I awoke with duly measured caution, realizing that I was still tenaciously holding on to my existence.
With a colossal effort, I sought to rise from the inhospitable and icy ground; however, a sharp pain in my head stifled my attempt.
A pitiful wail escaped my lips, as my trembling fingers struggled to quell the source of my discomfort.
Through halting blinks, I scanned the surroundings that enveloped me, yearning to unveil the enigmas that lurked within its shadows.
I whispered in a murmur barely audible to my own ears:
"Where am I...have I been the victim of a swoon?"
However, as I turned my gaze to the darkest corner of the room, my eyes met again with that enigmatic man who watched me undaunted, radiating an unsettling calm.
It was he who, at the crucial moment, had offered me his complicit hand.
Nevertheless, an uncomfortable and alarming sensation took possession of my being, a disturbance without apparent cause.
Perhaps my ingratitude was the master of ceremonies in this gloomy theater of moods.
Fixing my gaze on the stranger, the words emerged from between my lips with a reverence tinged by a dismal echo:
"I express my gratitude for your assistance."
His response, however, plunged into the abyss of indolence:
"There is no reason to thank, therefore, there is no need to worry about it."
An oppressive silence hung over us, like a veil of declining darkness.
"You looked exhausted.
What events have brought you to this state? From what remote abyss do you emerge?" - The man inquired with an intrigue that exuded a hint of unease.
My trembling lips stammered, shrouded in the haze of confusion:
"I... I... don't know... I apologize" - I articulated still lost in the mists of mind.
"Are you ignorant of your own background?
you have confessed to have misplaced your course, but now I glimpse that the slope of your provenance is hidden in the enigmas of incomprehension" - whispered the man, as if unfathomable truths were hidden in his words....
The dark and hermetic castle stood majestically before my broken spirit, its imposing figure shrouded in shadows and abysmal secrets.
The macabre structure stood like a grim fortress, defying the passage of time and emanating an aura of unfathomable mystery.
I found myself immersed in an intricate labyrinth of ignorance, as if I had been dragged into a forgotten and unknown realm...
That gloomy and oppressive forest, whose twisted branches and withered leaves seemed to whisper ancient secrets, surrounded me mercilessly...
My mind wavered between confusion and horror, like a navigator lost in tumultuous and unknown waters.
Every step I took seemed to plunge me deeper into the abyss of oblivion, while an unsettling sense of danger lurked in every nook and cranny.
I searched desperately for answers, but these were jealously hidden in the innermost recesses of my presumed memory, as if protected by a supernatural barrier.
Beside me, the enigmatic stranger, bearer of unspeakable secrets and dressed in dark clothes that seemed to merge with the shadows, directed his penetrating gaze towards my being.
His deep-set eyes, charged with a sinister and ancient presence, seemed to delve into the depths of my soul. "The shadows have faded your memories" - he whispered in a suspenseful voice laden with ominous presence.
His words echoed in the air, as if they were reverberations of the echoes of forgotten times.
"Have you forgotten even your own name?" - he continued, unraveling the most vulnerable fibers of my being.
My lips trembled as I tried to articulate a response, but the words refused to emerge, stifled by the veil of uncertainty that surrounded me.
Amnesia had woven its web in the darkest and most hidden recesses of my mind, leaving me trapped in an inextricable tangle of confusion and unease.
I found myself in an abyss of oblivion, where the fragments of my past had vanished in a sepulchral silence, and I was left with only the hope of unraveling the enigmas that had led me to this mental helplessness.
"Have your family ties vanished too?" - inquired the enigmatic stranger, whose tone shrouded in a halo of inscrutable mystery resounded like a whisper imbued with hidden revelations.
"Where is the face of your loved ones hidden in the impassive shadows of your oblivion?"
A torrent of overflowing anguish flooded my eyes, which were surrendered to the oppression of pain, as I admitted in despair:
"No... I don't remember anything...".
The man, in his aura of enigma, let out a sigh that seemed to carry with it the burden of overwhelming disapproval, as if my forgetfulness were an unforgivable affront.
"Your despair of yesterday has given way to the quiet sojourn of oblivion" - he declared with a mixture of bitterness and concern, thus revealing his dissatisfaction with my state of oblivion and the somber uncertainty that enveloped me.
