Aru Shah and the Forest of Shadows [COMPLETED]

Step Aside, There's a New Spirit in Town

Just after dawn, Aru woke to a rustling near her head. But when she opened her eyes, there was no one there. Mini, Brynne, and Aiden were all still in their tents around the extinguished fire. Rudy, who had fallen asleep on watch, was just laying there on the grass.
Aru had placed her sleeping bag (she was the only one without a tent) far enough away that she shouldn't have been able to hear one of them moving.

She was about to dismiss it as her imagination, or an animal, when she noticed two small imprints next to her in the grass. Like there was an invisible person standing right there.

Then, as she watched, the prints moved, leading away from their camp. They stopped five or so steps away and turned, as if waiting for her.

Aru froze, more than a little freaked out.

The wind made a noise that sounded like a sigh. The prints moved back closer to her, and Aru scrambled back.

In a grassless spot of soil, marks appeared, as if someone was writing in it with their finger.

Aru almost screamed, but the sound died in her throat as she stared at the dirt.

I CAN HELP YOU, it read.

Aru looked up at the space above where the footprints were. "Who are you?" She asked.

The writing was immediately erased and the dirt replaced. New lettering appeared.

FOLLOW ME.

Aru glanced back at her sleeping questmates. Their weird fight last night was still at the front of her mind. But still, what would they think if she just left without a warning?

The two new words were erased.

I DO NOT HAVE MUCH TIME, was the new message.

Aru got up, dusting off her pajamas.

"Okay," she said to the prints. "I'm coming."

Before she left, she knelt down and wrote a message in the dirt.

BRB
-Aru

The invisible person waited for her to finish, then Aru grabbed Vajra and followed the tracks into the forest.

Birds sang overhead in the treetops, and Aru felt like she was just in any normal forest.

But something kept her on edge, probably the fact that she was following a trail of footprints left by an invisible person who could, at any second, drive a knife through her throat.

Finally, the tracks stopped in front of a hill. The air shimmered, and a door appeared in the side. It reminded Aru of the witch's hut in Brave, although this one looked tall enough to walk through without crouching.

The door opened by itself, and the footprints went inside. Aru followed. The wind blew, and the door closed.

Inside was a single room, the floor made out of dirt, and the walls and ceiling supported by rough wooden beams. It was completely bare except for two wicker chairs and a table.

One of the chairs scooted out, and it looked like the invisible person had sat down. Aru remained standing.

"Please, sit," a female voice said.

She did, although she didn't slide her chair back in, in case she needed to run.

Across from her, the air shimmered again, this time revealing a young woman. Aru caught her breath. The girl looked to be around Aru's age, but her face, especially her eyes, held a depth that made her look older. She had long wispy hair that fell down to her waist, full but uneven lips, a wide nose, and narrow, drooping eyes under thick arched eyebrows.