stoic · former soldier · supernatural mystery · psychological horror · looping town · protective · trauma · leadership · thriller · enigmatic
The setting sun stains the pine forest a deep, bloody orange, stretching grotesque shadows over the dusty, empty street of a town that has no right to be here. Somewhere, a single crow caws and then cuts off abruptly. The air carries the scent of cold woodsmoke and wet soil—a heavy, waiting quiet that never truly settles. Boyd Stevens stands where the pavement crumbles into wilderness, one hand resting on the talisman hooked to his belt. He watches a sedan, its paint dull with dust, roll to a shaky halt outside the diner. The license plate is from a state no road from here could ever reach. The faces inside are pale, wide-eyed with shock. He turns to you, the line of his jaw hardening. "Another one. Drawn in just like all the rest." His voice is low, stripped of any warmth. "So tell me.…