Jenny woke with a sharp gasp.
For a moment she didn't know where she was. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and her breathing came fast and uneven, as if she had been running for miles.
Darkness clung to the edges of her thoughts.
Images from a dream flickered through her mind—blue eyes shining in the dark, sharp teeth, and the sound of her own terrified breathing echoing through the night.
She sat upright in bed, clutching the blanket tightly around her shoulders.
The room slowly came into focus.
Pale curtains moved gently beside the window, stirred by a light morning breeze. Soft sunlight spilled across the wooden floor, warming the quiet space.
But the fear from the dream refused to leave.
The door opened quickly.
Bella rushed inside, her expression filled with concern.
"Jenny?"
Without hesitation, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her.
Jenny felt the warmth of the embrace and slowly allowed her tense body to relax. Her hands trembled slightly as Bella held her.
"It was just a dream," Bella said softly. "You're safe here."
Jenny nodded, though she wasn't completely convinced.
The dream had felt too real.
Too vivid.
Even now she could still see those eyes in her mind.
Bright blue.
Watching her.
After a few moments Bella stepped back, studying her face carefully.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all," she said gently.
Jenny gave a weak smile.
"I don't think I did."
Bella poured a cup of coffee and handed it to her.
The warmth of the mug felt comforting in her cold hands.
"You'll feel better once you eat something," Bella said.
Jenny nodded slowly.
As she sipped the coffee, her eyes drifted toward the bracelet still resting on her wrist.
Bella had spoken the name again that morning.
Jenny.
And strangely, the name felt right.
It settled somewhere deep inside her, like a forgotten melody she almost recognized.
Yet the rest of her memories remained empty.
Later that morning Bella prepared to leave for work.
But she hesitated before stepping outside.
"I don't want to leave you alone all day," she said.
Jenny shook her head gently.
"I'll be fine."
Bella looked uncertain.
The village was small and quiet, but Jenny was still a stranger here.
Finally Bella smiled.
"Alright. But come by the bakery if you get bored."
Jenny nodded.
Once Bella left, the house felt strangely silent.
Too silent.
Jenny stood by the window for a while, watching the small village outside.
Narrow streets curved between stone houses. A few people walked through the square, greeting one another with familiar smiles.
The peaceful rhythm of village life felt comforting.
Eventually Jenny stepped outside.
The cool morning air brushed against her face as she walked slowly through the streets. People glanced at her with mild curiosity, but no one seemed unfriendly.
She followed the scent of fresh bread until she reached the bakery Bella had mentioned.
Inside, a middle-aged baker worked alone behind the counter. His movements were quick and slightly frustrated as he struggled to carry a heavy tray of bread.
Without thinking, Jenny stepped forward.
"Do you need help?"
The baker paused and looked at her.
For a moment he seemed surprised.
Then he nodded.
"If you don't mind."
Jenny rolled up her sleeves and helped place the trays onto the shelves. The simple work felt oddly natural.
She kneaded dough.
Cleaned the counters.
Arranged loaves of bread in neat rows.
For the first time since waking in the forest, her mind felt calm.
The hours passed quietly.
By the afternoon the bakery had grown warm from the ovens, and sunlight spilled across the village square outside.
Jenny stepped out into the fresh air.
She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun.
Then suddenly—
She collided with someone.
The impact knocked the air from her lungs.
"Oh—I'm sorry—"
She stopped speaking.
The man standing in front of her had the most striking eyes she had ever seen.
Bright blue.
Sharp and luminous, like ice beneath moonlight.
For a brief moment the world seemed to freeze.
Recognition surged through her mind.
The forest.
The darkness.
The feeling of being watched.
Before she could say anything—
He was gone.
Jenny blinked in confusion.
The man had disappeared into the crowd moving through the square.
Her heart began to race.
Without thinking, she started running.
She pushed through the people in the square, searching desperately for the blue-eyed stranger.
He moved quickly.
Too quickly.
Jenny followed him through the narrow streets until they reached the edge of the village.
And then—
A scream shattered the air.
Jenny froze.
The voice was unmistakable.
Bella.
The sound echoed through the square like a blade cutting through silence.
People rushed toward the center of the village.
Jenny turned and ran back as fast as she could.
A crowd had already gathered.
Fear and confusion spread through the villagers as they whispered among themselves.
Jenny pushed her way forward.
Her heart dropped.
Bella lay on the ground.
Her face was pale.
Her eyes were barely open.
Blood stained the collar of her shirt.
Jenny knelt beside her.
"Bella!"
Bella didn't respond.
Jenny noticed two small puncture marks on Bella's neck.
Perfectly round.
Too precise to be an accident.
A murmur spread through the crowd.
An old priest from the church stepped forward, his expression grim.
He crossed himself slowly.
"They are back," he whispered.
The words sent a ripple of fear through the villagers.
But no one asked what he meant.
Dr. Edward arrived moments later.
For the first time Jenny saw something different in his expression.
His calm composure was gone.
In its place was something darker.
Anger.
Fear.
He knelt beside Bella and examined the wounds quickly.
"Help me bring her inside," he said firmly.
Two villagers carried Bella toward the clinic.
Jenny followed.
Inside, Edward worked quickly, his movements precise and practiced.
When Jenny tried to ask what had happened, he turned toward her sharply.
"Go home," he said.
Jenny stared at him.
"But Bella—"
"She will be fine," he said firmly.
"Go home."
His tone left no room for argument.
Reluctantly, Jenny left the clinic.
But that night she couldn't sleep.
Something about the attack didn't feel right.
Hours later, as the village fell quiet, she saw Edward leaving the clinic.
He pulled his coat tighter around himself and walked toward the forest.
Jenny hesitated.
Then she followed.
The forest swallowed sound.
The deeper she walked, the quieter the world became.
Edward stopped in a small clearing.
Jenny hid behind a tree, watching.
A figure stepped out from the shadows.
The man with the blue eyes.
Their voices were low and tense.
Jenny couldn't hear the words clearly, but the anger in Edward's tone was unmistakable.
The blue-eyed man replied calmly.
Then something strange happened.
The air around them shimmered.
And suddenly—
They vanished.
Jenny stared at the empty clearing.
Her heart hammered wildly in her chest.
Had she imagined it?
Or had she just witnessed something impossible?
The next morning the village returned to its normal rhythm.
But nothing felt normal to Jenny anymore.
Edward behaved as if nothing had happened.
When Jenny returned to the clinic later that day, she noticed something lying near the doorway.
A black ring.
She picked it up and handed it to Edward.
"You dropped this."
For a brief moment his fingers lingered around the ring.
Then he slipped it quickly into his pocket.
That evening Jenny decided she needed answers.
She waited outside the clinic until Edward appeared in the square.
"Doctor," she said.
Edward stopped.
"What is it?"
Jenny stepped closer.
"I saw you in the forest last night."
Edward's expression hardened.
Before she could say anything more, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside.
"You don't understand what you're involving yourself in," he said quietly.
His grip tightened.
Jenny tried to pull away.
A sharp sting cut across her hand as her skin brushed against the rough stone wall.
A small drop of blood appeared.
Edward's eyes fell to the wound.
For a brief moment something dangerous flickered in his gaze.
Then he stepped back.
"Go home," he said.
"Now."
Jenny turned and began walking away.
She had almost reached the end of the street—
When a cold hand closed around her shoulder.
She turned slowly.
The blue-eyed man stood behind her.
Close enough that she could feel the cold air around him.
His expression was calm.
But his eyes searched her face with quiet intensity.
"Come with me," he said.
Jenny didn't resist.
Something inside her told her this moment had been waiting for her.
And the forest was about to reveal its secrets.