Prologue
"Lilith Winslow"

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The Winslow Residence ━━ 2017

THE WINSLOW FAMILY dinner table buzzed with the usual chatter of utensils and idle conversation. The scent of the mother, Louise's famous pot roast filled the air, mingling with the scent of fresh bread. Lilith, the younger of the two siblings, was in the middle of recounting her day at school, her hands animatedly gesturing as she spoke.

"And then, during biology, Jake accidentally knocked over the entire tray of dissection frogs. You should have seen Mrs. Henderson's face!" Lilith giggled, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

Aiden, her older brother, snorted into his mashed potatoes. "That guy's a walking disaster."

Their father, Derek, chuckled softly, but Lilith noticed a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there at the start of dinner. He shared a meaningful glance with their mother, Louise, before clearing his throat.

"Kids," Derek began, setting down his fork with a soft clink against the china plate. "There's something we need to discuss." His expression was unusually serious, the lines around his eyes more pronounced than usual.

Lilith felt a knot form in her stomach. Her father's tone was one she recognized from past serious conversations – like when he had to tell them their grandfather had passed away. She instinctively straightened in her chair, her half-eaten dinner forgotten.

Derek took a deep breath before continuing. "I know how much you both enjoy hiking in Hackett's Quarry woods. Those trails have been a part of our family outings for years." He paused, his gaze flickering between his children. "But your mother and I think it's best if you stay away for a while."

Aiden's brow furrowed, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "Why? What's going on?"

Louise reached across the table, her slender hand coming to rest on Aiden's larger one. Her touch was gentle, but Lilith could see the slight tremor in her fingers. "There's been a curfew put in place, sweetie. More hikers have been going missing lately."

"Missing?" Lilith echoed, her voice barely above a whisper, tinged with disbelief.

Derek nodded grimly, his usual warm brown eyes now dark with concern. "I know it's disappointing. Those woods have been your playground since you were kids. But this isn't just us overreacting. The local authorities are taking this very seriously."

"But how?" Aiden pressed, leaning forward. "I mean, we know those trails like the back of our hands. How could people just go missing?"

"That's just it," Louise interjected, her voice soft but firm. "Nobody knows. Some hikers set out and... never come back. No traces, no clues. It's like they vanish into thin air."

A chill ran down Lilith's spine.

"I know this is hard to hear," Derek continued, his gaze softening as he looked at his children. "But it's for your own safety. At least until they figure out what's going on out there."

The siblings exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Years of adventures allowed them to communicate without a single word. Lilith saw the spark of rebellion in Aiden's eyes, matching the curiosity bubbling up inside her.

But aloud, they only offered token resistance. "This sucks," Aiden grumbled, stabbing at his pot roast with more force than necessary.

"Yeah," Lilith agreed, pushing her peas around her plate. "But I guess if it's really that dangerous..."

Their parents visibly relaxed, the tension in Derek's shoulders easing slightly. "I'm glad you understand," Louise said, relief evident in her voice. "It's only temporary, I'm sure."

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The house had long since fallen silent, the echoes of the earlier dinner conversation fading into the still of the night. Lilith lay in her bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on her ceiling, her mind replaying her father's warnings about the woods.

A soft creak of floorboards outside her room made Lilith tense. She held her breath, listening intently. The door handle turned slowly, and a sliver of hallway light cut through the darkness as the door inched open.

"Lil?" Aiden's whisper carried across the room. "You awake?"

Lilith propped herself up on her elbows, squinting at her brother's silhouette. "I am now. What's going on?"

Aiden slipped into the room, closing the door behind him with practiced stealth. He crossed to her bed, his excitement noticeable even in the dim light.

"Want to go for a hike?" Aiden's grin was audible in his whisper.

Lilith sat up fully, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" she hissed, mindful of their sleeping parents down the hall. "Dad literally just told us we can't. There's a curfew, remember? People going missing?"

Aiden perched on the edge of her bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip. "Come on, Lil. Since when has that ever stopped us?" He leaned in, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Besides, don't you want to know what's really going on out there?"

Lilith bit her lip, torn between the ingrained instinct to obey her parents and the siren call of adventure. "I don't know, Aiden. It seems pretty serious this time."

"Which is exactly why we need to check it out ourselves," Aiden pressed. "We know those woods better than anyone. If something weird is going on, we're the ones who'll spot it."

