It started like any other summer afternoon—golden light, cicadas humming, and the comforting quiet of my rural cabin. But that day, something felt off. Two deer emerged from the trees near my pasture, calm and deliberate, their eyes fixed on me. They weren’t afraid, and that’s what chilled me most.

As I watched, the smaller deer stepped forward and dropped a dark bundle at my feet before retreating into the woods. Inside the bundle was a wooden box, old and intricately carved. When I opened it, a tarnished silver locket lay within—engraved with strange, ancient symbols.

Drawn by something beyond reason, I followed the deer deep into the forest, to a hidden clearing beneath a massive oak. There, I unearthed a stone tablet with matching symbols and a sealed parchment that read:

“For the one who is chosen: The truth is not safe. The truth is not gentle. But if you seek it, follow the signs.”

That night, I learned the name whispered in local legend—The Veil, a secret order guarding a forbidden truth. The deer weren’t just animals. They were messengers.
And somehow, they had chosen me.