demon

She shouldn't have accepted the challenge.

The small village where she grew up was full of superstitions. They told stories about the old forest to the north, where the veil between the worlds was thinnest. Most treated these legends as warnings: "Never light a red candle at midnight" or "Do not follow the sound of whispers under a full moon." But to her, they were provocations. After all, who would believe in demons these days?

That night, alone in the center of an ancient circle of stones, she lit the candle with a defiant smile. The icy wind blew around, but not enough to put out the flame. His words were spoken in jest, an echo of the legends he had heard so many times:

— If there's anyone there, show me. Prove that I'm not a fool for believing.

For a moment, nothing happened. Just the sound of leaves rustling. She laughed at herself, already getting up to leave, when the candle flame went out abruptly.