Lost girl

Beneath the stars

The forest seemed darker now, the trees closer together, their twisted branches blocking out the sky. Only faint patches of starlight filtered through, casting long, jagged shadows on the path. Each step felt heavier, as if the air itself had thickened, laden with the weight of unseen eyes.

She moved quietly, her senses heightened, every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs making her heart race. The creature's warning echoed in her mind: Not all who walk this world are as they seem.

The path beneath her feet, once clear, had become less distinct, fading into the wild undergrowth. She didn't know exactly where she was going-only that the river the creature had mentioned must lie somewhere ahead, hidden within the forest's depths. Her hand brushed the amulet around her neck, its steady pulse a strange comfort, as if it were guiding her forward.

But the deeper she ventured, the more the forest shifted. It wasn't just the trees anymore; the ground itself seemed to change beneath her feet, sometimes solid, sometimes soft, as if it couldn't decide what it wanted to be. There was a subtle, unsettling movement in the earth, like something slumbering just beneath the surface.

Suddenly, a low, soft hum drifted through the air, just barely audible over the natural sounds of the forest. She froze, straining her ears. It wasn't the wind or the distant call of animals. It was something else-something alive. The sound grew louder, more distinct, until it formed into a melody, haunting and beautiful, like a lullaby carried on the breeze.

Drawn by the sound, she veered off the path, pushing through the dense underbrush toward the source. The trees parted ahead, revealing a small clearing, bathed in the soft light of the stars. In the center of the clearing was a pool, its surface like liquid glass, reflecting the night sky perfectly.

Sitting by the water's edge was a figure, a woman draped in pale, shimmering robes. Her long silver hair flowed like water down her back, and in her hands, she held a small, strange instrument that resembled a harp, though it was crafted from what looked like woven light. The melody flowed from her fingers effortlessly, as if the instrument played itself.

For a moment, the girl hesitated, unsure whether to approach or retreat. But something about the woman felt different from the other creatures she had encountered-there was no menace here, only an aching sadness that seemed to hang in the air like mist.

The woman looked up, her eyes meeting the girl's with a soft, sorrowful gaze. "You should not be here," she said, her voice like the melody-soft, but tinged with a deep, ancient melancholy.

"I didn't mean to intrude," the girl said cautiously, stepping closer. "I heard your song."

The woman's gaze flickered to the amulet around the girl's neck, and her expression darkened. "Ah. You are the one who seeks the Forgotten Lands."

The girl nodded. "I don't know who I am. I was told that my memories... my past, are somewhere there. And that I'm supposed to stop something-some kind of darkness. But no one will tell me how, or why."

The woman sighed, setting aside her harp of light and rising to her feet. She moved with a grace that seemed otherworldly, her robes trailing like water behind her as she stepped closer to the girl. "There is much that has been hidden from you, child. But the path you are on is not one of choice. It is one of fate."

"Fate," the girl repeated bitterly. "Everyone keeps talking about fate. But what if I don't want this? I don't even know what this is."

The woman's gaze softened with understanding. "Fate is rarely kind. It binds us, even when we do not wish it. But you were chosen long before you were born. The blood in your veins carries the weight of the old magic, the magic that once held the Veil between worlds. You are the last of the Guardians-the only one left who can stop the darkness from breaking through."

The girl's heart pounded in her chest. The last of the Guardians. She had heard those words before, but hearing them now, spoken with such certainty, filled her with a sense of dread. "I don't even know how to stop it," she said quietly. "I don't remember anything."

The woman studied her for a long moment, then reached out, gently touching the amulet. "The answers are within you. They have always been there, locked away, waiting for the right time. This amulet-your birthright-was given to you for protection. It has the power to open the paths between realms, to guide you to the places where your memories lie hidden."

"But why were my memories taken in the first place?" the girl asked, frustration creeping into her voice. "Why hide them from me?"

"To protect you," the woman said, her voice heavy with sorrow. "And to protect those you love. There are forces that would use your memories against you-use you as a weapon against the very world you seek to save. The darkness is not just a force; it is a living thing, ancient and cunning, and it knows your heart."

The girl shivered, the weight of the woman's words sinking in. She had no memories, no past, and yet she was the key to stopping a force older than time itself. It felt impossible, overwhelming. But there was no turning back now.

The woman stepped closer, her silver eyes gleaming softly in the starlight. "The river you seek lies just beyond this clearing. It will lead you to the edge of the Forgotten Lands. But be warned: the way is treacherous, and the darkness will not wait idly for you to reclaim what was lost."

The girl nodded, her resolve hardening. "I have no other choice, do I?"

The woman smiled faintly. "No. But even in darkness, there is always light. Remember that, Lost One."

The woman turned, gliding back toward the pool of water. As she reached the edge, her form shimmered, dissolving into the light of the stars themselves, leaving the girl standing alone in the clearing.

She took a deep breath, her heart still racing, and turned toward the direction the woman had indicated. The trees parted just slightly, revealing a narrow path that sloped downward, where she could hear the faint rush of water in the distance.

The river.

She started walking, her steps quickening as the sound of the water grew louder, more distinct. The trees grew thinner, and soon she emerged onto a rocky bank, where a wide, dark river stretched out before her, its surface reflecting the stars above like an endless sky.

The river felt ancient, as if it had been flowing for eternity, carrying with it the secrets of the world. She knelt by the water's edge, staring into the reflection of the stars, her mind swirling with questions. Who had she been? What had she lost? And what would she find in the Forgotten Lands?

The amulet pulsed again, its rhythm steady and sure, like a heartbeat in the silence.

She stood, determination filling her chest, and stepped into the river.

The cold water rose up around her, but she didn't hesitate. The current was gentle at first, but soon it began to pull her forward, carrying her deeper into the unknown.

As she drifted along, her gaze fixed on the stars above, she felt the faintest flicker of something-an old memory, distant and blurred, but there, waiting to be found.

She closed her eyes and let the river carry her forward, into the heart of her forgotten past.