"THE SHADOWS"

The moment Sim finished her graduation, she felt as though a new chapter of her life had finally begun.

For years, her days had revolved around classes, assignments, examinations, and the familiar routine of student life. Now, with graduation behind her, she finally had the freedom to think about something beyond textbooks and deadlines.

She wanted to explore the world. Not necessarily by travelling to famous cities or visiting crowded tourist destinations, but by discovering unfamiliar places, experiencing different ways of life, and collecting stories she could one day look back on with a smile.

And there was one place she had always been curious about.

Her father's village.

One evening, Sim was sitting in the living room with her parents. Her mother was arranging some clothes while her father sat nearby, looking through a few documents. Sim had been unusually quiet for the past several minutes, apparently lost in thought.

Her father eventually looked up.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

Sim looked at him and smiled. "Nothing much. I've just been thinking."

"That's what worries me," he replied, giving her a suspicious look. "Whenever you say that, it usually means you've already decided something."

Sim laughed. "You're not wrong."

Her mother stopped arranging the clothes and glanced at her daughter.

"All right, then. What have you decided this time?"

Sim sat up a little straighter.

"I want to visit Grandpa."

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Her father's expression changed almost immediately. The casual look on his face disappeared, replaced by something Sim couldn't quite understand. Her mother, too, stopped what she was doing.

"Your grandfather?" her father asked, even though he clearly knew whom she meant.

"Yes, Dad. Grandpa Macalu. I haven't visited him in years, and I've never actually been to his village. Now that I've finished my graduation, I thought it would be a good time to go."

Her father exchanged a brief glance with her mother. It was quick, almost unnoticeable, but Sim caught it.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," her mother replied a little too quickly.

"Then why are you both looking at each other like that?"

Her father put the documents aside.

"Sim, visiting the village isn't as simple as you think."

"Why not? Grandpa lives there, doesn't he?"

"Of course he does."

"Then what's the problem?"

Neither of her parents answered immediately.

Sim looked from one to the other, waiting for an explanation. She had expected a little hesitation, perhaps a reminder to be careful while travelling, but she hadn't expected them to react as though she had suggested something dangerous.

Finally, her mother spoke.

"We just don't think you should go there alone."

Sim frowned. "Who said I was going alone? I can ask my friends to come with me."

Her father considered this for a moment.

"Your friends?"

"Min, Renny, Nancy, and Jack. I'll ask them. I'm sure they'll come."

Her mother looked at her father again.

Another glance. Another silence.

Sim folded her arms.

"Seriously, what's going on? You're acting as though I'm asking permission to travel to another planet."

"Don't be dramatic," her father said.

"Then don't be mysterious."

For the first time that evening, her father almost smiled. Almost. But the expression disappeared before it could settle on his face.

"Listen, Sim. We aren't saying you can never visit your grandfather. We only want you to be careful. If your friends accompany you and you promise to follow our instructions, we'll allow you to go."

Sim's face brightened.

"Really?"

"Yes. But you must promise to stay together and not wander off alone."

"I promise!"

Her mother reached for Sim's hand.

"And please, if anything feels wrong, don't ignore it. Call us."

Sim blinked at her.

"Mom, I'm visiting Grandpa, not entering a haunted forest."

Her mother didn't laugh.

For a brief moment, Sim noticed something in her eyes that she couldn't explain. It wasn't ordinary worry about a daughter travelling far from home. It was something deeper, something that seemed to have been there long before this conversation.

But before Sim could ask another question, her father stood up and told her to start making arrangements with her friends.

She was too excited to argue. After all, she had finally received permission to visit the place she had wondered about for years.

She didn't notice how her parents remained silent after she left the room. Nor did she hear the quiet conversation that followed.

"Do you think we should have let her go?" her mother asked.

Her father stared towards the doorway through which their daughter had disappeared.

"She's grown up. We can't keep her away forever."

"But what if something happens?"

He didn't answer immediately.

They had left the village years ago for a reason. Whatever their daughter believed about the move to the city, it had never been merely a matter of preference.

