Stardust And Shadows

Chapter 5

Felix stumbled through the dense underbrush, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. The dark forest loomed around him. Shadows danced menacingly, and an unsettling silence hung in the air, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl.

His heart pounded in his chest. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what pursued him, but the darkness revealed nothing. Panic clawed at his mind, and he could feel the weight of something sinister drawing nearer.

How did I end up here? Felix had no memory of entering this forest, nor any recollection of what he was running from. All he knew was the urgency to keep moving. The thought of stopping, of letting whatever it was catch up to him, was unbearable.

Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in the distance. It was a small, flickering light, almost like a lantern. Desperation drove Felix toward it, his legs burning with exertion. As he drew closer, the light revealed a clearing, and in the center stood a figure cloaked in shadow, holding the lantern high.

Felix hesitated at the edge of the clearing, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But something about the figure seemed familiar, almost comforting. Gathering his courage, he stepped into the light.

"Who are you?" Felix called out, his voice trembling.

The figure remained silent for a moment before responding in a whisper that seemed to come from everywhere at once, "I am a messenger, Felix. There are things you need to know."

Felix felt a chill run down his spine. "What things? What do you want from m-?"

The figure abruptly flew towards him. He was so fast, that Felix had barely any time to process before the thing was right in front of him.
The figure leaned closer, its presence growing more oppressive. "There is someone who has been to interfere." It seemed to look around but Felix could only see darkness. However, the figure must have seen something. "It's not safe right now. I will approach you again."

Before Felix could ask more, the world around him shattered like glass, and he bolted upright in his bed, drenched in sweat.

Confused and disoriented, Felix stared at the dark ceiling, the remnants of the dream lingering in his mind like a haunting whisper.

"Was it just my imagination?" he muttered to himself.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering unease. The details of the dream were so vivid, the shadowy figure so real. It didn't feel like just a random concoction of his subconscious.

"Who could be listening in on my dreams?" he pondered aloud, the question echoing in the silence of his room. Was such magic even possible?

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. No answer seemed satisfactory. Felix tossed and turned, unable to shake the feeling that the dream held some deeper meaning. But what could it be? And why him?

Unable to make sense of the dream on his own, Felix decided to seek the advice of Fern. The witch had a knack for making the weird and mysterious seem almost normal.

Felix got out of bed, still shaken, and stumbled to the kitchen, hoping to find Fern there. But the house was eerily quiet. He spotted a note on the kitchen table, written in Fern's neat handwriting:

"I've been called away on an emergency job. I should be back by evening. Take care, and don't get into trouble."

Felix groaned, flopping dramatically into a chair. "Great, just when I need her the most, she's off doing witchy things," he muttered.

He stared at the note, half-expecting it to offer some magical reassurance. "Maybe I could send a messenger pigeon," he thought, glancing at the cage in the corner. Then he remembered the last time he sent a pigeon during one of Fern's emergencies. It came back with a very annoyed griffin attached.