The Silent Woods By Elysian Nyx

In a remote village nestled deep within a dense, eerie forest, life has always been simple, peaceful, and undisturbed. But that peace is shattered when children begin to disappear without a trace. The villagers are consumed by fear and panic, and whispers of an ancient curse spread like wildfire. According to local legend, the nearby woods are haunted by an evil spirit, an ancient being that preys on the innocence of children. Fearful parents lock their doors at night, praying to keep their little ones safe from the curse that has seemingly awoken.

Kirana, a young and compassionate schoolteacher, is one of the few who refuses to accept the supernatural explanation. Pragmatic and sharp-witted, she believes that something far more sinister and all too human is at work. She begins her investigation, driven by a deep sense of responsibility to her students and a personal conviction that the truth lies within the living, not the dead. As she digs into the village’s history, Kirana discovers unsettling details about an old orphanage that has been closed for a long time. This orphanage was once a place of unspeakable horrors, where the children were subjected to abuse and neglect.

Among the orphans was a boy, her childhood friend, who had endured unspeakable cruelty. After escaping the orphanage, the boy vanished, leaving a trail of rumors but no solid evidence of his fate. As Kirana follows the clues, she becomes convinced that this former orphan, now an adult, is responsible for the kidnappings. His traumatic childhood in the abusive orphanage warped his understanding of love and care, leading him to abduct children in a twisted attempt to “rescue” them from what he believes is the same fate he once suffered.

Kirana’s investigation becomes a race against time as she pieces together the tragic events that led her friend down such a dark path. The villagers, meanwhile, remain gripped by the fear of the supernatural, unaware that the real danger lurks within their community. As Kirana confronts her friend in the heart of the forest, she is forced to reckon with the man he has become—haunted, broken, and convinced that he is saving the children from a lifetime of pain.