They weren’t afraid. That’s what struck me first. Two deer stepped from the woods as I tossed hay. The larger stayed back. The smaller stared straight at me, unblinking, like it knew something. It walked to the fence and dropped a small bundle wrapped in dark fabric at my feet. Inside: an old wooden box containing a silver locket carved with strange symbols. The deer turned toward the woods, pausing for me to follow. I did.

In a hidden clearing, beneath a massive twisted oak, I found fresh soil disturbed at its base. Digging revealed a stone tablet with the same symbols and a sealed parchment: “For the one who is chosen: The truth is not safe. The truth is not gentle. But if you seek it, follow the signs. This is only the beginning.”

Later research revealed an old legend: a secret order called The Veil, their messengers the deer, their mark the symbols—and the locket? A key. I don’t know who chose me or why, but I’m part of something ancient and dangerous. And I think… someone’s watching.