The silver path led us deeper into the forest for three days. We walked in silence, too afraid to speak, too aware that one wrong step off the path could mean death. The trees watched us with what felt like intelligence, their branches swaying even when there was no wind.
On the third night, we saw it.
The Sacred Grove appeared suddenly, as if the forest had simply decided to reveal it. One moment we were surrounded by dense trees, the next we stood at the edge of a perfect circular clearing bathed in moonlight that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
At the centre stood an ancient stone temple, covered in vines and moss but still majestic. Silver light pulsed from within, rhythmic like a heartbeat. Around the temple, white flowers bloomed that I had never seen before, t
