The clearing fell silent.
Even the wind had stopped.
Elara couldn’t take her eyes off the figure standing beneath the shadows of the towering trees.
The wooden mask covered its entire face, carved from dark oak with cracks glowing faintly like burning embers.
A long black cloak brushed the forest floor as it slowly stepped forward.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Every footstep made the glowing roots beneath the Heartwood pulse with golden light.
Noah instinctively moved in front of Elara.
“Stay behind me.”
Elara almost laughed.
“Noah…
I don’t think you can protect me from…
whatever that is.”
He swallowed hard but didn’t move.
“I can try.”
The Keeper stopped a few feet away.
Its glowing eyes settled on Elara.
“So…”
Its voice echoed through the clearing, deep and ancient.
“The Heartwood has chosen another.”
The spirits lowered their heads.
No one dared to speak.
Not even Lily.
“You’ve been waiting for me?” Elara asked.
“For centuries.”
The answer sent a chill down her spine.
“I don’t understand.”
“You will.”
The Keeper slowly raised one gloved hand.
Golden dust drifted from its fingertips and floated toward the Heartwood.
“The forest remembers every soul that enters.”
“It remembers every promise.”
“Every lie.”
“And every sacrifice.”
Elara frowned.
“What sacrifice?”
The Keeper remained silent.
Instead, it looked toward the giant tree.
Its branches began to sway although there was no wind.
Lily stepped beside Elara.
She looked exactly as she had in the newspaper photograph, except now her blue dress shimmered like moonlight.
“Don’t be afraid,” she whispered.
“He isn’t your enemy.”
The Keeper turned toward Lily.
“You speak too much.”
She smiled sadly.
“Someone has to.”
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
One of the glowing roots rose from the earth, twisting itself into a narrow bridge leading toward the Heartwood.
The Keeper pointed toward it.
Noah frowned.
“That’s it?”
“No riddles?”
“No monsters?”
The Keeper looked at him.
“There will be both.”
Noah immediately regretted asking.
Elara stepped onto the glowing root.
It felt warm beneath her shoes.
The moment she took her second step…
the world disappeared.
She was no longer standing in the clearing.
Instead, she found herself inside Ashwood.
Only…
it wasn’t the Ashwood she knew.
The streets were empty.
Every house stood abandoned.
Windows were broken.
Vines climbed over rooftops.
The clock tower had collapsed.
The town looked as though decades had passed.
“Hello?”
No answer.
She slowly walked through the silent streets.
Then she heard laughter.
Children’s laughter.
It came from the old playground.
She followed the sound.
The swings moved by themselves.
A red ball rolled across the grass.
No children were there.
Only memories.
One by one, transparent figures appeared.
Families.
Friends.
Neighbors.
Living their ordinary lives.
None of them noticed Elara.
She reached out to touch one of them.
Her hand passed straight through.
“What is this?”
A familiar voice answered behind her.
“Your future.”
She spun around.
The Keeper stood beneath the old oak tree.
“If the Heartwood dies…”
“So does Ashwood.”
Elara stared at the empty streets.
“You mean this really happens?”
“What?”
The Keeper slowly raised its hand.
The illusion faded.
For a split second, Elara saw another town.
Another forest.
Another Heartwood.
Burning.
Then everything vanished.
She was back in the clearing, gasping for breath.
Noah rushed toward her.
“Elara!”
“You disappeared!”
“What?”
“You were standing here one second…”
“…then you froze.”
“For almost five minutes.”
Elara looked around.
To her, only a few moments had passed.
The Keeper watched silently.
“The First Trial is complete.”
“What was the trial?” Elara asked.
“To see.”
“And did I pass?”
The Keeper gave no answer.
Instead, it turned toward the Heartwood.
High among its glowing branches, something began to sparkle.
A crystal.
About the size of Elara’s hand.
It slowly floated down until it rested in front of her.
Inside the crystal, golden light swirled like captured starlight.
“The Heart remembers your choice,” the Keeper said.
“Guard it well.”
Elara reached out and took the crystal.
The moment her fingers touched it, a single name echoed inside her mind.
Evelyn Hart.
Her eyes widened.
That was her mother’s name.
Before she could ask why…
A terrified scream echoed through the forest.
It came from somewhere beyond the clearing.
Noah turned toward the sound.
“Did you hear that?”
Another scream.
This one was closer.
The spirits vanished instantly.
The Keeper’s glowing eyes narrowed.
“They’ve found the forest.”
“Who?” Elara asked.
The Keeper looked toward the darkness beyond the trees.
“The ones who stole the first promise.”
Then, through the trees, dozens of bright white flashlights cut through the darkness.
Someone was coming.