Chapter 2: The First Sign
228 Words
The road grew quieter as Carlo approached a stretch of forest. The dense canopy overhead cast the path in a dim, greenish light. It was the kind of silence that felt unnatural, like the world was holding its breath.
Then he saw it.
A faint golden glow shimmered through the trees on his right. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light—maybe the sun breaking through the clouds—but as he slowed his motorcycle to a stop, the glow grew brighter.
Curiosity got the better of him. Carlo parked his motorcycle on the roadside and ventured into the woods. The underbrush was thick, but he pushed forward, the golden light guiding him like a beacon.
The forest began to change. The trees thinned out, replaced by an open expanse. The ground underfoot felt smoother, almost unnaturally so, and the air smelled sweet, like blooming flowers after rain.
In the distance, he saw it: a city unlike anything he had ever imagined. Towers of glass and gold stretched toward the sky, their surfaces catching the fading light of dusk. The buildings seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive, and the streets below were lined with glowing trees.
“This can’t be real,” Carlo whispered, his voice swallowed by the stillness.
He walked closer, his heart pounding with equal parts awe and unease.
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