The Dark Bond Chapter 1 --Shatterd Night

 Here’s Chapter 1 of "The Dark Bond":

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--Chapter 1: The Shattered Night 

The village of Thornshade sat on the edge of an ancient forest, a place where shadows whispered secrets and the trees seemed alive with unseen power. For centuries, the villagers lived in uneasy harmony with the forest, warned never to stray too far after dark. It was said that those who ventured too deep would encounter the Bond, an ancient force born of darkness and despair.Lena, a sharp-eyed hunter with raven-black hair, was Thornshade's most daring resident. She didn’t believe in the tales the elders told. To her, the forest was just another hunting ground. “Stories are for children,” she would say, her voice tinged with defiance.But everything changed on the night of the Blood Moon.---Lena had set out late in the afternoon to track a wounded stag. The fading daylight painted the world in hues of gold and crimson, and the forest felt unnervingly silent. Even the usual rustling of leaves and chirping of crickets were absent. She shrugged off the unease and pressed deeper into the woods, her bow at the ready.By the time she found the stag’s tracks, darkness had fallen, and the moon hung heavy and red in the sky. Lena crouched low, examining the prints. They were fresh. She followed them to a clearing, her breath catching as she spotted the animal collapsed near a strange stone altar. The stag was still alive but unmoving, its eyes wide with terror.The altar was unlike anything Lena had ever seen. Made of black stone that seemed to drink in the moonlight, it was carved with intricate runes that pulsed faintly, as if alive. The air around it buzzed with an unnatural energy, and Lena’s instincts screamed for her to leave.But something held her there.A voice—soft, melodic, yet chilling—echoed in her mind.“You have come far, hunter. Do you seek the bond?”Lena stumbled back, her bow raised. “Who’s there?” she demanded, her voice trembling. The shadows around the altar shifted, coalescing into the shape of a figure cloaked in darkness. Its face was obscured, but its presence was overwhelming.“You are bold,” the voice continued, ignoring her question. “But even boldness has a price.”Lena felt a pull deep within her chest, as though invisible threads were tethering her to the altar. She tried to move, to flee, but her legs wouldn’t obey. The figure extended a hand, and the air seemed to crackle.“Do you accept?” it asked, though Lena had no idea what it meant.“I don’t want anything from you!” she shouted, panic rising.The figure tilted its head, as if amused. “Oh, but you’ve already taken the first step. The bond is forged when courage meets fate.”Before Lena could respond, a searing pain shot through her arm. She looked down to see a mark burning itself into her skin—a spiral of black lines forming a pattern she couldn’t recognize. The pain was unbearable, and darkness consumed her vision.---When Lena awoke, she was lying on the forest floor, the stag and the altar nowhere to be seen. Her arm throbbed where the mark had appeared, but the forest seemed normal again. Birds chirped, and sunlight streamed through the canopy.She stumbled back to Thornshade, clutching her arm. The villagers gasped when they saw her.“Lena,” the village elder said, her voice heavy with dread. “What have you done?” “I don’t know,” Lena whispered, her mind racing.The elder pointed to her arm. “That mark… it is the Dark Bond. You’ve awakened it.”“What does that mean?” Lena asked, fear creeping into her voice.The elder’s face darkened. “It means the forest has claimed you. And soon, it will claim us all.”

---To be continued...

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