The sun had barely risen. Soft rays of light slowly cut through the thick morning fog and fell upon the ancient Lorden Forest.
At that moment, thirteen-year-old Arin woke up with a sudden gasp.
He had seen a strange dream.
In the dream, a massive tree had spoken to him—
"Child of the earth, awaken. The legacy of all living things lies in your hands."
Arin's mind buzzed with questions.
Was someone truly calling him?
Or was it just a dream?
No one in the nearby villages liked to talk about Lorden Forest. Everyone knew the forest held secrets—trees that whispered on their own, trembling ground, and glowing lights that appeared at night.
That morning, something even stranger happened.
As Arin walked near the forest's edge, a soft green glow began to seep up from the ground.
The light crawled across the soil—straight toward his feet.
Suddenly—tok!
A tiny sprout burst through the earth.
But it was no ordinary sprout—its stem glowed faint blue, and golden lines shimmered along its leaves.
Arin stretched out his hand to touch it, when—
The leaf spoke.
"I've been searching for you, Arin."
Arin stumbled backward in shock, but the sprout continued—
"Don't be afraid. I am Eldara, one of the guardians of the living world."
Arin froze.
"Guardian? Are you from the tree I saw in my dream?"
The little sprout nodded.
"Yes. Lorden Forest is dying, Arin. A dark force is draining the life of everything.
You are the one chosen to protect the legacy of all living things."
Before Arin could respond, the trees around him began to shiver and groan.
A dark mist—thick like smoke—was approaching from the deeper parts of the forest.
Eldara glowed rapidly.
"They're here! The Shadow Collectors! Run, Arin—now!"
Arin ran as fast as he could, heart pounding, mind racing with one question—
"Why me? Why would the entire living world choose me?"
Behind him, the dark shadows closed in.
And with that, the greatest mystery of his life had begun.
~ Continue