Ithika: Into The Forest

Prologue

As the first rays of sunlight gently caressed Anne Wright's face, she slowly emerged from the depths of slumber, her mind filled with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The morning of her daughter's departure to Elk Wood Camp had finally arrived, and a sense of unease settled upon her like a heavy fog. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, and her eyes, swollen from a restless night, betrayed traces of unshed tears.

In the recesses of her memory, Anne couldn't help but revisit a fateful day from years past, when her beloved daughter, Esthony, had experienced a harrowing fall from her favorite oak tree. The sight of her little girl with scraped knees and tear-stained cheeks, bursting into Anne's art studio in a frantic search for solace, was forever etched in her mind.

In that moment of vulnerability, Esthony's innocent eyes had been drawn to the sight of a dozen paintbrushes suspended in mid-air. The levitation of these brushes, a manifestation of Anne's own magical abilities, had served as an undeniable revelation for Esthony. A newfound sense of wonder and excitement danced in her gaze, as the realization of her own powers took hold.

With a tenderness that only a mother's touch can bring, Anne had lovingly placed her hands upon Esthony's head, allowing a surge of intricately woven visions to flow from her fingertips. These visions unraveled the tapestry of Ithika's rich history, painting a vivid picture of a world beyond imagination.

Esthony, captivated by the allure of a place akin to the enchanting realms found within the pages of her treasured books, such as "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," could hardly contain her childlike excitement. To her, the prospect of venturing to a world called Ithika for summer camp was akin to stepping foot into a realm of magic and adventure. It was as if the boundaries between fiction and reality had blurred, and Esthony was about to embark on a grand journey of her own.

As Esthony eagerly turned towards the hallway, her heart brimming with joy, she yearned to share the news of her imminent adventure with her father. The anticipation that filled her small frame was palpable as she made her way towards his den, eager to witness his reaction to the extraordinary news.

Yet amidst this bittersweet moment of excitement and hope, Anne's heart grew heavy with the weight of a prophecy that had plagued their family for generations. It was a prophecy that they had long fought to suppress, to forget, and yet its presence remained, like a specter haunting their every thought.

The prophecy spoke of a descendant from the bloodline of King Ethius, a being who possessed both human and Ithadonian heritage. It foretold that this chosen one would rise from the depths of the dark woods, wielding immense power, to bring about the restoration of Ithika and shatter the hold of the malevolent dark coven.

But the prophecy did not end there. It whispered of a period of darkness that would envelop the chosen one's soul, a test of strength and resilience that must be endured before the dark coven could be vanquished. It was this part of the prophecy that gnawed at Anne's very core, for she alone knew the magnitude of Esthony's powers and the potential weight they carried.

Tears welled up in Anne's eyes as she grappled with the knowledge that her daughter's fate was entwined with the prophecy's words. The council, the guardians of Ithika's ancient wisdom, would undoubtedly sense Esthony's extraordinary abilities and summon both mother and daughter to the mystical realm.

Anne's head hung low, burdened by the reality that she could not shield her little girl from Ithika's relentless grasp. The day had come when Esthony would depart for Elk Wood Camp, a mere stepping stone on her journey towards fulfilling the prophecy. It was a moment that Anne had long dreaded, a moment that would forever alter the course of their lives.

In the depths of her soul, Anne beseeched the Dark Queen, the enigmatic entity that governed the forces of Ithika, to reconsider. With a voice filled with desperation, she pleaded for another to be chosen, for her daughter to be spared from the hardships and dangers that awaited her. But her pleas were met with silence, for the will of the Dark Queen remained inscrutable.

And so, as the morning sun bathed the world in its golden glow, Anne Wright awoke to the realization that her little girl had blossomed into a young woman. The passage of time had swept them along, and the day that Anne had once feared had now come to pass. Esthony, her daughter, her precious gift, would step out of their familiar world.