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A small chamber with dim lighting and the heavy scent of wood smoke still lingering from a fire earlier. The sound of hushed voices and the creak of old wooden beams filled the silence. A large oak table sat at the center, its surface cluttered with maps, scrolls, and empty mugs. The room is filled with tension as Bavanda, Avynna, Baron, and Steve stood near the far wall, waiting.

The door to the council room creaked open, and two of the scouts entered. They were physically unharmed but visibly shaken—pale faces, sweat dripping down their foreheads, their bodies stiff with fear. One of them, a younger male named Harlan, was clutching his clothes hysterically, his hands trembling despite his attempts to appear composed.

“Report,” Baron’s voice was sharp, his eyes narrowing as he took in their disheveled appearance. He motioned for them to sit, his tone hardly disguising his anger.

The older scout, a woman named Dara, nodded but didn’t speak immediately. Her breathing was heavy, as though she had just run miles. She exchanged a glance with Harlan before they both sat down.

Avynna’s gaze flickered between the scouts. “You’ve been gone for three days. You’ve had time to return, to rest. Why come back now? What happened?” Her voice, though calm, carried a sharp edge that indicated her growing concern.

Dara swallowed hard, wiping her brow. She glanced at Harlan, who looked like he was about to fall apart. Her hand brushed over the cloth in his lap, and she sighed. “We… we saw something.”

Baron’s fists clenched, and his voice dropped to a growl. “Saw what?”

Harlan finally spoke, his voice shaky, though he tried to stand tall. “There was a figure… in the woods. We couldn’t get a good look at them, but it was—”

“It was her,” Dara interrupted, her voice a whisper, but it rang out with certainty. “It was her. The girl who—who we saw in the woods. Bavanda. But something was off.”

Avynna stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she processed Dara’s words.

“What do you mean ‘off’?” she asked, her voice low and controlled, but there was an edge of panic beneath the calm facade.

Dara shook her head, her hands shaking slightly. “It was… like seeing a ghost. She was moving like she knew us, like she was waiting for us. But her eyes—her eyes were different. They were empty. The air was thick with something dark, something twisted.” She stopped, glancing toward Harlan for support.

Harlan’s gaze dropped to the table, his voice barely audible. “There was this… this energy around her. I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s like she wasn’t fully herself. Like she was… I don’t know… pulled away.” He trembled again, visibly rattled by the memory.

Avynna’s breath hitched, and she stepped back. “And you didn’t approach her? You didn’t speak to her?” she demanded, though her words came out strained.

Harlan shook his head furiously. “No. No, we didn’t get close. We—there was something wrong. The forest itself felt wrong, like the trees were watching us. It felt like we were being hunted, but not by wolves. By something else.”

Baron’s eyes flared with anger. “And you waited until now to come back with this information?” His voice boomed in the silence, the weight of his frustration clear. “You couldn’t have brought this to us sooner?”

Dara winced, but it was Harlan who answered. “We couldn’t get back earlier. It was like something was keeping us there. Like the forest didn’t want us to leave.” His voice faltered, but he found the strength to continue. “It was her—the way she stood there, staring at us, I could feel her pulling at me. But it wasn’t her. It couldn’t have been.”

Avynna’s gaze flickered to Bavanda, who stood silent in the back of the room, her hands clenched into fists. Her face was pale, her features stiff with barely contained emotion.

Baron took a deep breath, his voice coming out low and steady. “This isn’t making sense. If it was Bavanda, why didn’t you tell us immediately? Why is it only now, when the fear has had time to fester, that you come with this?”

“Because we didn’t want to believe it,” Dara finally admitted, her voice hoarse. “We didn’t want to believe she was the one behind it. But the signs—the energy in the air—it was unmistakable. And when we tried to leave, the forest seemed to close in on us, like we were being forced to stay.” She stopped, looking down at her hands. “We’re not sure what we saw, but it felt like it was her. Bavanda… or something using her shape.”

