Valencia moved deeper into the forest, her steps quickening with every thought of the villagers’ suffering. The thick canopy above allowed only occasional slivers of moonlight to pierce the forest floor, casting eerie shapes on the ground that seemed to twist with her every step. She knew time was slipping away, and each passing moment brought the villagers closer to death. The urgency pressed on her chest like a weight, and the forest’s winding, shifting paths offered no comfort.

  The sun had long set, and the moon now hung high in the sky, bathing the world in a silver glow. Valencia walked alone in the darkness of the forest floor, her hand gripping a small orb that emitted a soft, dim light—bright enough to illuminate her path and provide a veil of protection, but dim enough to avoid attracting predators. The air was thick with humidity, and her ragged breaths caught in her throat as sweat clung to her skin.

  The trees themselves seemed alive, glowing faintly with ethereal light, their branches swaying as though whispering secrets to the night. But every step felt heavier, every shadow more menacing. The deeper she ventured, the more lost she felt. She had been startled several times by the sudden rustling of wild animals, the snap of twigs underfoot, and the flapping of wings overhead. Each time, her heart leapt, fearing a Titan would emerge from the darkness. Thankfully, so far, none had appeared.

  As the minutes stretched into hours, Valencia’s resolve began to falter. The thick fog and winding paths made it difficult to discern any direction, and the more she walked, the more disoriented she became. Her thoughts clouded with frustration and fear.

  "I can't let them down..." she muttered under her breath, her pace slowing. Just as her hope began to wane, something small and hard struck her shoulder.

  She gasped and stumbled, only to be struck again—this time on her forehead. An acorn bounced off her and fell to the ground. Valencia winced, rubbing the sore spot as her hand reached instinctively for the talisman Aaron had given her.

  Turning toward the direction from which the acorns had come, she squinted into the darkness. There, a figure emerged—a little girl with wild, tangled hair, her face smudged with dirt. But it was her eyes that made Valencia freeze—glowing with an intensity that seemed far beyond her years.

  Valencia lowered her guard slightly, wary but intrigued. Then, with astonishing agility, the girl leapt from a branch and landed just a few feet in front of her.

  "Who are you?!" Valencia called out, her voice trembling, her arm extended with the orb, trying to both get a better look at the girl and ward her off.

  The girl’s gaze was unwavering. She didn’t answer Valencia’s question but instead said in a clear, sharp tone, "If you keep wandering around like this, those people will die.”

  She turned, gesturing deeper into the woods. "Follow me. I know where the mushrooms are.”

  Valencia’s breath caught. Her hand tightened around her satchel. "How do you know about the mushroom?" she asked, voice edged with suspicion as her fingers hovered near the talisman.

  But the girl didn’t reply. She merely gave Valencia a sideways glance and began to walk swiftly into the underbrush. "If you want to save them, I’m your only option.”

  For a moment, Valencia hesitated, her heart pounding. But she had no time to waste. If there was even a chance this child could lead her to the luminous mushroom, she had to take it.

  She drew a slow breath, tightened the strap of her satchel across her chest, and followed the girl into the deeper forest.

  ——

  After several minutes of weaving through the maze-like forest, Valencia decided to break the silence. "What's your name? You never told me.”

  The girl glanced over her shoulder. “Cery.”

  Valencia's brow furrowed. "You said you know the forest well. How is that? How do you know where the mushroom is? And more importantly… how do you even know we’re looking for it?”

  Cery didn’t respond immediately. Her glowing eyes scanned the forest ahead as she walked, attentive and alert. “The forest has eyes and ears,” she said quietly. “If you listen, it will tell you everything.”

  Then Valencia added, almost whispering, “You look like a child, but... you’ve been living long, haven’t you?”

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Cery turned her head, her expression unreadable. “You have sharp eyes, girl. I’ve lived in this forest my entire life. The people of Elarin… they were once my people.”

  Valencia blinked in confusion. “Your people? What do you mean?”

  But Cery didn’t reply. She jumped ahead, moving with a surprising lightness. “You don’t have much time, girl. Our journey is still far.”

  They pressed on in silence until they reached a small clearing. Despite the calmness of the area, an unsettling feeling hung in the air. Cery stopped abruptly, but Valencia, distracted and focused, walked past her. Suddenly, Cery reached out and yanked her back with surprising force.

  Valencia gasped, startled, but Cery pointed at the ground. Scattered among the leaves were bones — remnants of past hunts. “This area is full of traps,” Cery warned. “The villagers use it to catch wild boars or defend against intruders. The ground must be littered with bear traps.”

  “Let’s walk carefully,” she added.

  Together, they tiptoed through the treacherous clearing, each step calculated and cautious. When they finally reentered the cover of the forest, Valencia let out a long sigh of relief.