"But that doesn't matter anymore.
Now, listen carefully" - his words reverberated in the thick, uneasy air, like an ominous echo echoing in the depths of the abyss.
I found myself immersed in the depths of darkness, wandering through an intricate labyrinth of murky thoughts.
The stranger's words reverberated in my ears with a cryptic and ambiguous air, similar to the hieroglyphics of ancient civilizations.
My fears and doubts devoured me, dragging me like a lonely underdog in the vast ocean of foolishness.
I was fighting a fierce battle to find a glimmer of light amidst the thick fog of amnesia.
Certainty had completely disappeared, leaving me with no direction or clarity in my thoughts.
I could not fully comprehend his enigmatic insinuations, and his every word exposed my fragility, plunging me into ineffable anguish.
The castle, once a safe haven, had now become a deadly trap closing inexorably around me.
I felt the tightness squeezing my shoulders, certain that my only alternative was to plunge into the depths of unknowing.
Fear clung to me tenaciously, whispering nightmares deep inside me.
Every step into the unknown was fraught with uncertainty, but I could not turn back.
It was the price I had to pay to escape amnesia and unravel the enigmas that enveloped me, even if it meant delving into the darkest abysses of my existence.
Oh, please, cease your frivolous and banal behavior, young lady!
"Why should I find myself in danger if I were to make the decision to remain in this place?" - I boldly assert that I will cause no disturbance.
"I beg you, in desperation, to allow me to prolong my stay for a short time.
I undertake to withdraw as soon as the slightest opportunity presents itself to me" - I pleaded, imploring with full knowledge of the delicacy of the situation in which I was immersed.
"Child, I'm not trying to prevaricate" - she replied with a tone of voice that denoted some latent irritation.
My words had resonated in her being unexpectedly, and the air was charged with a palpable tension, as if a veil of discomfort was unfurling between us.
"No... It was not my intention to insinuate anything so reckless" - I hastened to reply, fearful of having offended his susceptibility.
I sought to rectify any misunderstanding, aware that the fragile balance of that place was teetering on the edge of precipitation.
"A vampire dwells in the vicinity..." - He continued, emphasizing each word with a cadence that sent shivers down my spine.
The name of that accursed creature echoed in the air, invoking images of sinister shadows and unfathomable horrors.
"Vampire?" - I inquired cautiously, feeling dread take hold of me, snaking through my veins.
The mention of that supernatural being awakened ancestral fears, fueled by narratives whispered in the most grotesque gloom, when reality and fantasy intertwine.
"Are you unaware of its true nature?" - he replied with evident surprise, as if my ignorance would prove incomprehensible in those domains permeated with inscrutable secrets.
His words revealed the true essence of those sinister creatures, inhuman entities hiding under the guise of humans, eager to quench their insatiable thirst for blood and vitality.
An ineffable shiver, like a remote echo of ancestral terrors, snaked through the recesses of my being, as the man's words faded into the stale air that permeated the room.
Barely a whisper, delicate as a stray sigh, escaped my lips:
"A Rokurobuki?".
Fear, like an invisible but tangible entity, imprisoned me with its icy steel claws, bristling my skin in a sinister dance, worthy of macabre rituals.
"Understood. I will leave immediately" - I answered hastily, aware that I should not increase the grief of the man who, until then, had been my only lifeline in this inscrutable abyss of unimaginable nightmares.
However, to persist in calling him "you", as I had done so far, seemed increasingly insufficient, even inappropriate in the face of the blackness that lurked.
His youth was evident, apparently only a few years separated me from him.
from him.
However, it was hard for me to find the right words to address him in any other way.
Moreover, on one occasion, it was he himself who considered me a "child," condescendingly descending into the fragility of my existence, as if I were a delicate puppet in a world of cosmic terrors.
The instant of revelation manifested itself with a sudden unexpectedness, as I carefully lifted myself from that disfigured bed.
In my trembling hands I held the fragment of purple cloth that had served as an improvised bed.
A shudder twisted in my spine as I noticed the dark and viscous blood stains that profaned it, disturbing signs of the evil events that had taken place in that hidden corner of darkness.
A blush of shame flooded my countenance as I returned that impure object to him.