A moment of silence stretched between them as Lilith wrestled with the decision. Finally, with a mix of excitement and trepidation, she nodded. "Okay, fine. But if we get caught, I'm blaming you entirely."

Aiden's face split into a triumphant grin. "That's my sister. Now come on, get dressed. And remember – quiet as mice."

Ten minutes later, they were slipping out of the back door, their footsteps muffled by the dewy grass.

As they approached the treeline, Lilith felt a shiver run down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

"Last chance to back out," Aiden whispered, pausing at the edge of the woods.

Lilith squared her shoulders, pushing down her apprehension. "Not a chance."

With matching grins, they plunged into the forest, the familiar trails welcoming them like old friends.

"Race you to Crooked Oak!" Aiden called out suddenly, already breaking into a run.

"No fair!" Lilith protested, but she was laughing as she sprinted after him, fallen leaves crunching under their feet.

They wove through the trees with the sure-footed confidence of those who knew every root and stone. The exhilaration of their midnight adventure coursed through Lilith's veins, momentarily banishing all thoughts of danger or parental disapproval.

Suddenly, a sound cut through their laughter – something that didn't belong to the normal nighttime sounds of the forest. Lilith skidded to a halt, her hand shooting out to grab Aiden's sleeve. "Did you hear that?" she whispered, her eyes wide as they scanned the surrounding shadows.

Aiden paused, his body tensing as he listened intently. After a moment of silence, he shook his head. "Hear what?"

Lilith frowned, straining her ears. But the sound, whatever it had been, didn't repeat. "I... I'm not sure," she admitted. "It was probably nothing." But even as she said it, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Aiden studied her face for a moment, then shrugged. "Probably just a deer or something. Come on, we're almost to the lookout point."

They continued their trek, but the carefree atmosphere had shifted. Lilith found herself jumping at every rustle and snap, her eyes constantly darting to the shadows between the trees.

Finally, they reached their favorite lookout point. The old wooden bench creaked as they settled onto it, a sound as familiar as an old friend's laugh. Before them, Hackett's Quarry stretched out like a giant, shadowy bowl carved into the earth.

"See?" Aiden said softly, his eyes fixed on the view. "Totally worth sneaking out for."

Lilith nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

For a moment, they sat in silence, drinking in the view at night. Then, a twig snapped in the distance, the sound sharp and distinct in the quiet. This time, they both heard it.

Aiden was on his feet in an instant, his body coiled like a spring ready to release. "Stay here," he said, his voice low and commanding. It wasn't the voice of her sometimes goofy older brother, but of someone older, more serious.

"Aiden, wait—" Lilith started to protest, but he was already moving, disappearing into the shadows between the trees with a quietness that surprised her. She stood up, torn between following him and obeying his instruction to stay put.

Minutes ticked by, each one feeling longer than the last. The silence of the forest, which had seemed magical earlier, now felt oppressive. It pressed in on Lilith from all sides, broken only by her increasingly panicked calls for her brother.

"Aiden?" she called, her voice trembling. "Aiden, this isn't funny anymore. Come back!"

But there was no response. No laugh, no rustle of leaves, no footsteps. Nothing but the stillness of the woods.

Unable to bear it any longer, Lilith ventured into the trees, in the direction Aiden had disappeared. Her heart pounded in her chest, so loud she was sure it must be audible for miles. "Aiden?" she called again, louder this time. "Where are you?"

She pushed through a dense patch of undergrowth, branches scratching at her face and arms. Suddenly, her foot caught on something, nearly sending her sprawling. Lilith looked down, fumbling for her phone to use as a light.

The beam illuminated the forest floor, and Lilith felt her blood turn to ice. Aiden's backpack lay on the ground, shredded to ribbons as if by some great beast. A few feet away, she spotted the tattered remains of his jacket, dark stains marring the familiar blue fabric.

A scream built in her throat, held back only by the paralyzing fear that gripped her. Then, as if a spell had been broken, Lilith ran. She ran faster than she ever had before, branches whipping her face, roots threatening to trip her at every step. But she didn't slow down, didn't look back.

She ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached, the world a blur of shadows and moonlight. Finally, she burst through the tree line, not slowing until she reached her house. Lilith crashed through the front door, her terrified screams finally breaking free, echoing through the quiet house and jolting her parents awake.

As footsteps thundered down the stairs and lights flicked on, Lilith collapsed to her knees in the entryway. Through her sobs, she managed to choke out words that would change everything:

"Aiden... the woods... he's gone."

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