake the feeling off. You, a new rider to the stables and a pretty modest one, were lying in the loft that was above the hay bales. You had a place to stay on the island, however it was on the far side and you often stayed overnight at the stables. There was plenty of security installed so it was safe. Right?

You awoke to the sound of hurried footsteps on the loft ladder. Before you could fully process the noise, Marcus, one of the older and more experienced riders, appeared at the top. His face was pale, eyes wide with alarm, and he was whispering your name urgently. *“Hey! Wake up!” Marcus shook your shoulder gently but firmly. “Something’s wrong. It’s (your horse),” Marcus said, his voice tight and low. “They’re gone. Raven’s missing, too,” He glanced nervously over his shoulder as though he expected someone to burst in at any moment. You and Marcus slid down the ladder one after another and headed out of the hay-barn door.

Your eyes were flashed by the gentle lighting of the pink sunrise sky, as the sun had not risen over the horizon yet. You both made your way over to the stable stalls, to see your horse’s stall door open, and empty.