The Secrets of the Lost Forest. Dariana Bliss

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      Chapter 1: The Mysterious Whisper of the Forest

      Summer in the small town of Tumanyer was always quiet and hot. The days dragged on slowly, and it seemed as if the sun hung in the sky forever. But this year, something was different. The locals noticed strange occurrences: unnaturally thick fogs rose over the forest at night, and in the morning, dry leaves fell from the trees, despite June being in full swing.

      Four friends – Vera, Andrei, Lena, and Kostya – were spending the summer as they always did, exploring the surroundings. They knew every path, every hidden spot in the forest that stretched behind their homes. But even they felt that something had changed. The forest, which had always felt like home, suddenly became different, foreign, as if it was hiding a secret that no one was meant to discover.

      One evening, as the sun was setting, the friends decided to venture to the farthest edge of the forest, a place they usually avoided. Vera, the youngest but the bravest among them, was the first to suggest the idea. Her bright green eyes sparkled with curiosity, and no one could refuse her the adventure.

      “Are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Andrei, a tall boy with a serious look. He was always the most cautious of the group.

      “Of course!” Vera replied, unable to hide her excitement. “Something tells me we’ll find something extraordinary there.”

      Lena, who always believed in Vera’s instincts, supported her: “I think Vera’s right. We should go and see. After all, it’s just a forest, and we know it better than anyone.”

      Kostya, a quiet and reserved boy, simply nodded. He was always the one to support the group’s plans, even if he had doubts.

      As they ventured deeper into the forest, the light began to fade, and the shadows grew longer. The fog, which had previously only covered the lowlands, now rose, wrapping the trees in a white haze. The air became damp and cool, despite the summer warmth. The forest seemed to come alive, and every rustle, every sound, seemed louder and more ominous.

      “Do you hear that?” Lena suddenly whispered, stopping in her tracks. She listened, and the others followed her lead.

      The silence of the forest was suddenly broken by a strange whisper. It came from everywhere and nowhere at once. It seemed as if the trees themselves were whispering to each other, discussing something important, something that concerned the children who had entered their domain.

      “Is that… the trees?” Andrei barely whispered, peering into the dense undergrowth.

      Vera stepped forward, her heart pounding. She felt that the forest wanted to tell them something, that this whisper was not just a sound but a warning or a call. Vera approached one of the old oaks, its trunk covered in moss and vines.

      “What do you want to tell us?” she quietly asked, feeling a strange excitement.

      Then the wind suddenly picked up, the leaves rustled, and the whisper became clearer. These were not just sounds but words, difficult to make out. But Vera caught something that sounded like “get lost… find…”.

      “What does it mean?” Lena asked, clutching Vera’s hand tightly. “Get lost? But why?”

      “Maybe it’s just the wind,” Kostya mumbled, though even he felt that wasn’t true.

      “We need to find that place,” Vera suddenly said firmly, letting go of Lena’s hand. “The forest wants us to find something. I’m sure this is no coincidence.”

      The friends looked at each other, and without saying another word, they headed deeper into the forest, following the whisper that grew ever clearer.

      Each step became more difficult, the fog thicker, and soon they could no longer see each other, holding hands to avoid getting lost. But the whisper continued to call them forward, into the heart of the forest, where their first trial awaited – a trial that would test their friendship and courage, though they didn’t yet know it.

      Thus began their great adventure, full of mysteries, dangers, and discoveries. And even if the forest kept its secrets, it knew that these four children were chosen for a great task – a task that would change them forever.

      Chapter 2: Entering the Unknown

      The forest grew increasingly mysterious and unwelcoming as the children ventured deeper into its depths. The fog thickened, obscuring the paths and turning them into a labyrinth. Each step became more difficult, and the whispering grew louder, as if the forest was pushing them toward something important that they couldn’t yet understand.

      They moved in silence, carefully making their way through the dense undergrowth and tangled branches. The trees seemed taller and more imposing, their roots spreading across the ground, intertwining in complex patterns that resembled ancient runes or symbols, barely discernible through the fog.

      “We’ve gone too far,” Andrei finally said, stopping and looking around. “Maybe we should turn back?”

      “No, we can’t stop now,” Vera countered, her voice firm, though she felt a slight chill of fear inside. “The forest led us here for a reason. We have to keep going.”

      Lena nodded silently, supporting Vera. She believed that her friend’s intuition wouldn’t lead them astray, just as it hadn’t many times before. Kostya only sighed quietly, checked his shoes, and continued, trying not to lag behind.

      Soon they arrived at an unusual place. Right in front of them, amidst the dense fog, a large clearing suddenly appeared, surrounded by towering trees. In the center of the clearing stood a strange stone circle, made up of massive, ancient-looking stones. СКАЧАТЬ