Blackthorn

Prologue

The woman clutches onto the small bundle in her arms. She was heavily gasping for air as she kept running deeper into the maze. She could hear the soldier's feet fiercely pounding the concrete floor and their torches loudly whooshing, disturbing the quiet night.

She felt her pace slowing down as she was losing the strength to run any farther. 'No! I won't let them kill my baby!' she thought to herself. The soldiers were getting closer to her, but she didn't dare try to look back.

Without thinking, she made a left turn only to be welcomed by the dark atmosphere of the forest. There, lived many trapped souls who are slaves to the Unknown.

The soldiers abruptly stopped following her when they saw her turning down to the left path. They backed away in fear the Unknown will trap their souls as well.

Fortunately for the soldiers, nothing happens, so they turn around and run for their lives, heading back home. Never again will they ever enter the horrific maze to catch a prisoner.

Meanwhile, the woman was realizing the mistake she made going into the forest and there was no way back out now. Her terrified state caused her to squeeze her child so hard, the baby loudly cried out in pain. She quickly tensed up and tried to shush the baby by slowly dancing with it. It was no use and she felt the forest waking up by the screams of the baby.

"Silence!" a deep authoritative voice commanded. But the child cried even harder from fear. The mother froze and she was more scared than ever. Pessimistic thoughts were scattering all over her mind while she was silently sobbing.

The child cries stopped and the woman could no longer feel it's warmth in her arms. She snapped out of her shock and frantically looked around for her child.

She tried to move her feet, but they were glued on to the ground. She looked down and realized her feet were unnaturally digging into the smelly dirt. Her whole body felt very stiff and hard. "Noooo!" she screamed as she tried to move. Then a loud crack filled the silence. The woman was no longer a human anymore but a lost soul trapped into a tree forever.

"Take the child back to her country. Raise her as if she were your own. On her 20th birthday bring her back to me. You will tell her nothing about this." the same strange, authoritative voice commanded. Out of the shadows, came out a demon looking man. With a sinister smile, he said "Yes, sire."