The forest shimmered under the pale moonlight, every leaf glistening as if dusted with frost. The silence between the four of them stretched thin — fragile, like the space between truth and lie.
Eiren lowered the Lunar Compass. Its faint light pulsed once, then steadied, pointing deeper into the woods.
"There's something buried beneath the old altar," he said. "Something that once belonged to the Moon Queen."
Lyra's breath hitched. "The Moon Queen… that's just a legend."
Eiren met her eyes — steady, hauntingly calm. "Legends don't whisper your name when you dream, do they?"
A cold wind blew through, carrying the scent of rain and iron.
From the distance, a soft hum rose — the sound of the forest responding.
Behind them, Selene, the youngest of the three, whispered, "It's awake again… the forest remembers him."
Eiren stepped forward, placing his hand against the trunk of a massive silver tree. The bark shimmered where his fingers touched.
"If you wish to uncover the truth," he said quietly, "you must promise me one thing."
Lyra frowned. "What promise?"
"That no matter what you see — you will not turn away."
For a moment, the world fell still. Then, beneath the glowing branches, they each placed a hand over their heart and repeated his words.
As they did, the wind shifted — and far beyond, the altar began to breathe again.