They had wanted Sim to grow up somewhere far removed from the things they knew about the village. Some things were difficult to explain. Others were difficult even to remember. And there were truths that sounded so unbelievable that they had never found the courage to tell their daughter about them.

"We've done what we could to protect her," her father finally said.

"We can only hope it was enough."

Neither of them knew whether allowing Sim to return was the right decision.

But the decision had been made.

And the village was waiting.

A few days later, Sim set off for her father's village with her four closest friends: Min, Renny, Nancy, and Jack.

The journey was filled with conversations, laughter, and excited speculation about what awaited them. Her friends were eager to experience village life, explore the surrounding areas, and escape their usual routines for a while.

Sim was just as excited as they were. Yet, beneath that excitement, a small part of her wondered why her parents had been so reluctant to let her go.

She pushed the thought aside.

She was finally going to meet her grandfather after years of being away. That was what mattered.

When they arrived, Mr. Macalu welcomed them with genuine warmth. He was especially happy to see his granddaughter after such a long time, and his happiness was evident in his expression.

The lodge stood among the village's beautiful surroundings, old but well maintained, with a charm that made it feel as though it had witnessed generations of stories. Several staff members worked there, taking care of the guests, preparing meals, and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Their presence gave the lodge a lively atmosphere, even though the building itself carried the quiet dignity of age.

Mr. Macalu introduced the visitors to the lodge and welcomed them inside.

For him, their arrival brought a welcome change to the familiar rhythm of his days.

Years ago, Sim's parents had moved to the city with their daughter, leaving Mr. Macalu behind in the village. He had never been entirely happy with their decision. He had wanted his family to stay close, to share their lives with him rather than leave him behind in a place filled with memories of them.

Still, he had let them go.

Perhaps he had eventually accepted that they believed leaving was the best thing they could do for Sim. But acceptance did not mean he had never felt hurt.

He had wished they could have found a way to stay together. He had wanted to watch Sim grow up, be part of her everyday life, and see his family gathered under the same roof again.

Instead, the lodge had grown quieter after their departure.

Eventually, he adopted a child named Ten, who was nearly the same age as Sim. Ten brought companionship into his life, and the lodge gradually became a home for the two of them, along with the staff who helped run it.

Now, seeing Sim standing before him again, Mr. Macalu felt a happiness he had almost forgotten.

Perhaps her parents had made the right decision after all. Perhaps there were reasons he still didn't completely understand. Whatever the truth, he was grateful that Sim had finally come to visit him.

For now, he wanted to enjoy having her there. He wanted the lodge to feel alive again, filled with voices, laughter, and the presence of family. He had no intention of letting old disappointments spoil the moment.

After welcoming everyone, Mr. Macalu introduced them to Ten, who stood a little apart from the others.

Ten was quiet and reserved, more comfortable observing people than joining their conversations. He wasn't used to having so many visitors around, and the sudden liveliness of the lodge seemed to leave him unsure of what to do.

Still, he greeted them politely.

The staff helped the group settle into their rooms and made sure they had everything they needed.

Everything appeared ordinary.

The lodge was welcoming, the village was beautiful, and their first day seemed destined to be nothing more than an enjoyable visit.

Until Mr. Macalu told them about the rule.

"There's just one thing you need to remember while you're staying here," he said.

The group turned towards him.

"What is it, Grandpa?" Sim asked.

Mr. Macalu looked at each of them before answering.

"Whatever happens, you must come to the lodge for dinner at exactly seven o'clock."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Seven o'clock sharp?"

"Exactly seven."

"Why?" Min asked curiously.

Mr. Macalu's expression remained calm, but his voice carried a firmness that left little room for argument.

"Because it's the rule of my lodge."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Jack shrugged, and the others exchanged amused glances. It seemed like an unusual rule, but not an unreasonable one. After all, they were guests in someone else's home.

They agreed to follow it.

None of them thought much more about it. None of them knew why the rule existed.

And none of them could have imagined that, in this village, some rules were not meant to be questioned.

None of them understood how serious that promise would become.

