Bloodbound Whispers

The village was surrounded by old oak trees, with streets made of cobblestones that twisted and turned like lost memories. Elias, the main character, was a loner—he watched life from the sidelines instead of joining in. Fear and worry wrapped around him, making it hard for him to make friends. He hardly ever left his house, and he avoided looking in mirrors as if they had a bad power. The person he saw in the mirror looked broken—a spirit torn apart by fear.

People in the village talked about Elias in hushed tones. "He's cursed," they whispered. "Possessed." Kids would dare each other to knock on his door, but it stayed closed, keeping a secret hidden inside.

His parents, strict and focused on tradition, wanted him to get married and fit into their close-knit community.

Outside the village was the Whispering Woods, an old forest where shadows moved. Elias went there only at sunset, when the trees seemed to share secrets. He gathered plants for Elara, the private herbalist who lived near the forest. Elara, with very pale skin and eyes like hidden stars, made special drinks in her small house. She understood Elias's worries well, as she also had hidden wounds. Their quiet talks created a thin link between them—the only brightness in Elias's troubled life.

The Mysterious Stranger: Scarlet

One dark night, Elias met Scarlet—a woman with deep red hair and eyes that looked like shattered glass. Scarlet was different: she danced without shoes in the rain, laughed during storms, and talked to the wind. Elias felt attracted to her, even though he was scared. She moved beautifully, like someone not from this world, and her laughter filled the woods.

Scarlet told him her secret: she could sense feelings—their colors and how strong they were. When she touched Elias’s hand, he felt a warm rush—like the start of a new day. Scarlet offered to help him with his worries, but she wanted something in return.

Tangled Connections: Scarlet’s Present

Scarlet’s touch was Elias’s lifeline. She took away his worries, setting him free from their hold. In exchange, he had to get her a small bottle of blood—a symbol of human pain. Elias felt unsure, caught between feeling better and being afraid. Scarlet’s eyes showed deep wisdom, and he wondered what secrets they hid.

The Blood Agreement

Elias went into the village, gathering blood from the villagers—each carrying their own hidden sorrows. As he filled the bottles, he saw pieces of their souls—their emotions mixing with the blood. Scarlet’s mysterious guide led him further into the woods, where the trees seemed to share stories of giving up and finding peace.

The Unexpected Revelation: Scarlet’s Real Identity

Elias came back to Scarlet, holding bottles tightly in his shaking hands. Scarlet drank the blood, her eyes full of emotions she had taken from others. But she showed her real goal: she collected sadness, living off people's pain. Elias’s fear was her greatest work—a picture of agony.

The Decision

Scarlet gave Elias a last decision: become like her, living forever by causing others pain, or end his own life. He felt extreme despair. He remembered the comforting warmth of Scarlet’s touch. He cut his wrist, and his blood spread on the ground in the forest.

The Aftermath

Elias awoke in darkness, no longer feeling anxious. Scarlet’s laughter rang out—a spooky sound. He understood he had become her helper, continuing the cycle of pain. The village was sad about his death, not knowing about the red ghost that moved among them.