Chapter 1 – Arrival
In the heart of the Great Up North, nestled amidst a sprawling wilderness, lies the forgotten town of Royal. Once a bustling artist’s colony, it now stands as a reminder of its former glory, its streets eerily silent and its buildings succumbing to the passage of time.
Into this desolate landscape stumbled a young man named Ethan, a 23-year-old adventurer with a penchant for the offbeat. His trusty steed, a beat-up old Mercury Cougar named Bessie, had sputtered and died on the outskirts of Royal, leaving him stranded in the middle of nowhere.
As Ethan wandered through the deserted streets, a strange sense of unease settled over him. The town seemed to whisper secrets, its empty storefronts and decaying houses filled with the echoes of a bygone era. He felt a presence, a watchful eye that seemed to follow his every move.
That evening, as Ethan huddled in an abandoned house, a chilling gust of wind rattled the windows, sending shivers down his spine. He wasn’t alone. A figure materialized from the shadows, a woman in a faded dress, her face obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. She glided towards him, her footsteps silent on the creaking floorboards.
Ethan’s heart pounded in his chest, but he found himself strangely drawn to the spectral figure. She spoke in a voice as soft as a whisper, her words barely audible above the howling wind.
“Don’t be afraid, Ethan,” she said.
Then she vanished.The house was still and quiet.
Ethan’s initial fear gave way to curiosity. Who was this woman? How did she know me?
Ethan stood up and walked out of the house. He stood in the middle of the road and stared into the nothingness. The moonlight cast an eerie shadow on the silent empty town. Ethan looked up to the stars.
“Welcome to Royal”, Ethan whispered.
To be continued …
