rs. Gable's bakery by mid-morning, and the salty air carried the laughter of children playing near the harbor in the afternoons. But since the recent storms and the

iendly nods she had initially received from the townsfolk now seemed tinged with a curious scrutiny. Conversations would

rints found near the logging trails, strange howls echoing from the deeper pines – were circulating in hushed tones at the Mariner's Rest tavern. Old Man Hemlock, the town'

oesn't she? Bad luck clings to that house..." one woman murmured to another outside the general store, their eyes flicking towards Avery before the

er, Nina's sharp intellect and unwavering loyalty had led her to a more open-minded stance. She had noticed Avery's genuine distress and the almost feverish intensity

e increasingly surreal situation. "A large dog, or a deer moving quickly." But even as she spoke the words, A

nd folklore at the town library, a small, dusty building filled with the scent of aged paper and forgotten tales. She had unearthed vague references to unusual creatures inhabiting t

rnings to Avery, a deeper concern etched in her moss-agate eyes. "Be careful, child," she had cautioned during Ave

lette of her current reality. Instead, she found herself sketching the stark lines of the pines against the stormy sky, the shadowy depths beneath their branches, and t

arguing heatedly with a group of his peers. His voice was strained, his face pale. "It wasn't no ordinary animal," he insisted, his hands gesturing wildly. "It

a seed of doubt in their eyes, a reluctance to dismiss his claims entirely. The incident hung in

r. The glowing eyes... it couldn't be a coincidence. The shadow creature, whatever it was, was not confined to the d

own that lurked just beyond the familiar boundaries of their lives. Doors were bolted earlier, lanterns burned brighter in the windows at night, and

nsettling curiosity that now consumed Avery. The quiet retreat to Alerion's Edge had become a descent into a world of shadows and secrets, and the unease in the town was a mirror reflecting the growing turmoil within her own h