Love, Lies, and Lunar Betrayal

Episode:3

The late morning sun cast long shadows across the outskirts of Portovelo, its light softened by the thick canopy of trees that bordered the town. María walked with quiet steps, her gaze flickering between the well-trodden path and the dense forest. She’d told herself that this was just a walk to clear her head, but every muscle in her body was alert, attuned to the slightest sound, the faintest scent.

As she neared the area where the townsfolk had whispered of strange sightings, a new scent hung in the air—sharp and metallic, unmistakably blood. Her heart pounded in her chest as she inhaled, her heightened senses flaring. She paused, trying to ground herself, to keep her instincts from taking over. The scent lingered, faint but enough to send a chill through her. Whatever had happened here, it was recent.

She crouched beside a small patch of dirt near the edge of the trees, her fingers brushing over dried bloodstains hidden in the shadow of the grass. Her mind flashed to the terrified stories she’d heard at the café, but she forced herself to stay calm. To everyone else, these marks would seem ominous, inexplicable. But María recognized them all too well.

Just as she stood, ready to leave, she heard footsteps approaching. Her head shot up, and her heart sank as she saw Mateo walking toward her. His dark hair framed a face marked by both curiosity and caution, his hands in his pockets as he stopped a few paces away.

“María,” he greeted with a faint smile. “Didn’t expect to see you out here.”

She returned his smile, though it felt strained. “I could say the same. Thought the forest wasn’t a place most people wanted to be these days.”

Mateo’s gaze shifted to the trees, a shadow passing over his features. “I just needed some fresh air after this morning,” he admitted. “The inn was a bit… tense.”

María nodded, her fingers twisting together. “They’re frightened,” she murmured. “It’s hard not to be, with what they’ve seen.”

Mateo’s expression turned thoughtful as he looked back at her, a softness in his eyes that left her feeling both comforted and uneasy. “And you? You don’t seem as frightened as the others.”

María forced a light laugh, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe I’ve just learned to keep my head down and not let my imagination run wild.”

“Maybe,” he replied, though his gaze lingered on her, as if he sensed there was more beneath her words. His eyes fell on the faint stains in the dirt, and his brow furrowed. “It’s strange, isn’t it? The attacks. They’re… unnatural.”

María felt her pulse quicken, but she kept her tone steady. “Animals can be unpredictable. Sometimes the fear of the unknown makes things seem worse than they are.”

“But what if it isn’t just animals?” Mateo’s voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper. He looked back at her, his gaze intense. “There are stories… about things in the woods. Things that don’t belong here.”

Her chest tightened, and she fought the urge to step back, to put distance between them. “Stories,” she echoed, keeping her tone light. “But they’re just that—stories. Portovelo has always had its fair share of ghost tales and legends.”

Mateo gave her a half-smile, his eyes searching her face as if he could see past the walls she’d carefully built around herself. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “Sometimes I think there’s truth buried in legends. Especially in a place like this.”

For a long moment, silence stretched between them, charged with something unspoken. María felt herself drawn to his presence, to the warmth in his eyes, and it frightened her. She couldn’t afford to let anyone close, not when the curse lay buried so close to the surface, waiting for even the slightest c***k.

Finally, Mateo broke the silence. “Well, I’d better get going. Don Pedro asked me to help with some repairs at the mine. You know how he is—never one to let anyone rest for long.”

María managed a smile, feeling both relief and a pang of disappointment as he prepared to leave. “Then you’d better not keep him waiting. I’ve heard he’s a hard man to keep happy.”

Mateo chuckled, his eyes lighting up with amusement. “You’re not wrong about that. Take care, María. And… if you ever need someone to talk to, about all this… I’m around.”

She nodded, watching him as he turned and started down the path, his figure disappearing into the dappled shadows. She was left alone, the silence settling heavily around her. His words lingered, stirring a strange, unfamiliar ache. She felt both drawn to his kindness and deeply afraid of it. The last thing she wanted was to drag anyone, especially someone like Mateo, into the dark world she fought so hard to keep hidden.

Just as she turned to leave, her senses prickled, a tingling awareness that something was watching her. She whipped her head toward the trees, heart racing, but saw nothing—only shadows shifting in the breeze. Yet the feeling remained, an unsettling certainty that she was not alone.

Taking a slow, steadying breath, María began to walk back toward the inn, but her mind was troubled, her heart heavy with the weight of the curse she carried. She knew this peaceful lull in Portovelo wouldn’t last. And she could feel, with an instinct as sharp as her heightened senses, that something far worse was coming.