Introduction

 Everyone knew about the Silent Forest.

People said strange dogs barked there every night. The barking sounded close, but whenever someone went outside to find them, the sound disappeared.

Deep inside the forest stood an old hotel. Its owners looked like ordinary humans. They smiled, served food, and welcomed travelers. But they never seemed to age. Some villagers whispered that they were ghosts wearing human faces.

Many travelers entered the forest and stayed at the hotel.

Some never came back.

One rainy evening, a girl named Navya found herself standing at the edge of the Silent Forest. She had heard the stories all her life.

She never believed them.

That was about to change.