"I should purify it before restoring it" - I stammered timidly, hoping that the cleaning action would mitigate, at least in part, the helplessness that enveloped us.
"It is not necessary" - he pronounced firmly, tearing the fabric from my hands with astonishing indifference.
He remained seated in his cloistered refuge, a grim figure that seemed rooted in the very essence of the place.
His apparent serenity contrasted eerily with the oppressive atmosphere that saturated that execrable room.
Driven by an almost unhealthy curiosity, I ventured to ask him to share his name with me.
However, the answer I got was not what I expected.
"It is not necessary" - his words reverberated with authority in the air, like a sinister and dreadful echo.
It was then that his words took on an even more sinister tinge, enveloping me in an atmosphere of unspeakable terror.
"Yesterday, as you entered the castle, you were cautious, but you could not perceive my presence.
I do not blame you, however, if you are cautious, you must be even more cautious.
One false step and all will be irrevocably lost," she warned in a voice that seemed to emerge from the very depths of a nightmare.
I nodded, fully aware of the danger that lurked in those gloomy, shadow-shrouded corners.
However, his words were not extinguished in that instant.
"You must also be extremely cautious about the part you are to narrate in this novel.
By studying the castle minutely, you might prolong its duration, lengthen your suffering" - she whispered with thinly veiled malice.
"Do not give yourself up to the imprudence of entrusting the whole narrative to me.
Perhaps, in your candor, you are the most suitable protagonist" - he added with an expression committed to his macabre work.
Despite the darkness that enveloped me, I accepted the challenge with firmness.
"I will do everything in my power" - I answered with an unwavering voice, ready to face the horrors that lurked.
Nevertheless, I couldn't resist getting carried away by the strange atmosphere that had been woven around us, and let out a joke that transcended the bounds of reality.
"Although I doubt I'm the protagonist in the least..." - I muttered, feeling the fourth wall inexplicably break.
Thus, in stony silence, I left the room without another word being uttered.
I descended the stairs with cautious steps, perceiving how the air became oppressive around me, while the gloomy castle slowly faded behind me. A deep melancholy gripped my heart, a feeling that crept like a shadow across my entire being.
I hurried my steps, a strange urgency was taking hold of me, as if the very walls of the castle guarded dark secrets that threatened to engulf me. The conversation I had engaged in with that enigmatic individual, both in days past and in the present, echoed persistently in my mind.
His words, enigmatic and ambiguous, slithered like poisonous snakes through the intricate labyrinth of my thoughts.
Despite his apparent indifference to my situation and my opinions, I felt a strange excitement bubbling inside me, as if he was about to unveil something momentous.
When I saw him for the first time, his gaze, with eyes of deep, inscrutable crimson, pierced the barriers of my being until it reached my innermost core.
A shiver ran down my spine and a previously unknown uneasiness gripped me, as if a sharp sword threatened to slowly and mercilessly mow down my existence, carving my throat with every beat of my heart. However, the apprehension that seized me did not come solely from his physical presence; it was something else, something ineffable and sinister that lurked in the shadows of his being.
Her hair, tangled and black as the unfathomable depths, fell chaotically over her shoulders.
The pallor of his skin, with a complexion so diaphanous that it bordered on the supernatural, highlighted the fine and delicate features of his face, whose perfection bordered on the feminine without leaving any doubt as to his masculine nature.
Dressed in a loose-fitting white shirt with long sleeves, the fabric fitted smoothly to his figure, while the cuffs and bottom hem were tailored with almost supernatural precision.
Black pants, cinched at his waist by a brown leather belt festooned with a metal buckle, extended to black leather boots.
These boots, with their metal buckles and worn soles, seemed to be the bearers of dark and sinister tales of walks along sidewalks that strayed into the gloom.
Their garments also comprised a breastplate and backplate of rusted metal, profusely ornamented with enigmatic motifs and detailed engravings. The rust marks visible in places hinted at prolonged use over the centuries, as if it had wandered forgotten lands for ages immemorial.
The gloves she wore showed noticeable wear at the fingertips, revealing their persistent use over the ages.
In addition, I could see that she wore a coat of fine silk of a deep purple, whose subtle sheen contrasted strikingly with her moon-pale complexion.
