Tamio sat down near the pool. The black water was still. The voice was gone, but he knew it would come back. Aya stood nearby, holding her staff. "If something is trapped," she said, "we must be careful. Sometimes bad things pretend to be weak." Tamio looked at his beasts. "I trust them. If it's a trick, they'll know." Rin floated closer and sent soft light over the pool. Mira watched the shadows with sharp eyes. Goro stepped forward and nodded once. "We help," Tamio said. "Even if it's hard."
Lumo walked to the pool slowly. He looked at Tamio first, then lowered his tail. A bright glow filled the air. The dark water hissed and bubbled. A shape moved under the surface. It was small, not big like a monster. Tamio leaned forward. "Are you okay down there?" he asked. A soft glow blinked back. Lumo stepped closer. His light reached the bottom. Then something tiny floated up, a small creature with glowing wings. It was shaking. Aya gasped. "A Light Wisp!" she said. "I thought they were gone."
The little Wisp looked weak. It hovered just above the water, its wings barely glowing. Tamio held out his hands. "You can rest here," he said. The Wisp flew into his palms. It was warm, but fading. "It was trapped by the shadow," Aya said softly. "Too long in the dark." Tamio stroked its back gently. "You're safe now." Rin gave a bit of her light. Lumo shared some of his glow. The Wisp blinked slowly, then curled into a tiny ball. Tamio looked at his beasts. "We saved it," he said. "We really did."
That night, they made a small fire near the clearing. The Wisp stayed close to Tamio's chest, sleeping. Aya sat beside the flames, watching the sky. "We need to move soon," she said. "If the shadow left that much power behind, more is coming." Tamio nodded. "Where do we go?" Aya pointed north. "There's a place called Skyroot Hollow. The shadow passed through it last. We might find its source there." Tamio didn't feel scared. He looked at Mira, then at Lumo and Rin. "We'll go," he said. "Together."
The next morning, Tamio stood up and brushed off his clothes. The Wisp was still asleep, but brighter now. Mira walked beside him. Rin hovered over his shoulder. Lumo and Goro were ahead, checking the path. Kuro stayed back to watch for danger. Nilo rode on Goro's back, yawning. Aya checked her staff. "Ready?" she asked. Tamio smiled. "Let's find Skyroot Hollow." They walked through tall grass, into deeper trees, toward whatever waited in the north. Tamio didn't know what they would find, but he was not afraid.
The path to Skyroot Hollow was long and green. The grass grew tall on both sides. It moved like it was breathing. Tamio walked between the blades, feeling them brush against his arms. Mira sniffed the air and stayed close. Lumo's tail glowed gently, keeping the group together. Suddenly, the wind stopped. The grass made tiny sounds, like voices. Aya knelt and touched a leaf. "This place remembers footsteps," she said. "Too many passed here." Tamio looked around. He didn't feel fear yet, but he did feel watched.
Far ahead, Goro raised his paw. Everyone stopped. Tamio moved slowly through the grass and saw what Goro had found. It was a skeleton, big, cracked, and dry. A beast's bones, long gone. Aya frowned. "It was a Forest Guardian," she said softly. "Killed long ago." Tamio stepped closer. He looked at the bones and placed his hand on one. He didn't cry, but his eyes were heavy. "Why would someone hurt it?" Aya answered, "Not someone. Something that eats light and hates peace." Tamio stood up. "Then we'll stop it."
After walking for hours, the trees changed. The leaves turned silver. The wind felt cooler. Rin floated lower, her glow dimming. Kuro crouched and pointed with his tail. On the ground lay a long, golden feather. Tamio picked it up. It shimmered in his fingers. "Is it from a bird?" he asked. Aya nodded. "Not just a bird. A Skyguard. Very rare. If one is nearby, it may help us… or chase us away." Mira sniffed the feather. It didn't smell bad. Tamio placed it in his bag. "Maybe it's waiting for us."
At last, they reached a wide stone arch covered in moss. People didn't build it. It grew from the ground like it had always been there. Aya touched the stones. "This is the edge of Skyroot Hollow," she said. "We step through, we leave the old forest behind." Tamio looked at the arch. It wasn't glowing or dark. It was just quiet. He felt like something was holding its breath. He reached for Mira's paw. "Let's go," he said. They walked through the arch together. Nothing stopped them. But everything felt different now.
Inside Skyroot Hollow, the trees were taller and thinner. The sky above was pale blue. The light felt soft, like it came from the leaves. Tamio saw floating stones, small and round, drifting in the air like bubbles. Rin floated near one and poked it. It hummed gently. Lumo sniffed a floating flower. It blinked once, then floated away. "It's beautiful," Tamio said. But Aya stayed serious. "It's also dangerous. Shadows can hide in beauty." Tamio nodded. He held the Wisp close in his hands. "We'll stay careful," he said. "We always do."
They walked deeper into Skyroot Hollow. The ground was soft and white. Trees leaned close, but made no sound. Then Tamio saw something strange. A round stone was sitting on the path. It was big and smooth, but it had eyes. Two small black dots stared at them. Tamio stepped closer. "Are you alive?" he asked. The stone blinked. Mira jumped in front of him. "It's a Watcher," Aya said. "Old forest magic. They don't talk. But they see everything." Tamio waved at it. "Then I hope it sees we mean no harm."
As they walked past the blinking stone, the air shimmered. A voice came from the sky, soft and far. "Why do you walk where others fall?" it asked. Tamio looked up, but saw no one. "We're looking for what made the shadow," he said. "We want to stop it." The voice was quiet for a long time. Then it said, "Only one with a clean heart may pass. If you lie, the Hollow will close." Tamio put his hand on his chest. "I'm five," he said. "I don't know how to lie." Mira gave a soft laugh.
The trees opened into a round field. In the center stood three mirrors, each taller than Goro. "This is a light test," Aya said. "The Hollow wants to see what's inside us." Rin flew up first. Her light hit one mirror and showed a picture, her as a little wisp, all alone. She flinched. Lumo stepped next. His mirror showed him stuck in a cage, shivering. Aya looked sad. "It shows your fears." Tamio stepped up. His mirror lit up. He saw himself with no beasts. Just empty hands. That was his fear, being left behind.
Tamio didn't cry. He looked at the mirror and took a breath. "Even if I'm alone, I'll still help," he said. "I'll still walk." The mirror stopped glowing. Then it broke into tiny lights and flew away. Rin flew beside him. Lumo wagged his tail. Mira licked his hand. They hadn't gone anywhere. They were still there. Goro stepped forward and placed a paw on Tamio's shoulder. "The Hollow believes you," Aya said. "You passed." Tamio smiled. "I wasn't scared," he said. "Just a little worried."
After the field, the trees grew strange. Some were upside-down. Some floated without roots. The path transformed into a moss-covered bridge. Aya said, "Now we reach the part where even light forgets how to shine." Tamio looked ahead. It was very dark. Not scary-dark, but deep-dark, like falling into sleep. "We go together," Tamio said. Rin lit up. Mira took the lead. Goro moved to the back. They crossed the moss bridge slowly, like walking on clouds. Whatever waited ahead, they would meet it as one.