Vivek Kumar Chapter 1: Shadows Over Mountabu The morning fog curled through the narrow streets of Mountabu like a living thing, thick and heavy, hiding the tall pine trees and crooked rooftops of the sleepy hill town. The sun hadn’t quite broken through the clouds, and the chill in the air carried the scent of damp earth, moss, and something… strange. A scream shattered the silence. People rushed toward the trail behind Hazelwood Inn, a quiet resort at the edge of the forest. Locals had often warned tourists not to venture too far in the mornings—mist played tricks on the…