Despite the small rips and tears in certain areas, which exposed the seductive black fabric hidden underneath, the cape maintained its unchanging elegance, without losing a shred of its irresistible charm.
It seemed to have been expertly crafted in a moment that transcended the limits of time…
What really caught the eye, however, was her leather necklace adorned with a silver cross at its heart, giving her a touch of security in the gloom.
Her appearance was absolutely anomalous, even disturbing.
I wondered about his purpose in that castle, how he could remain there unchanged.
And what was even more disturbing? Why was I totally incapable of questioning his presence?
The conception that it was an undead being crept across my mind like a gloomy shadow, spreading its evil influence.
Who really was this enigmatic figure that defied the limits of human comprehension?
What was the real intention that had led him to that hidden and mysterious place?
Never before had he glimpsed someone with such an inscrutable appearance that transcended mere eccentricity.
Although perhaps, in some dark corner of my memory, vaguely resurfaced memories of an old volume, leafed through years ago, which contained similar images, thus feeding my bewilderment…
That individual, to all appearances, seemed to have emerged from a realm outside everyday reality, a being whose existence defied the logic and conventions of the earthly world.
Was it real or just a manifestation of my deepest fears, a macabre projection of my own psyche?
Despite all the shadows of uncertainty that hung over my spirit, I refused to give in to the hooves of mistrust.
That enigmatic figure had reached out to help when the world had turned its back on me.
I could not be, therefore, like the other human beings who populate my existence, I could not fit into the established molds....
Besides... Who, in the end, has the right to judge what is real and what is not in this vast universe?
This question, like a sinister echo, reverberated inside me, sowing the seed of a restlessness that seemed to drag me inexorably towards the abysses of madness.
And... something peculiar was happening.
I could not find in my memories the precise moment when that enigmatic figure rose from the shadows, as if suspended in an altered reality, alien to the laws that govern space and time. Was something still awaiting me... that escaped my apprehension, my parsimonious earthly knowledge?
Each moment shared with that mysterious presence plunged me deeper and deeper into an abyss of uneasiness and confusion.
A lurking darkness, permeated with a sinister aura, seemed to envelop us, suffocating me and sowing in my being an unsettling sense of unease and fear that undermined the foundations of my own sanity.
Yet, in spite of everything, something prevented me from detaching myself from that enigmatic influence which, in turn, stirred in me an amalgam of opposing emotions: fascination and repulsion, attraction and rejection.
The only option left to me, the only way forward, was to persevere in waiting, even if my spirit trembled and my sanity was questioned.
As my steps wandered without a fixed direction, a storm of questions troubled my mind even more, entangling itself in the intricate threads of uncertainty.
However, the lack of orientation did not manage to overwhelm me; I had made the decision to continue south once again, convinced that this was the most sensible option in such a sinister place.
Who knows if among the shadows that hid the landscape there was a path that would lead me back to civilization, a path that, due to fatigue and the prevailing darkness, had eluded the perception of my weary footsteps.
Now, a new vitality seemed to flow in my veins, revitalizing me completely and healing wounds I was not even aware of having suffered.
However, a mournful memory of the previous night crept into my consciousness, threatening to fade the fragile peace I had found.
Had he been the one who had watched over my wounds?
It was the most plausible explanation, but a tangle of doubt surrounded its authenticity. Why would he have withheld his help?
No trace of such benevolent assistance found shelter in the recesses of my memory, nor did I discover tangible evidence of his intervention.
Every attempt to rescue some glimpse of that night only engendered even more disturbing details, twisted in their uniqueness and devoid of a convincing explanation.
Besides, how was it possible that my wounds had healed so hastily? Shouldn't there have been some trace, some vestige in my flesh to testify to the suffering I had endured?
Uncertainty clung to my being like an insidious shadow, haunting my every thought and leaving me with the feeling that the truth was hidden in the deepest abysses of the unknown.
I paused briefly to assess my condition, and to my bewilderment, I did not perceive a single mark on my dermis, nor any trace of the dried blood that must have been the inseparable companion of my wounds. The situation plunged me into perplexity, but I made an internal promise to myself not to allow it to consume me.
It was imperative to remain calm, clear my mind and find a solution that would allow me to avoid the abyss that threatened to engulf me in its unfathomable vortex.
