Later that day, Nora went to Ivy’s favorite spot by the lake. It was the place they’d gone to since childhood, a secluded area where they could talk about anything and everything.

She wandered, her eyes scanning the ground, hoping for some clue. And then, she spotted it. Ivy’s bracelet, the one she always wore.

Nora bent down, picking it up. The silver bracelet was cold in her hand, and she noticed a strange symbol etched inside—something that looked like a twisted tree.

“What is this?” she whispered to herself. She had never seen anything like it before.

Suddenly, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She spun around. Someone’s watching me.

Her breath caught in her throat as she scanned the area, but there was no one. Just the rustling of leaves in the wind.

She quickly pocketed the bracelet and turned to leave. As she walked back toward the path, she felt a lingering sense of unease, as if the world around her had shifted.