The Forest that Stole the moon
Chapter One: The Forest That Stole the Moon
The villagers believed there were places where even God had turned His face away.
Black Hollow Forest was one of them.
No one entered after sunset. Hunters refused to cross its borders, and children were warned never to speak its name after dark. Legends claimed the trees whispered the names of the dead, while the wind carried cries from souls that had wandered too deep into the cursed woods.
Some called it superstition.
Others knew better.
Every thousand years, when the Blood Moon rose, the forest awakened.
That night, the moon glowed a deep crimson, staining the sky like fresh blood. An unnatural silence spread across the valley. Birds stopped singing. Insects disappeared. Even the river seemed to hold its breath.
Then the wolves began to howl.
Their cries echoed through the mountains, sending fear into every heart. Doors slammed shut, candles were extinguished, and prayers filled every home.
Far beyond the village, deep inside Black Hollow Forest, stood the ruins of an ancient temple swallowed by twisted roots and vines. At its center rested a massive stone throne engraved with symbols no human could read.
Upon it sat a man.
His long black hair flowed over his shoulders, and his dark cloak covered most of his body. His eyes remained closed as though he had been asleep for centuries.
Then...
A single drop of blood fell from the crimson moon onto the stone before him.
His golden eyes snapped open.
The earth trembled.
The wolves fell silent.
"I can feel her..." he whispered, his voice carrying through the forest like distant thunder.
After a thousand years...
She had returned.
Miles away, in the quiet mountain village of Ashvale, twenty-two-year-old Lyra stirred uneasily in her bed.
She had dreamed of the same nightmare since childhood.
A towering black wolf stood beneath a blood-red moon, its golden eyes filled not with rage, but with heartbreaking sorrow.
Behind it lay a battlefield covered in fallen warriors, broken swords, and rivers of silver blood.
The wolf stepped toward her.
When it spoke, its voice sounded painfully familiar.
"Forgive me... I was too late."
Lyra jolted awake with a gasp.
Her heart pounded as sweat rolled down her face.
Outside her window, every dog in the village began barking at once.
Moments later, they all stopped.
The silence that followed was far more terrifying.
Unable to calm herself, Lyra stepped outside. The night air was cold, carrying the scent of pine and rain.
The Blood Moon hung high above the forest.
For a brief second, she thought she saw two glowing golden eyes watching her from the darkness beyond the trees.
She blinked.
They were gone.
Trying to convince herself it had been her imagination, she turned back toward her house.
Then a low growl echoed behind her.
Not from the forest...
But from the roof above her.
She slowly looked up.
A monstrous wolf, twice the size of any normal beast, crouched on the rooftop. Its silver eyes burned with hunger as saliva dripped from razor-sharp fangs.
It was not watching the village.
It was watching her.
The creature leaped.
Before it could reach Lyra, a deafening roar exploded through the night.
A massive black werewolf crashed into the silver beast, sending both monsters smashing through a stone wall.
The ground shook from the impact.
Villagers screamed and fled into their homes.
Lyra stood frozen in terror as the black werewolf slowly rose from the rubble.
Under the crimson moon, his golden eyes met hers.
For a long moment, the terrifying creature simply stared at her.
Then, in a voice deep enough to silence the entire forest, he spoke.
"I finally found you, my Moon Bride."
End of Chapter One
