The night was oppressively dark, as though the sky itself had forgotten the stars. A veil of thick, ominous clouds blocked any hint of moonlight, leaving the world drenched in blackness. The air was cold, biting at Eloise's skin, and she could feel the dampness clinging to her as if the very ground beneath her feet was soaked with moisture. Each step felt sluggish as her boots sank slightly into the marshy earth, adding weight to her already growing sense of dread. Her breath came in shallow gasps, misting faintly in the frigid air.
Eloise had no idea where she was or how she had come to be here. All she knew was that she was standing in an endless sea of tall grasses. The stalks towered over her, their tops swaying in the cold wind like silent sentinels, hiding whatever lay beyond them.
