Where the Curse Never Was

Previously

…I looked back at the spot where the figure had stood. The darkness seemed thicker now, more watchful. I knew, with a chilling certainty, that this was not the end of my pursuit. It was only the beginning. The watcher was a clue, a vital piece of a puzzle I was determined to solve. And the shriek from the village… it was a stark reminder that the night, and its dangers, were far from over. I turned, my resolve hardened, and ran back towards the heart of Iluwa, towards the source of the terror, towards the truth that lay hidden in the shadows. The Harvest Moon, now high and blinding, seemed to illuminate not just the path ahead, but the darkness that lurked within my own village.