Sophie adored exploring around the areas of the woods behind her grandmother’s house. Each summer, she would sift through the colossal trees in search of intriguing, peculiar rocks, unusual bugs, and even obscure trails. However, one afternoon, she inhaled something unusual. There was a peculiar path painted with furiously bright, blue flowers that appeared to shine under the heat of the sunlight.
Sophie’s interest peaked when she stepped foot onto the novel path. The moment she placed her foot on the flowers, she could hear a soft humming fill the environment around her. As she walked deeper into the woods, her feet were met with flowers that began humming the moment she stepped on them. In no time, Sophie found herself venturing into the depths of a forest while she noticed that the trees were shifting. Their trunks glistened like silver and the leaves sparked like they were enveloped in tiny stars.
Then, a distant melodic chime resonated through the trees. Like wind blowing through hollow glass, Sophie chased the sound until she found herself in a glade where a strikingly huge tree stood in the middle. It’s roots curled into the ground resembling frozen waves. Sophie’s gaze was locked onto the plant’s trunk, where she could vividly see a rather petite door.
Sophie’s heart sank. Why would someone create a door in the middle of the tree? And, perhaps even more crucially, what lay behind it? After breathing deeply, she reached out and gave it a shove. The door opened easily, revealing a spiral staircase that went downwards in a seemingly infinite fashion.
She stepped forward with a mix of fear and excitement. The air was scented with cinnamon and rainfall. Lanterns floated along the staircase, lighting her way. Her body experienced a sense of weightlessness. It felt like she was floating. She looked around to see a wide crescent-shaped cave with glowing mushrooms, streams so clear they seemed unrealistic, small little foxes with wings, deer that shined like stars, and a jellyfish that floated around, pulsating in and out of invisibility.
At that moment, a voice echoed, “This place should have never been discovered by you.”
Sophie’s eyes widened with the sight of a boy, close to her age, standing right behind her. His attire consisted of a green dress with his hood over him. What stood out the most to her were his peculiar eyes that were violet in color.
“I did not mean to,” Sophie replied, “It just happened once I started following those flowers. The chosen for what?”
Sophie blinked.
He looked at her for a moment before responding. “To guard the magic of the forest.”
Sophie’s heart raced. “Me?”
The boy nodded. “But if you choose to remain, you can never leave again.”
Sophie looked back at the staircase and thought about her grandmother’s house just beyond the trees. But next, she turned to look at the glowing streams, the silver trees, and the magical creatures. This was the adventure she had always dreamed of.
Sophie took a breath, turned back toward the boy, and replied, “Tell me what I need to do.”
The boy beckoned for her to follow him and led her to the edge of the cavern, where a glowing archway was waiting. Sophie felt a tingle in her fingers as they stepped through the archway. When they crossed the threshold, the space around them changed instantly, and they were standing in front of a large book on a stone pedestal adorned with an intricate stone carving. The pages of the book were covered in strange symbols that glimmered softly with a golden light.
As they stood there, the boy said, “This book holds the secrets of the Hidden Forest.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “It will teach you how to preserve the magic of the Hidden Forest. But first, there are three trials you must complete.”
Sophie gulped. “What kind of trials?”
“The trial of the elements,” the boy said. “The trial of the guardians. And the trial of the heart.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Alright. I am ready.”
The boy grinned. “Then let’s start.”