Sim shared her room with Min, while Renny and Nancy shared another. Jack was assigned to Ten's room.

Ten was an introvert who had never really spent much time with other people his age. He didn't have any friends, and the thought of sharing his room with Jack, someone he had only just met, made him nervous.

"Hey, the room is beautiful," Jack remarked, looking around.

"Umm..." Ten murmured.

"Only 'umm'?" Jack asked.

"What do you want me to answer, then?" Ten asked.

"Anything you want to say will be fine, I guess," Jack replied.

"Okay," Ten said.

Ten glanced around the room before speaking again.

"There's only one bed, so I'm going to sleep on the floor. You can take the bed."

"Aww, no! Actually, we can share the bed. I don't mind," Jack offered.

"But I mind."

"Why? Are you shy? Or are you thinking I'm going to do something to you?" Jack asked, a teasing smile spreading across his face.

"Shy, my ass! I'm just not used to sharing my bed with anyone."

"Then let's share the floor together."

"Stop already and just take the bed."

"Then I'll let you use the bed instead. I'm actually good with the floor," Jack said with a playful grin.

Ten quickly climbed into the bed and lay down, ending the conversation.

Jack watched him, smiling.

The following morning, at five o'clock, Sim and Min woke up early and decided to ride bicycles around the village while the others were still asleep.

The village was quiet. A gentle breeze passed through the trees, carrying the coolness of the early morning air. With hardly anyone outside, the roads seemed to belong entirely to them.

They rode farther than they had originally planned, following unfamiliar paths and enjoying the peaceful scenery. Neither of them was in a hurry to return to the lodge.

Eventually, they came across an enormous road that seemed strangely different from anything they had seen before.

It was divided into two distinct sides.

On the left was the Darkest Road, a place surrounded by an unnatural darkness. According to the village's unusual rule, the road could only be seen after seven o'clock in the evening. Before then, it remained hidden, as though that part of the world simply didn't exist until the appointed hour.

The villagers knew better than to question the rule.

Seven o'clock was not a time to be careless, especially near the road.

On the right lay the Brownie Road.

At first glance, it was beautiful. Brown trees lined the path, their branches stretching towards one another above the road. Autumn-colored leaves covered the ground, and the soft morning light gave the surrounding landscape a peaceful, almost dreamlike appearance.

It was difficult to imagine anything frightening happening in such a beautiful place.

Yet the villagers rarely went there.

Everyone in the village knew that something mysterious had happened along the Brownie Road. Something had changed the place forever, leaving behind questions that nobody seemed able to answer.

There had once been a village beyond that road, a peaceful settlement where people had lived their ordinary lives. But now, not a single human being remained there.

Nobody could agree on exactly what had happened.

Some stories contradicted others. Some details had disappeared with time, while others were whispered about but never openly discussed. The villagers knew something was wrong with the place, and that knowledge was enough to keep most of them away.

They preferred not to investigate what had happened.

They preferred not to go looking for answers.

And they certainly didn't encourage anyone to wander down the Brownie Road.

But Sim and Min were newcomers. They knew nothing about the road's past, and nobody had warned them about its reputation.

To them, it was simply another beautiful part of the village waiting to be explored.

At five o'clock in the morning, the Darkest Road was nowhere to be seen. All they could see was the Brownie Road, stretching into the distance beneath the pale morning sky.

As they continued riding, something in the distance caught Sim's attention.

Far beyond the road stood an enormous tree. Its massive branches stretched across the landscape, casting a long, unusual shadow on the ground.

But something else was there.

Two human-like shadows appeared beside the tree. One seemed to lean its head against the other's shoulder.

Sim slowed her bicycle and stared.

The tree was too far away for her to see anyone clearly. She couldn't even be certain whether the shadows belonged to two people. Yet their shapes were strangely distinct against the ground.

"Min, look over there!"

Min followed her gaze.

"What is that?"

"I don't know. There's a huge tree over there, and I can see two shadows beside it."

"Then let's leave it alone," Min said. "We don't even know what's there."

"But I'm curious. I want to see that tree up close."