I stopped reflecting on the threads that had led me to such infernal torment and concentrated all my attention on the pressing need to find a way out.
I cautiously observed the position of the sun, avoiding its glare to flagellate my eyes.
Its trajectory, majestic and merciless, was leaning westward, announcing the imminent sunset that lurked between 6 and 7 p.m.
The firmament, tinged with ominous clouds, proclaimed the arrival of an inexorable end, as if the celestial forces were taking pity on my misfortune and tracing the limits of my misfortune with their implacable brush.
Despite the oppression of the pain that besieged me, as well as the hunger and thirst that sapped my vigor, I could not stop.
An indomitable force propelled me forward, an iron will that defied the limits of my endurance.
Deep within me, a glimmer of hope clung to the possibility of finding a way out, a path that would rescue me from the clutches of doom.
So, I stood up with determination, leaving behind me the bitterness of despair and bravely facing the challenges that stretched out on the uncertain horizon, like shadows of an inscrutable destiny.
The magnificence and merciless trajectory of that path seemed to lean towards the west, foreshadowing the imminent sunset that lurked in the late afternoon.
The firmament, in its eerie splendor, was tinged with ominous clouds that proclaimed the inexorable arrival of a somber outcome.
In spite of the affliction that afflicted me, as well as the hunger and thirst that consumed me, I was not allowed to stop. I continued on my way for a long distance, while a disturbing certainty seized me, as if I were entering the unknown abysses of existence itself.
Finally, I reached the narrow path I had spotted in the gloom of the previous day.
It was my only option to continue, although its intricate and challenging appearance instilled in me a latent intimidation.
On either side of the path, majestic trees stood like silent guardians, while tiny creatures crept stealthily in search of shelter.
As I reached the end of that desolate path, the route seemed to vanish into the darkness, becoming inaccessible and impenetrable.
A shiver ran down my spine as I faced the sensation of failure, the crushing defeat inflicted once again by the inscrutable impetus that inhabited that inhospitable realm.
However, just as I was about to turn around and abandon myself to despair, something caught my attention in the distance.
It was something sinister and out of place, a presence that defied the laws of the already precarious consonance and balance in that desolate setting.
My eyes scanned the surroundings, barely glimpsing through the elusive trees, and there, in the shadows, I could discern the silhouette of a lake.
A small lake that radiated a strange, sickly presence.
The promise of refuge and respite stretched before me, but to reach its shore required descending a steep slope of at least 20 meters... madness, undoubtedly, but there was no alternative. Shadows loomed menacingly on the horizon and time was running out.
Lacking adequate tools to secure my descent, I surrendered to my instinct and precarious skills, ready to defy the laws of gravity and sanity.
Each step became a titanic struggle against the treacherous slope.
My hands, trembling from the effort and uncertainty, desperately searched for a handhold among the jagged rocks.
Every muscle in my body roared in agony as I clung to the hope of surviving the avernal descent.
Pain intertwined with determination, forming a symphony of sacrifice in my being.
Gravity, cruel and merciless, tried to throw me into the abyss, but my will resisted with fervor in the face of imposing adversity.
Time seemed to dilate, stretching out in a maelstrom of anxiety and despair.
Nevertheless, I persisted, pushing my physical and mental limits in pursuit of reaching that enigmatic lake, where the dark vitality awaited with its hidden secrets.
Each instant became an eternity of effort and hope, a silent battle between human frailty and the challenge of the hostile environment.
Finally, after a fierce struggle that defied the limits of my endurance, my weary feet found a longed-for point of solidity on the solemn base of the steep slope.
A liberating sigh escaped from my chest, while my gaze, charged with exhaustion and hope, glimpsed the profile of the riverbank, which awaited with immutable mystery.
With determination and longing, I rushed towards the descent, embracing the slope with the recklessness of one who rushes into the embrace of the unknown.
The surroundings seemed to imprison my breath and surrender to absolute silence, as if the cosmos itself, overwhelmed by my audacity, had suspended its bisbiseo.
My exhausted body rocked in an enigmatic stillness, prostrated in a vortex of inherent chaos, captive of a dense and enigmatic atmosphere, which enveloped the senses with its unreal power.
