They weren’t afraid — and that was the first thing that unsettled me. Two deer stepped from the trees while I tossed hay, calm and unblinking. One lingered behind, cautious, but the smaller one stared straight at me with unsettling focus. I joked online and snapped a photo, but then it walked to the fence and dropped something at my feet. Wrapped in dark fabric was a small wooden box. Inside lay a heavy silver locket etched with unfamiliar symbols, the kind that made my skin prickle for no reason I could explain.

Following the Silent Invitation

When I looked up, the deer was already retreating toward the forest, pausing as if waiting. Against all logic, I followed. The woods grew unnaturally quiet until we reached a hidden clearing dominated by an ancient oak. Then the deer vanished. At the tree’s base, disturbed soil revealed a stone tablet bearing the same symbols, and beneath it, a sealed parchment. The message was clear: “The truth is not safe. This is only the beginning.”

The Legend I Was Never Meant to Find

That night, sleep never came. By morning, I was searching old archives and found a forgotten legend — a secret order guarding something called The Veil. The symbols were their mark. The deer, their messengers. And the locket? A key. Now I know this wasn’t chance. Someone chose me, and something ancient has begun to stir.