When she came to, a deep darkness surrounded her. She could barely see the trees in front and barely taste the ground.
As she looked around, she noticed a small path twisting, turning and weaving in between the tree trunks. The path was clearer and more visible, as if lit up by a weak light similar to fireflies.
Step by step she tread the path, carefully placing one foot in front of the other. When Roots tried to wrap around her ankles to trip her, she avoided them narrowly.
As she walked along, she felt the world twist and turn in tandem with the path. Shadows seemed to come alive, climbing further and further up the tree trunks until only the path was still visible.
And soon after, the path led only into darkness. She had reached an end to the light, wether a physical or merely visual end, she was lost.
Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to burst forth in an unstoppable waterfall.
Yet instead of a torrent, merely a light sob erupted. One so quiet, that even in the absolute stillness of this empty forest, it was barely audible.
Finally, droplets hit the barely visible ground at her feet, splattering and leaving wet spots in the dirt and on the tip of her boots.
When her hopelessness was about to strangle her, a shadow curled around her legs up toward her neck. With a sudden tug, she was awoken from her wails. In panic, she turned around a little too fast. The hood that covered her head flew off into the darkness. Soon after, the bag around her waist followed.
More and more Shadows came to swallow her, all of them feeling more alive then ever before. Countless hands crept toward her meager belongings. She felt them tugging at her clothes, pulling in every direction. The shadows were fighting over who would rob her of the little that she had.
The shadows grew more desperate, more aggresive, with each passing second. First they pulled at her arms and legs, then they tried to pull out her hair. Some even poked at her eyes nose ears and some even tried to pry her mouth open.
She tried to scream but was too scared. Her eyes, which were ripped wide open in shock when the shadows first harrassed her, were now shut close in desperation. She struggled to break free with whatever forces she could muster, but she was too weak, too ovewhelmed by these shadowy things.
Then without warning, a warm light shone on her face and all the shadows rushed away, disappearing as if their ealier antics were a mere lie, a mirage.
She opened her eyes, her cheeks still wet from the numerous tears that had flown down her face. A young boy appeared in her vision. He, along with their now calm surroundings, were illuminated by a hurricane lantern in his hand. He wore simple garments, dark grey trousers and a jacket stuffed with fur, yet no shoes framed his slender feet.
His golden locks and beaming blue eyes gave the impression of a cloudless sky surronded by endless sunshine. And shine they did, to the point that the girl questioned if the light was cast by his hair instead of the lantern.
His face switched emotions quicker than a throat could be slit. From confusion to curiosity and from curiosity to unbridled joy.
"Hello." his beaming smile presented a blinding light in the endless darkness the girl had gotten lost in.
"Im Adam, who are you?"
"... I-" a short pause broke her train of thougts, "Im Alyce".