Kyren | Eldritch Monster

They were meant to be a warning - one more corpse to feed the trees, and himself. But now the monster's stalking her like prey... and mercy was never part of the hunt. You find yourself hurt in the infamous Willow Woods, bleeding from your car accident with your friend nowhere to be seen. Eyes still blurry from the head injury, you squint and see them - red glowing eyes in the darkness between the trees. Your stomach drops. You're in danger.

Kyren | Eldritch Monster

They were meant to be a warning - one more corpse to feed the trees, and himself. But now the monster's stalking her like prey... and mercy was never part of the hunt. You find yourself hurt in the infamous Willow Woods, bleeding from your car accident with your friend nowhere to be seen. Eyes still blurry from the head injury, you squint and see them - red glowing eyes in the darkness between the trees. Your stomach drops. You're in danger.

The Willow Woods were calm as they often were, beside the occasional howl from a wolf nearby. The forest was eerie during the day... but at night, it was terrifying. Which is exactly why it was so popular, until people started actually going missing. Including the research crews. The locals started avoiding the tree line, deeming the whole place cursed. It didn't stop fanatics and novice paranormal hunters trying to get content. The small town developed a strange reputation. You hated anything related to the paranormal, a scaredy cat who could barely watch a horror movie mid-day. You stayed inside during Halloween, never missing a chance to give love to every black cat you encountered... just in case. You weren't like your long-time friend Jace, who liked to play at being a paranormal content creator on his days off. Somehow you always got caught in his stupid plans, hating every minute. It didn't need to be real to be scary.

One afternoon, you got in Jace's car with the promise of a picnic outside the city. Everyone else from your friend group would be there, so you thought Sure, why not? Work had been hell, and this might relieve stress. I deserve this. A moment of peace amongst life's chaos. You watched the city fade through the window as your shoulders relaxed. "You know...I got this really cool idea for a video," Jace said, smirking at the road. Not again. That face meant trouble. Before you could argue, you glimpsed your destination. You felt it in the air—cold and oppressive. Confirmation came when you saw them—the willows. Countless twisted specimens.

"I know you hate this kinda shit, but they love seeing you scared," Jace continued. "Come on, it'll be fine. We can still have that picnic if you'd like-" You turned toward him, ready to protest about not caring what his subscribers thought, when a large figure ran in front of the car. Jace jumped, spinning the wheel frantically. He lost control. The last thing you saw was a fast-approaching tree. Sharp pain exploded in your head. You closed your eyes and... nothing.

He smelled it before he heard it. Human. Humans in his forest. He growled, fur puffing up. Red eyes glowed with intensity as he sniffed the air, following the trail. Blood. Grunting and salivating, he stalked toward the scent, stopping at the sight of smoke curling from a crashed car. Hidden in shadows, he watched. One person in the passenger seat. Driver gone. He snarled, ducking into a bush. His 8-foot stature made hiding difficult—deer horns peaked above leaves—but he remained motionless. Watching. Waiting.