In a small, isolated village far north, the holiday season brings both cheer and unease. The villagers know that when the Yule Lads—12 mischievous figures from Icelandic folklore—arrive, they’ll bring their usual chaos: stealing food, harassing livestock, and playing tricks on the townsfolk. But this year, something is different.

For centuries, the Yule Lads have visited the village during the twelve nights leading up to Christmas, as part of an ancient tradition. Every year, the villagers tolerate their antics, leaving gifts of food and treats for the tricksters. The Lads, in turn, take their offerings and leave behind a trail of mischief.

But the last few years have been growing colder. The village’s once-welcoming hearths are now dimmed, their fires crackling with strange sounds that echo deep into the woods. This season, the Yule Lads’ pranks grow darker, more violent. They are no longer satisfied with stealing food. They destroy crops, set fires to barns, and leave behind cryptic symbols etched into the snow.

As the days draw closer to Yule, the village’s young children begin to disappear, one by one. Each night, a new disappearance is reported, the only clue being footprints in the snow leading away into the dark forest. No one dares to search for the missing children; the woods are said to be cursed, filled with shadows that devour the lost.

In the dead of night, a storm roars through the village, and the villagers gather for their final feast before the longest night. It is then that the Yule Lads make their grand return. But this time, their playful grins have been replaced with something far darker—eyes glinting with malice, their forms shadowed by something ancient and forgotten.

As the storm rages, the villagers realize the horrifying truth: the Yule Lads are no longer just mischievous spirits; they are harbingers of a far darker force that has awoken in the heart of the forest. And with each passing night, they will stop at nothing to claim the souls of the remaining villagers.