The old story is a lie. The real story is one of bone, blood, and fire.

In a land ravaged by a plague-winter and relentless famine, Gretel and Hansel are abandoned in a forest that breathes with ancient malevolence. The familiar path of breadcrumbs leads not to safety, but to a deeper, more insidious darkness. Hunger is a monster, but it is not the only one that stalks these twisted woods.

They find a cottage, but it is no haven of gingerbread and sweets. It is a cathedral of bone, mortared with bleeding darkness, presided over by an ancient witch whose evil is woven into the very fabric of the forest. Trapped and tormented, Gretel is forced to fatten her own brother for the slaughter, her heart hardening with every monstrous meal she is forced to cook.

But in the crucible of horror and helplessness, a different kind of hunger is born—a hunger for revenge. The witch’s dark magic is a fire that consumes, but fire can also forge. To save her brother and avenge the countless lost children, Gretel must embrace the monstrousness of the woods and claim a terrifying power of her own. She will not be the victim in this story. She will be the final horror.

Perfect for fans of grimdark fantasy and terrifying fairy tale retellings, this standalone novella transforms a children's story into a brutal, unforgettable saga of survival, dark magic, and the terrifying price of vengeance.