It took us two full days to reach that place. By the time we arrived, everything had changed—what once seemed alive was now silent and turned to stone. The entire village had frozen into lifeless sculptures, as if time itself had stopped breathing.
We stood there in disbelief. Nothing made sense. We looked at one another, trying to understand what had happened, but our hearts were heavy. I remembered clearly—this was the same village I had seen in my dreams.
"Why is no one here?" my friend whispered, scanning the empty houses. "Where did everyone go?"
There was no answer. Only silence.
For miles in every direction, not a single soul could be seen. Hoping to find at least one living being, we wandered through broken streets, shattered homes, and eerie silence. But we found no one.
Exhausted, we finally rested under a tall tree. Our bodies ached, and hunger gnawed at us, but sleep overcame us quickly.
As the night fell, a strange atmosphere filled the forest. The air grew colder, and the silence became heavier. My friend was fast asleep, but my eyes suddenly opened. What I saw made my heart race.
The forest was glowing.
Every tree shimmered as though countless lights had been hung upon them. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming again.
"What is this place?" I whispered to myself. "Who lit up the forest like this?"
Curiosity took over fear, and I moved closer to one of the glowing trees. But when I touched its bark, there was nothing—no lanterns, no fire, no light. It was only my eyes that saw the glow.
And then I saw it.
A shadow stood leaning against the same tree. My blood froze.
I was terrified of spirits, and my first thought was that I was seeing a ghost. My body shook, and before I could control myself, I ran straight back to where my friend was sleeping.
But he was gone.
"Help! Somebody help!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the thick forest. But no one answered.
Panic consumed me. I ran deeper into the forest, my legs moving without direction. Branches scratched my skin, roots tripped my feet, but I didn't stop. Then suddenly—
SLAP!
A heavy blow struck my face. I opened my eyes in shock and realized I was lying exactly where I had fallen asleep beneath the tree. Sunlight filtered through the leaves. My friend was right beside me, snoring softly.
It had been a dream.
Anger surged through me. I turned to him and cursed, "You idiot! Why are you sleeping like a stone?"
He blinked awake and frowned. "What's wrong with you? Why were you screaming all night?"
I froze. "What? I wasn't screaming."
"You were," he replied. "All night, you were muttering, shouting, saying nonsense."
My head spun. How could he have heard me if it was just a dream? I decided not to argue further. Maybe it had only been my imagination… yet something about it felt too real.
We stretched our tired bodies, gathered our strength, and continued our journey. But the forest had other plans.
Not far from where we had slept, we saw it—
A giant serpent, shimmering with scales of pure gold.
Our hearts skipped a beat. This was no ordinary snake. I could feel its power radiating through the air like fire. My friend and I exchanged a quick glance, and without hesitation, we chased after it.
"If we catch it," I thought, "maybe it will grant us power. Maybe it will help us survive this cursed forest."
But the serpent was fast, weaving through trees with grace. Then suddenly, two serpents appeared—one before each of us. My friend chased one, and I chased the other. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I leapt, grabbed, and wrestled with the golden creature.
The battle was fierce. Its scales cut into my skin, and I bled from several wounds. My friend, too, was injured, but neither of us gave up. With every ounce of strength, I finally pinned the beast down.
Breathless, I stared into its glowing eyes.
Then something unexpected happened.
The serpent lowered its head in surrender. Its voice echoed inside my mind, deep and commanding:
"From this moment, you are my master. I am the Golden Devil, bound to serve you. Call upon me whenever you need, and I shall appear."
And then, in a flash of golden light, it vanished.
I stood frozen for a moment before realizing what had just happened. My heart swelled with triumph, and I shouted into the sky:
"I won! I did it! Yes! Yes! I am victorious!"
Joy filled me like never before.
But my happiness was short-lived. My friend had failed to capture his serpent. He stood with his head low, bleeding heavily from his wounds.
I rushed to his side, worried. His face was pale with pain. Quickly, I searched the forest for herbs. My hands worked frantically, crushing the leaves, pressing them against his wounds until the bleeding slowed.
"You'll be fine," I assured him, supporting his weight on my shoulder. Together, we walked deeper into the forest.
We didn't know where to go. We didn't know who we were searching for. Only the mysterious girl from my dream lingered in my thoughts.
Hours passed. As the sun dipped behind the horizon, we discovered something extraordinary—
A stone statue of a woman.
She was carved with such beauty, it felt as if she might come alive at any moment. Her eyes, though made of stone, carried a haunting grace.
My friend frowned, uninterested, but I couldn't look away. Something about her felt familiar.
Night fell again. The sky shone bright with a full moon. Its silver light poured upon the earth like flowing rivers, touching every corner of the forest with an otherworldly glow.
And then it happened.
The statue moved.
Before my eyes, stone turned to flesh, lifeless marble became living skin, and the woman stepped forward. She was breathtaking—her beauty far beyond human. She looked like a celestial maiden, a divine spirit cloaked in mystery.
My heart pounded. This was the very same girl who had appeared in my dream.
I couldn't believe it.
She walked gracefully into the moonlit forest, her figure glowing like a star. I followed, unable to resist, captivated by her every step. She was mesmerizing, dangerous, and divine all at once.
And in that moment, I knew—our journey had only just begun.