The forest was cloaked in an eerie, oppressive darkness, the only illumination coming from the flickering flames of candles arranged in a wide, deliberate circle.
The air was heavy with the acrid scent of wax and the metallic tang of blood. Inside the circle, twelve young girls knelt on the damp earth, their wrists bound and faces streaked with tears.
Their cries pierced the night, raw and desperate, but the dense woods swallowed the sound whole, carrying it nowhere.
Around them stood five men and two women, their expressions twisted with cruel delight.
The witches moved with purpose, their figures partially obscured by the shifting shadows of the trees.
Their laughter rang out, sharp and mocking, as they taunted the terrified girls.
"This is for the betterment of the kingdom!" one of the women, draped in a blood-red cloak, declared with a grin that didn't reach her cold, calculating eyes. "Your sacrifice will ensure power, strength, and order!"