The oppressive gloom enveloped my being, while again unintelligible whispers crept furtively from the shadowy folds, feeding the abysses of my deepest fears.
Nevertheless, I refused to surrender to the horror that stalked me with insatiable avidity.
Despite the fact that my attire was unequivocally inadequate for such a reckless undertaking, I entered with foolish courage, defying the sinister forces that seemed to mock my intrepid gesture.
My hands, scarred by wounds and abrasions, clung desperately to the stony ledges that vanished beneath my sweaty palm.
My mind was clouded by vertigo and uncertainty, but the fire of determination burned unperturbed in the depths of my being.
And then, the moment came when my fingers met the abyss, with nothing to hold on to.
It was a precipice into eternity, an inescapable test of my worth and courage.
With my heart pounding in my throat, I slid cautiously, my muscles tense like ropes on the verge of breaking.
Every inch represented a battle, a struggle against relentless transcendence and inexorable destiny.
Every second dragged on in endless agony as I approached the abyss, fully aware that only one last leap separated me from my longed-for goal.
With a stifled scream in my throat, I launched myself into the unknown, my mind populated by terrifying images of what awaited me on the other side.
However, I fell prey to an abrupt fall that caused me to experience a stabbing pain.
I struggled to stand, despite the wounds on my hands.
Blood gushed sparingly from my left hand, while my legs and hands trembled more intensely.
With tenacity, I slowly stood up and continued my journey, fully aware that I had to reach the lake to purify my wounds and rest for a short time. I staggered forward, although I tried to keep my breathing calm, inhaling and exhaling calmly.
The path became more and more favorable as I advanced, facilitating my progress.
After walking a few meters and passing a couple of trees, the proximity of the lake finally revealed itself before my eyes, like an oasis in the midst of uncertainty and darkness.
It was, without a doubt, a lake whose fleeting appearance filled me with exhilaration, prompting me to accelerate my pace.
At last, I was facing the waters of the lake, experiencing an amalgam of relief and joy.
Kneeling humbly, I bent my hands to drink directly from the water's surface.
While I recognize that this action may not have been the most prudent, as I was unaware of the water's potability, I can argue in my defense that its appearance was limpid and crystalline.
Settling myself on the shore, I drew my knees up to my chest as I looked at the wounds and scratches on my limbs. I dipped my hands into the water, longing to purify them, and tore a piece of cloth from the bottom of my kimono.
With extreme caution, I knotted it around my left hand, which was still oozing blood.
My clothing was in a pitiful state; the kimono was stained and torn in several places.
There was nothing I could do about it, so I just resigned myself to contemplating my sorry condition.
I took a brief pause, about 15 minutes, while I tried to preserve some water for later.
Unfortunately, given my circumstances and limitations, such an undertaking was impossible.
How could I survive without any resources?
I stood up again and gazed at the vast sky, whose hues were beginning to tinge with darkness.
No doubt the imaginary clock read about 7 p.m. or perhaps a little later.
I tried to record in my memory the details of the environment around me, in case they might prove useful at some point. I could only make out nearby trees and the slope I had descended on the trail.
Nothing else of relevance appeared before my eyes, everything seemed monotonous and excessively similar.
I contemplated the possibility of erecting a makeshift shelter, but an inexplicable feeling whispered to me that it was more appropriate to continue my advance.
After regaining some of my vigor, I continued my march, heading into the sunset.
After a few minutes, something absolutely implausible happened, something that defied all logic and lacked any established coherence.
Once again, I found myself facing the steep slope I had descended in moments past.
Nevertheless, a nagging doubt took hold of my reasoning :
Was it the same slope or, perhaps, a similar one?
Its mere existence seemed to defy all known logic.
With a mixture of confusion and anxiety, I decided to continue my way south, ready to unveil the hidden enigmas of that mysterious place.
Suddenly, my eyes met the lake, unfolding in front of me like an ominous and fearsome aquatic mass.
Was that the same lake I had left behind?
The question echoed in my mind with disturbing insistence.
The idea of being trapped in a meaningless labyrinth began to insinuate itself, triggering a sense of hallucination and paranoia.
Despite my insecurity, I continued my advance, this time facing north in a desperate attempt to find a way out.
My pace became accelerated, almost frantic, as if something sinister lurked in the shadows, pursuing me with a relentless thirst for disturbance.
