The night was quiet, but the air carried a strange heaviness that made Isabella’s heart uneasy. She had fallen asleep near the fireplace, yet her dreams did not bring peace. Instead, they pulled her into a world that felt too vivid to be a dream. The forest around her glowed faintly under a blue moon, and mist curled between the trees like living smoke.
She called out softly, her voice trembling as it echoed through the silence. No one answered. Then a light appeared ahead of her, floating and pulsing like a heartbeat. She followed it, feeling her feet sink into cold soil that seemed to hum beneath her. Each step drew her deeper until the air began to shimmer and her surroundings shifted into a clearing filled with silver stones.
At the center stood a figure cloaked in white, with hair t
