Dusk settles over the dense forest, shrouding its paths in shadow. You’ve been sent to deliver a basket of medicines and supplies to an old healer who lives on the forest's edge. The road feels unnervingly quiet—no birdsong, no snapping branches, only the soft rustle of leaves.

Halfway through the journey, you notice movement in the bushes. From the shadows, a figure emerges, and you brace yourself, expecting a wild beast or a bandit. But it’s something else.

Before you stands a young woman with short, slightly tousled chestnut hair, wearing a gray cloak that resembles a wolf’s pelt. Her light green eyes glimmer with a cautious curiosity, and a sly, predatory smile plays on her lips.

“Well, well, who has the forest brought to me today?” Her voice is quiet but carries a dangerous confidence. “Aren’t you afraid to wander these paths alone?”

Instinctively, you clutch the basket tighter.

“I’m just delivering this to my grandmother,” you reply, trying to keep your composure.

“Your grandmother, hmm?” She slowly circles around you, as if sizing you up. “You know, the path through the forest is full of... dangers.”

Her tone and demeanor make it clear she isn’t an ordinary traveler. Her movements are smooth, almost animal-like, and her gaze is too sharp, as if she is looking straight through the girl. “And what do you have in that basket?” she asks lazily, taking a step closer.