However, cruel fate seemed to mock my efforts, leading me again and again back to the same places, as if time and space were entangled in a macabre dance.
In an act of desperation, my hand clutched at the branches that lay abandoned on the ground, detached from the tangled trees that guarded the forest.
They were sturdy branches, twisted by the cruelty of the environment, at least a meter long each.
With determination, I grasped three of them, feeling their roughness and vibrating rigor under my trembling fingers.
Armed with these precarious sticks, I continued my wanderings, trying to mark the path and cling to a thread of control amidst the growing darkness that enveloped my soul.
I stuck the first branch into the earth near the lake, burying my hopes and desires in the damp soil.
However, fate seemed to gloat over my despair, for as I advanced, I repeated the ritual twice more, sticking a branch in each path I followed.
Moving deeper into the arboreal labyrinth without clear guidance, my steps became more uncertain and hesitant.
With each advance, a disturbing revelation began to take shape before my astonished eyes: all the paths seemed to converge in the same places I had already visited.
Branches I had buried in the earth emerged again and again, like twisted shadows mocking my anguish.
I found myself paralyzed before the situation before my eyes, an indescribable horror that seemed to imprison me in its macabre yoke.
My attempts to escape the torment that surrounded me led me to explore different directions: north, east, south and west.
However, no matter which path I took, they all seemed to converge towards three ominous routes.
It was an incomprehensible phenomenon, something that defied all known logic and plunged into the abysses of the supernatural.
As I watched carefully, I managed to glimpse an enigmatic scheme that governed this gloomy anomaly.
Was I, by my mere existence, the cause of this nightmare that enveloped me? A disturbing theory arose in me, an insidious presentiment that whispered disturbing truths to my spirit.
I decided to put my theory to the test, bravely heading in the four main directions, keeping the cursed places in my mind: the trail, the slope and the lake.
No matter which way I turned, I was convinced that, in some dark and sinister way, I would be drawn into one of these infamous places.
It might seem foolish, but it was the ominous pattern this abomination that stalked me followed.
After making that determination, I ventured intrepidly along each of the paths, keeping the cursed places unalterable in my mind.
And to my disquiet, my predictions came true with macabre precision, with no margin for error.
The occasions when I found myself in those cursed places (4x3) coincided exactly with my sinister predictions.
This experience left me bewildered and bewildered, mired in a tangle of displeasure and fear.
I could find no explanation for this strange anomaly that seemed to envelop me like a malevolent shadow; was it possible that, with the inscrutable influence of my dalliances, I was altering the very course of the forest?
It was a chilling thought, but the only explanation my tormented mind could conceive in the midst of this abominable nightmare.
Was this an inexorable fate, a curse hanging over me?
I submitted myself to more tests, but in one of them, restlessness took hold of my being..... As I walked, I stopped as I contemplated a pair of swallows fluttering overhead.
It was an unusual scene in that dense and dreary forest, which fueled my restlessness and uneasiness.
However, this singularity no longer surprised me as much as the dark and persistent situation in which I found myself, as if something sinister was condemning me to wander eternally lost in this state of endless nightmare...
I thoroughly checked my back to make sure I wasn't carrying around a bulky backpack or an extravagant hairdo with pigtails, and to my relief, I found none of those things.
"I'm no snail girl," I whispered with a hint of humor, though my words barely managed to alleviate my growing unease.
I proceeded with purposeful stride, firmly intent on reaching the slope that was my unpublished becoming.
However, in a strange turn of events, my attention was diverted along the way, and I found myself wandering through one of three random locations.
The forest seemed to have a will of its own, toying with my senses and diverting me from my intended course.
Although I tried to focus my mind on the desired goal, I found myself hopelessly trapped on the edge of the lake once again.
Despair began to take hold of my being, embracing me with its sturdy hooves.
In my eagerness to find an escape route, I scrutinized every corner of my mind in search of a strategy capable of counteracting this inexplicable phenomenon.
However, my hopes were dashed, as all my efforts proved to be in vain and fruitless.
Every attempt to devise an escape plan turned out to be a resounding failure, and I was dragged again and again to the same three places, no matter which direction I took or how much I pondered about it.
