The Forest's Secret

Act 7 | The Forest's rune | Part 2

"Woah" Ash marvelled as he walked around "This is wicked," he said before walking to the cabin door. The door seemed to have a drawing of a tree carved on it. There was moss growing on the top but not too much that he couldn't see the engraving. Around the tree, there were engravings of other symbols maybe a language. Ash didn't know for sure. He touched the rusty knob with a design of a sun and turned it before pushing it open.

Ash stepped in to find that everything inside was eerily preserved. Inside, he discovered old journals, maps, and strange artifacts that hinted at the forest's true nature. Ash opens his phone and turns on the flashlight. He walked around before finding a stack of journals with a leather cover and the strange symbol he had seen on the rune. There seemed to be around 3 of the same books.

Ash then flicked open the book looking at the pages that were stained yellow and looked dirty overall. The journal spoke of rituals to appease the forest's spirits and warnings about the "Guardians" that protected its secrets.

"Weird," Ash thought as he flicked through. "But this does seem important." He grabbed each book and shoved it into his bag. He would try to understand these journals when he got home. "Maybe Mr Tompson knows what this is about". He zipped up the bag and glanced around the cabin.

Just as Ash went to pick up a random paper he heard a noise outside. Peering through the cracked window, he saw the creature from his earlier encounter—now more menacing and formidable. It was clear that the creature had been watching him, waiting.

The once hybrid of human and animal, with rotting fur, jagged claws, and molten gold eyes, was now more monstrous than ever. Its eyes glowed with a fierce, otherworldly light, and its body seemed to pulsate with an eerie energy. The creature's fur, though still matted and decayed, now seemed to shimmer with a dark, foreboding light.

Ash's breath caught in his throat. He backed away slowly from the window, trying to steady his racing heart. The creature's gaze was locked onto him, its molten eyes reflecting the bioluminescent glow of the grove outside. Ash knew he had to act quickly.

He glanced around the cabin, searching for anything that could help him. The old journals and artifacts might be important, but he needed to get out of the cabin safely. He reached into his bag, grabbed the flashlight and held it tightly.

With a deep breath, Ash decided to make a run for it. He carefully opened the cabin door just enough to slip through, keeping his movements as quiet as possible. He stepped into the grove, the bioluminescent plants casting an otherworldly light around him.