A heavy silence descended over the room.

Baron exchanged a quick glance with Avynna, then turned his gaze to Bavanda. “Did you know about this?” His voice was softer now, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Bavanda felt her heart stop in her chest. The blood drained from her face, and she swallowed thickly. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I… I didn’t know anything about this. I swear.”

Baron’s eyes softened slightly, but the weight of doubt was still in the air. “Then what are we supposed to believe, Bavanda? Are you sure you don’t know what they saw? Because what they describe sounds like something... else entirely.”

The sharpness of his words hit Bavanda like a slap. She couldn’t explain it. How could she? She didn’t feel herself anymore—didn’t know what was real, what was not.

“I don’t know what happened,” Bavanda whispered, more to herself than to anyone else in the room.

“Then we need to figure this out.” Avynna’s voice was quieter, but firm. She looked at the scouts, then back at Bavanda, her expression clouded with worry. “We need to be sure. No more wandering in the dark.”

Baron turned to Steve. “Send out more scouts. Track the woods. And if this is connected to Bavanda…” He didn’t finish the thought, but everyone in the room could feel it hanging in the air.

Avynna spoke before anyone could say more. “We can’t waste any more time. The pack needs to be prepared. Whatever this is, it’s not just about Bavanda anymore.”

The scouts sat in silence, their faces pale as they absorbed the weight of what they’d just revealed. But it was Bavanda who felt the heaviest burden of all, as the uncertainty in the room grew thicker by the minute. The pack was divided. And she? She didn’t even know if she could still trust herself.

Outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the sky was painted with deep shades of orange and purple. The air felt thick with the heavy scent of damp earth and the rustle of leaves in the breeze. The atmosphere was ominous, a sense of foreboding settling in as the pack gathered just outside the gates, drawn by the commotion. Even the royal family stepped out, confusion settling in on their faces.

The sound of frantic wailing echoed across the clearing as a family appeared at the edge of the pack’s territory. A man, tall and broad-shouldered, his face twisted in grief and rage, led the charge, dragging a young woman behind him—her eyes wide and hollow, her face a ghostly shade of pale. The woman, a mother with tears streaming down her cheeks, clutched a bundle wrapped in cloth to her chest. Her sobs rang out, the air thick with sorrow and accusation.

Bavanda froze as the family neared, confusion clouding her mind. The pack, alert, began to murmur amongst themselves, casting wary glances in Bavanda’s direction. Some were already bristling, their eyes narrowing.

"That’s her!" the man shouted, pointing a trembling finger directly at Bavanda. "That’s the one! The one who killed our daughter!"

The crowd shifted uncomfortably, but no one moved forward to intervene. Their gazes were locked onto Bavanda, a mix of curiosity and distrust in the air.

The woman with the bundle stepped forward, her voice strained and raw. "Our daughter… our sweet Marissa," she cried. "She went into the woods to collect herbs, and she… she didn’t come back. When we found her, she was—" Her voice broke, and she collapsed into her husband’s arms, her sobs wracking her entire body.

Bavanda’s heart clenched in her chest. She had heard rumors of a lost child, but this? This felt different. Her chest tightened, and her mouth went dry.

The father stepped forward, his fists clenched, his face flushed with fury. "We found her body in the woods! Marissa’s body! Ravaged, destroyed! Her skin torn like… like something had been feasting on her!"

Avynna and Baron exchanged glances. "And what made you think it was our daughter? Did you see her there?”

The father, devastated, lifted a trembling hand to point at Bavanda once more. "Yes! This one—this thing—was there! I walked in, and I saw her. I saw her, and she… she smiled at me in the most sinister eay. She was the last to be seen in that area! What kind of monster can do this to a child?!"

Bavanda recoiled, her heart crashing against her ribs. "I didn’t do this," she stammered, her voice hoarse and filled with disbelief. "I— I never saw your daughter! I didn’t—"