A Heart of Nightmares

The deafening cacophony of the countless sounds of the vast surrounding jungle echoed in the cool, humid air, mingling with her own footsteps.

She turned her gaze from the huge, snow-white armored bear that served as her companion to admire the diversity of species around her. There were monkeys over ten feet tall, swinging between the immense branches. They had three tails to better propel themselves. Looking down, she saw a plant that seemed completely normal, but when a huge two-headed wolf passed over it, it transformed into a carnivorous plant that swallowed it whole, returning to normal as if nothing had happened.

Unfazed, Merry Darkwood continued on her way through the hostile environment, walking side by side with the bear.

Her companion snorted and quickened his pace, passing her.

"Ah, wait for me, Leod!" she cried as she caught up with the bear.

Leod took a few more steps before stopping abruptly, looking at the ground with what seemed to be disdain.

"What's wrong?" she asked, not expecting an answer, before looking at the spot Leod was pointing at.

She blinked as something bright reflected in her eyes, thin rays of sunlight piercing through the jungle canopy. The atmosphere of the forest was dark and heavy, with a terrifying beast potentially hiding in every shadow. To survive, one had to be constantly on guard, paying attention to the smallest details of the environment. Accidents were not uncommon, and a deep knowledge of the place was required. She still clearly remembered the stories of hunters who had mysteriously disappeared that she had been told during her training. They were only heard of in tales told to children to scare them from venturing into the forest.

Legends said that during the full moon, one could see the silhouette of these hunters deep in the jungle...

A fairy passed before her eyes, its wings shining with a soft radiance. Pulled out of her thoughts, Merry squinted and brought her hand closer to her find, but did not touch it directly.

"I almost forgot," she murmured before taking out gloves made of strange leather. She put them on before picking up the object carefully.

It was a small piece of mirror as blue as the night. On it, she could see faint traces of dried blood. It reflected a cascade of silver hair and hypnotic pale eyes. The mirrored girl's lips curved into a sinister smile as she exclaimed,

"Finally an interesting mystery! I was starting to get bored."