PROLOGUE

In the peaceful meadow beside the forest, there stood a picturesque cottage with a pristine white fence encircling it. The dirt path leading to the forest seemed like an invitation to explore the enchanting surroundings. A small brook nearby, with crystal clear water, flowed gently, and the playful minnows in it added to the idyllic atmosphere. The fluffy squirrels ran up and down the tall oak, and a lazy cat snoozed in the warm afternoon sun. It was a place of tranquility, a place where time seemed to stand still.

It started slowly, barely audible to those who weren't paying attention. The sound rose up slowly, like a growl of a sleeping beast, stirring from its slumber. And then, it picked up momentum, getting louder and faster, like a monstrous beast pounding on the cottage.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The relentless sounds of wood being struck and splintering filled the air, as if the very foundations of the earth were being torn apart. It was as if something had awoken from a long slumber, something that should have remained hidden in the shadows.

As the world seemed to stop, the noise came to an abrupt halt, leaving behind a lifeless silence. The once-babbling brook was now silent, and the playful squirrels and lazy cat were nowhere to be seen. The cottage remained, but it was now a cold, dark, and foreboding presence, shrouded in an eerie stillness. The warm and welcoming atmosphere that it had exuded earlier was now just a distant memory, replaced by an air of mystery and uncertainty.

It was as if the meadow held its breath, unsure of what had transpired in the cottage. The destruction left in its wake hinted at a malevolent force that had been unleashed, a force that should have never seen the light of day. The silence that followed was deafening, a silence that seemed to linger, like a warning of something far more sinister to come.

As the night grew deeper, the only light in the cottage flickered from a single lamp, casting long shadows across the walls. Huddled amidst the wreckage, lay It - the cause of the commotion. It was a being of unknown origin, capable of causing destruction beyond imagination.

Time ticked on, and the old grandfather clock chimed twelve times, each louder than the last. With the twelfth chime, a lock came undone on a door that should not have been there. It was a door that led to a place not meant for the living, a place of unspeakable horrors.

With a slow and determined gait, It rose from the ruins and opened the forbidden door. Pausing for just a moment, It left behind a world in shambles, with all the light drained from her eyes. As It passed through the door, it shut it firmly, sealing off the horrors that lay beyond.