At that moment, a grim truth came over my consciousness, as if an invisible presence was whispering in the depths of my being: there was no choice but to analyze and assimilate all the information I had gathered up to that moment.
With a sharp mind and steely determination, I began to enumerate the factors that had emerged from this strange experience:
1. three places exerted an ominous control over the becoming of my existence:
the trail, the slope, and the lake.
2. If I kept firmly in my mind the purpose of heading towards any of them, regardless of the sinuosities of the path, the result would be inevitable.
3. Any external distraction, no matter how insignificant, had the power to divert my thoughts and lead me inexorably toward one of the three randomly cursed places.
4. Cardinal directions, whether north, east, south, or west, seemed fruitless....
5. Even if I tried to leave the forest, I would be drawn uncontrollably toward one of these three places, with random but relentless precision.
6. Apparently, there was no obvious solution to this macabre enigma that trapped me in its suffocating embrace....
As I pondered these revelations, an icy feeling came over me. The forest appeared as a malevolent being, a dark and twisted entity that delighted in manipulating my existence and mocking my desperate attempts to flee.
A suffocating oppression clung to my soul, and the idea of being trapped in this endless cycle, condemned to repeat over and over again the same sequence of events....
It was obvious that there was no escape route from this tortuous loop.
Something I had not noticed until now is that, despite the fact that hours had passed and I felt exhausted, the firmament remained unchanged.
I had not experienced any change, as if time itself had stopped.
Although the firmament pointed to 8 p.m., it could not be reliable; it should have advanced at least until midnight…
This situation is becoming more and more entangled, every moment that passes is a process of decadence.
I must find the answer to this enigma that defies logic and the conventions of what we know.
It seems an impossible undertaking, perhaps it is... but I am determined to face it and confront this manifestation of evil.
The dilemma lies in how to achieve it; I do not have the slightest notion of how to do it?
I almost want to shed tears of despair and frustration, but I must maintain my composure at all times.
After countless attempts, I returned to the lake one last time and, facing its shores, I drank from its waters to keep myself hydrated. I rested briefly by the lake before standing up a few minutes later and beginning my hypothesis: I had to return to the castle from which I had departed that afternoon.
If I couldn't leave the forest, then I should head for the castle.
It was inside and, I suppose it is possible, and I sincerely hope, that staying there was my most vehement desire.
Ah, I mean... it was the safest place.
I rejoined the path and headed north, but this time with the purpose of returning to the castle...
As I advanced towards my destination, I began to question the reason for my need to visit those three specific places.
I had no clear answer, so I could only evoke how I felt in each of them.
Each place evoked different emotions:
On the trail, I experienced determination and security, as if I were following the right path, but something inside me raised doubts about its veracity....
On the slope, I could only perceive a sense of danger and risk, which led me to question my ability to reach my objective...
As for the lake, it gave me a feeling of tranquility and calm, as if in its waters I could find a supposed rest and renewal of strength.
However, now I realized that perhaps it was only a false goal, because I was not getting any closer to my objective...
In the tumult of my reflections, I am assailed by a disturbing question:
Who is the ultimate authority to dictate what is real and what is not? Are we, perhaps, mere architects of our own truth and authenticity?
As I was deep in thought, the soft trill of swallows burst into my reverie, shaking me out of my reverie.
When I looked up, I was perplexed to realize that the firmament had plunged into oppressive darkness, as if midnight had reclaimed its sovereign throne.
A shiver snaked down my spine, but I could not allow fear to imprison me.
With determination, I hurried toward the imposing castle that stood majestically before me.
Finally, I reached the threshold of the castle and, without hesitation, I pounded vehemently on the wooden door with my fist.
In the blink of an eye, the door swung wide open, revealing its lord and master.
It was him, an enigmatic being holding the door with one hand, hiding the sinister interior of the castle.
His posture was firm, imposing, and his gaze seemed to pierce the bar riers of the soul.
With an icy tone but imbued with a subtle hint of intrigue, he questioned me:
"Who are you?"
In that instant, all my confidence vanished in a breath, leaving me unable to articulate a response.
Despite this, I summoned the last reserves of courage and, in a trembling but determined voice, responded:
"I am... Kyoko."
Silence took over the atmosphere, while the halo of mystery and disturbance thickened around us....