  Cery glanced at her, a flicker of amusement in her gaze. She found Valencia’s moment of relief oddly endearing. But that moment didn’t last.

  Valencia took a wrong step.

  Cery moved in a flash, pushing her aside. Valencia stumbled to the ground unharmed — but a loud, metallic snap followed. A sharp cry tore through the quiet as Cery fell, her leg caught in a rusty bear trap hidden beneath the foliage.

  Valencia’s heart dropped. “Cery!” she cried, rushing to her side.

  The jagged metal teeth clamped deep into Cery’s leg, blood quickly pooling around the wound. Valencia knelt beside her, frantically working to open the trap. Her hands trembled as she pried it apart, freeing Cery’s leg with care. The wound was deep, torn and raw. Cery winced, her jaw clenched to muffle the pain.

  Valencia’s healer instincts took over. She placed her hands over the injury, her Sun Jewel ring beginning to glow. The power that surged from the ring was as warm as the sun on a cold winter morning. As the golden energy radiated outward, the grass around them began to dance in the invisible breeze, and tiny forest flowers bloomed in a soft spiral around Cery’s injured leg. “Stay with me, Cery,” Valencia whispered. Warm, healing energy flowed from her palms into the wound, slowly closing the torn flesh and stopping the bleeding, nature itself responding to her touch.

  As she worked, Valencia tried to soothe her. “When I was a little girl, I was very sick,” she said, voice soft but steady. “I was bedridden for months….”

  Cery, through ragged breaths, asked, “Then, what happened?”

  Valencia smiled faintly. “My grandfather was so worried, and my parents thought they were going to lose me. They called healers from across the kingdom, but nothing worked. Then one day, a wandering healer passing through Solus from the Tidal Abyss answered my grandfather’s call. She stayed and slowly healed me over the course of years. She had a gentle touch, just like my mother’s. I promised myself that if I ever got better, I’d become a healer too — to help others the way she helped me.”

  Cery looked at her, eyes glassy but thoughtful. “It seems that you’ve kept your promise.”

  Valencia shook her head, her voice heavy with emotion. "There were times I failed too... many lives were lost. And now, Elarin..." Her voice wavered as tears welled in her eyes. "I can't give up. Those people need the mushroom. We have to find it.”

  Cery’s expression softened, touched by the healer’s story. The pain had almost completely faded, and a quiet strength returned to her eyes. But something shifted in her gaze. She sat up slightly, despite the lingering ache. “Valencia… there’s something you need to know.”

  Before Valencia could speak, Cery took a deep breath. Her posture changed, her energy shifted — and then her form began to glow. Limbs lengthened, features reshaped. In a breathless moment, Valencia watched the young girl transform before her eyes into a majestic, luminous green stag. Her antlers were strong, intricately woven with white flowers in bloom, and her back shimmered with glowing moss that pulsed gently in the moonlight. The radiant sight was ethereal — a creature born of the forest's magic and grace.

  “I am Ceryneian, the Verdant Stag — protector of these woods and a forgotten god of the forest,” Cery said, her voice deep and resonant, echoing through the forest like a forgotten melody. “My masters, Gaea and Uranus, entrusted me with this sacred land. I have watched over it for centuries. But the people of Elarin and the nearby villages have forgotten me. They have tainted their land, and the sacred power here has begun to wane. Rogue titans now come more frequently, drawn by the forest's fading strength. Still… they were once my people.”

  Valencia’s lips parted in awe. The transformation, the truth — it was beyond anything she expected.

  “There’s no need for words,” Cery continued. “You’ve shown me the strength and kindness of your spirit. Now, I will guide you. The forest spirits will open the path for us.”

  The stag lowered her head, her antlers blazing with green light. The trees around them stirred, their branches bowing as a hidden path revealed itself — bathed in the glow of forest magic.

  Without hesitation, Valencia climbed onto Cery’s back. The stag moved swiftly, her hooves barely touching the forest floor as they raced along the spirit-lit path.

  Soon, they reached the base of colossal, sacred trees — their trunks ancient and vast, their roots sprawling like woven rivers. Moonlight touched the roots of the trees, casting a silver hue across the forest floor. Nestled at the base of these giants were clusters of luminous mushrooms, glowing like stars scattered on the earth.

  Valencia dismounted, her heart pounding with relief. She gathered as many as she could. “Thank you, Cery,” she said, eyes shining. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  As Valencia walked back toward Cery, her satchel now brimming with luminous mushrooms, a foul stench crept into the air — the unmistakable odor of death. From the shadowed forest behind the Verdant Stag, a sinister form began to emerge, cloaked in darkness and dread.