"Sim, it's really far away. Why do we need to go there?"

"Just for a look! Come on."

Before Min could protest again, Sim began riding towards the tree. With a reluctant sigh, Min followed her.

As they moved farther down the road, Sim kept watching the distant shadows, eager to discover what had caught her attention.

She still couldn't see the people, if there were any.

Only their shadows.

And the closer they came to the enormous tree, the stranger those shadows seemed to become.

Sim finally stopped her bicycle.

A faint line stretched across the ground ahead of them, marking a boundary she hadn't noticed before.

Before she could take another step, a voice came from behind them.

"You shouldn't be here."

Both girls turned.

A boy stood behind them, looking towards the boundary with a troubled expression.

"You've already crossed the boundary line," he said. "You've done something you shouldn't have."

Sim stared at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

The boy glanced towards the enormous tree. His expression suddenly changed.

"You're not safe here anymore. You need to run."

Sim opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but before she could utter a word, something moved in the darkness.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

A supernatural figure emerged from the shadows.

"Run!"

The boy's warning shattered their stillness.

Sim and Min abandoned their curiosity and raced away as fast as they could.

But the strange force caught Min.

She stumbled, and for a moment, everything seemed to change.

Min was no longer herself.

Something had taken control of her body.

Sim watched in horror, unable to understand what was happening to her friend.

The boy tried to protect Sim, but the supernatural force turned against him and attacked.

Then everything went black.

Sim opened her eyes in her bedroom.

For a few seconds, she lay still, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was filled with fragments of what had happened that morning.

The road.

The shadows.

The mysterious boy.

The supernatural figure.

And Min.

Sim immediately turned towards her friend, who was lying beside her.

"Min?" she called softly.

There was no response.

Sim moved closer, her heart pounding as she watched Min begin to stir.

"Min, are you all right?" she asked, her voice tense with worry.

Min slowly opened her eyes and blinked sleepily.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" she asked, looking at Sim with confusion.

Sim stared at her.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Min sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

She glanced around the room before stretching her arms.

"The night was pretty good, wasn't it? And your grandpa is really nice."

Sim remained silent.

Min seemed completely normal. There was no fear in her eyes, no confusion about the road, and no sign that she remembered anything unusual.

It was as though nothing had happened.

But Sim remembered everything.

Every single moment.

"Min..." Sim began hesitantly. "Do you remember anything from this morning?"

Min tilted her head.

"This morning?"

She looked towards the window, then reached for her phone to check the time.

"Wait, it's already 6:30!"

She quickly got out of bed.

"We woke up so late! Come on, let's go have breakfast."

Sim didn't move.

Six-thirty.

They had left the lodge at five in the morning. Their encounter on the road had happened around six. Yet somehow, they were back in their bedroom, and Min was behaving as though she had just woken up after an ordinary night's sleep.

"Min, listen to me," Sim said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You really don't remember anything?"

"Remember what?" Min asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

She paused for a moment, then smiled casually.

"Come on, Sim. We should get ready. We don't want to miss breakfast, do we?"

With that, Min headed towards the bathroom, humming softly as if it were just another ordinary morning.

Sim remained on the bed, unable to move.

Min had forgotten everything.

She didn't remember riding bicycles with Sim. She didn't remember crossing the boundary. She didn't remember the shadows, the mysterious boy, or the supernatural force that had taken control of her body.

But Sim remembered it all.

And that was what frightened her most.

How could Min forget something that had felt so real?

Sim looked towards the window, her thoughts drifting back to the strange road beyond the village.

She needed answers.

Later, Sim returned to the place where the encounter had taken place, hoping to find some evidence of what she had witnessed.

But the boy was nowhere to be found.

There was no sign of him.

No explanation for what had happened.

The road looked as though nothing unusual had ever taken place there.

Sim couldn't understand it.

Why had the boy warned them?

Why had he been attacked?

And how had she and Min suddenly returned to the lodge?

The questions crowded her mind, but none of them had answers.

She didn't know that the answers were connected to someone who had been watching from the shadows all along.

A girl named Ava.