CHAPTER 1. INTO THE FOREST

It was a sunny day in the forest of Riverston. The birds chirped happily and the trees rustled in the breeze as sunshine danced all around.

After a long day working in the village, Emma decided to leave town and go for a walk in the woods. She was excited to be away from the constant noise and hustle and bustle of the village. As she walked, she enjoyed the peace and quiet of the forest, and she was surprised by how calm it was. This was a place where she could rest and clear her mind. She was searching for berries in the forest.

Then, she heard a sound. At first, she thought it was just the wind, but then she realized it was a scream. Emma heard something and turned around in time to see a girl running past her. Behind the girl was a bear, chasing her and getting closer with each passing moment.

Quickly, Emma closed her eyes and used her magic to turn the bear into a butterfly. It flew away, and she hoped she hadn't frightened the girl with that. That girl was Olive and she lived in the same village as Emma, but they had never spoken before.

When Olive turned around and saw Emma, she was surprised and slightly frightened. She was expecting the bear to appear at any second. However, Emma knew that she could not tell Olive the truth, so she gave her a lame excuse that she could come up with in that moment. "Ummm, a magical butterfly came and took the bear away!" she said. "It was the cutest thing I have ever seen!"

Emma couldn't believe she had just said that and, as she said it, she felt so scared! "Please don't tell anyone you saw that," she begged Olive. "I could get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out!"

She hoped that Olive wouldn't question her further and wished she could just leave the forest and never see her again. But Olive seemed to understand her and she smiled, then said "I promise I won't tell anyone you did magic."

Emma raised an eyebrow and said "You're joking, right?"

Olive laughed. "Yeah," she said. "I'm totally going to tell everyone about your magic."

Emma was surprised. "No!" she blurted out in shock. "Don't tell anyone... please?"

Olive's laughter turned into a menacing grin as she said "I'm going to tell everyone... and you can't stop me."

Olive's laughter had turned into a menacing grin and her eyes seemed to have turned into two bright points of light. Emma couldn't believe the situation that she was in. It was like something out of a nightmare.

Suddenly, Emma heard a loud exclamation from one of the village men. "What in the world is going on here? What happened?" he demanded, his voice rising to a feverish pitch.

"It was her!" Olive shouted, pointing at Emma. "She did magic!"

Emma felt her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. She knew that she was in trouble. They were going to punish her for doing magic. She had heard stories of the ways that the village people dealt with those who defied their rules, and she didn't want to face that kind of punishment.

She tried to explain herself, trying to convince him that what she had done was not a big deal, but it was no use. He didn't want to hear it.

Emma felt cornered, trapped. She had tried to explain herself, but the man was not listening. In fact, he seemed to be getting even more angry and aggressive.

"I don't believe a word you're saying," he shouted. "You're a witch, aren't you? You've been practicing magic behind our backs, and now you're going to face the consequences!"

Other villagers were starting to gather around, and Emma could feel their eyes upon her. They were all looking at her with suspicion and fear, as if they didn't know what to think.

Emma felt a lump form in her throat. She had always heard stories about the ways that the village people dealt with those who practiced magic. They were ruthless and cruel, and they didn't hesitate to punish those who defied their laws.

Emma didn't want to end up like that. She didn't want to be punished, to be cast out of the only home she had ever known. She didn't want to be forced to live her life in fear and hiding, always looking over her shoulder for the next punishment.

She had to do something, but she didn't know what. She felt like she was running out of options, and time was running out. She had to find a way to convince them that she was not a witch, that she didn't deserve to be punished. But how?

-----

Emma sat in a dark, dimly lit dungeon, her heart racing from the adrenaline of her recent encounter with the villagers. She had been brought there by the villagers who believed she was a witch and they were determined to punish her for her use of magic.

Emma had tried to convince them that she wasn't a witch and that she hadn't used magic intentionally, but they didn't believe her. They were convinced that she was a danger to the village and they were determined to teach her a lesson.

As she sat there, alone in the cold, damp dungeon, Emma couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and desperation. She didn't know what they were planning to do to her, but she knew it couldn't be good.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching her door. Her heart racing, Emma quickly looked around for a way to defend herself, but there was nothing. She was completely unarmed and completely at their mercy.

The door to her cell creaked open, revealing a man dressed in a black cloak. He had a stern, almost menacing look about him, and Emma couldn't shake the feeling that this was the man who was going to decide her fate.

"Follow me," he commanded, his voice a low, guttural growl.

Emma reluctantly got up and followed him, her heart racing even faster. She didn't know where he was taking her, but she knew it couldn't be good.

He led her through a series of dark, twisting corridors until they finally arrived at a room with a stone table. On the table was a sharp knife and a large, heavy book. Emma's heart sank. She knew what was about to happen.

They were going to perform an ancient ritual on her, a ritual that had been used for centuries to test whether or not someone was a witch. The test involved cutting the flesh of the accused and checking for certain signs of witchcraft. If the signs were present, the accused would be deemed a witch and executed on the spot.

Emma felt tears well up in her eyes as she looked at the cruel, cold-blooded faces of the villagers who were watching the ritual. She knew that they had already decided her fate, and there was nothing she could do to change their minds.

The man in the black cloak picked up the knife, and Emma tried to pull back, but her arms were held securely.

"Come on, Emma," the man in the black cloak said, his voice still low and menacing. "Don't you want to prove that you're not a witch?"

Emma hesitates, her eyes flickering between the knife in the man's hand and the faces of the villagers, the expressions on their faces ranging from excitement to revulsion.

"Fine," she finally said, taking a deep breath and trying to steady her voice. "But I'm only doing this to prove to you that I'm not a witch."

The man in the black cloak nods, and as Emma stepped up to the table, she could see the village men gather around her, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and excitement.

The man in the black cloak took a deep breath and began to chant. Emma couldn't make out the words, but the sound of his voice filled the room, and she felt a strange sensation spreading through her body.

As the chanting continued, the man in the black mantle raised his blade and cut across the tip of Emma's pinky finger. He began to smear the blood onto the black book.

Everyone in the room was holding their breath, and Emma could see a few of the villagers crossing their fingers and whispering prayers under their breaths.

The man in the black mantle closed the book with a loud thump and looked up at Emma.

"Well?" another man said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Can you tell us what you see?"

Emma looked at the page, and as she did, the village men leaned in, their eyes wide with anticipation.

"I see... a giant eagle!" Emma said.

As the giant eagle appeared magically in the room, the village men let out gasps of terror and began to run for the door. The eagle let out a loud screech, and every person in the room turned and fled in the opposite direction. It was a chaotic scene, with some people tripping over each other and others stumbling over furniture as they stumbled out of the room.

Emma stood in the middle of the room, watching as the eagle flew around the room, its wings flapping and its claws grasping at the air. She had to admit, it was a little frightening. But she also had to wonder, where did the eagle come from?

As she pondered the question, she noticed that the eagle seemed to be looking directly at her. It was as if the bird was trying to communicate with her. She took a step forward, slowly at first, trying to keep her composure. As she approached, the eagle let out another loud screech, and Emma couldn't help but jump back in surprise.

She backed up against the table, her heart racing as her eyes locked with the bird's. It was as if the eagle was staring deep into her soul, and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raising up as a cold, icy feeling spread through her body.

The eagle's eyes seemed to be glowing with a supernatural blue-light, and its beak was open, ready to attack. Emma knew that this was no ordinary bird, and she had to make a decision.

Was she going to run away from the eagle, or was she going to stand her ground?