This time, I could feel the presence of the creature zipping through the forest, leaving a faint, glowing trail like dappled patches of light imprinted in my vision. It reminded me of camping with my father-how I’d gaze at the campfire until the embers danced in my sight, lingering long after I’d closed my eyes.
Whatever it was, it held no malice. There was a life force within it, distinct and ancient, almost as if it were woven from the very essence of the forest itself. I knew, without question, that this being had existed long before most Fae and had been born at the dawn of the forest’s own life. It darted between the trees, leaving me spinning to keep up. Suddenly, it paused, hovering between two towering trunks, thick enough to dwarf a pickup truck. The light shimmered, casting earthy hues as it drifted between the trees.
“I think it’s waiting for us,” murmured Blue, her voice laced with awe. “It wants us to follow.”
I didn’t question the instinct to trail this creature. Somehow, I knew it sought me out with purpose. Each step resonated, vibrating through the ground beneath me. Threads of Earth magic shimmered everywhere, rich in hues of green, brown, gold, and bronze, weaving the very magic that made the forest come alive.
The glowing creature moved ahead, pausing now and then, waiting as I crossed the forest floor. Vines that once tripped me now receded, and branches brushed by gently, like a welcoming touch. I wasn’t forcing the Earth to move with me; I was moving with it, allowing myself to flow as one with the terrain.
“We’re here,” Blue finally broke through my reverie.
I found myself in a wide clearing encircled by towering stones, smooth and steadfast. Within the ring of stones, smaller rocks formed a spiral pattern on the ground, each spaced just a few feet apart. At the very heart of this swirling pattern waited the creature that had guided me here.
Carefully, I stepped between the stones, not wanting to disrupt the strange formation. Better safe than sorry; I had no idea what kind of being had crafted this place or why.
“What are you?” I asked, surprised by the steadiness of my voice.
I stood within the stone pattern, just a few feet from the glowing orb. It hovered, almost motionless, radiating life and a watchful, ancient energy. I sensed it observing me, waiting for my reaction.
When it finally “spoke,” its words weren’t sounds; they filled my mind like a whisper on the wind, carried with the scent of blooming flowers, damp earth, and rushing water. The voice was timeless, neither male nor female, yet full of a patient compassion.
“Wisp,” it said simply. The name moved like music through my thoughts.
Its voice was elemental-a song of Earth and Air, gentle yet fierce, kind yet unyielding.
“Why did you lead me here?” I asked, my focus locked entirely on the Wisp before me.
The forest seemed to fade away, insignificant compared to this being. Its magic was different from the dark forces I had sensed before. The Wisp wasn’t good or evil; it simply *was*.
“To offer you a truth.” The words bloomed with scents of ripe berries, mountain creeks, and garden blossoms.
“A truth?” My heartbeat quickened.
“There are many truths,” it replied. “This is one you seek, one you feared you might never find.”
My breath hitched. I knew the truth it referred to. The question haunted me, lingering in my dreams and my waking thoughts. Other than Leonardo, it was the one thing that loomed over me each day. I saw visions of two worlds-the death and destruction awaiting one of them, as life seeped from every root, creature, and water source.
“Tell me,” I pleaded, resisting the urge to reach out, to somehow forge a connection with this ancient creature. I was prepared to do anything, to pay any price if it meant saving both realms. “I’ll give you anything, just tell me how to save everyone.”
“There are many ways, many paths you could take. None without loss.” Its answer caused my heart to sink. It glided slightly, seeming to respond to my rising panic. “Sacrifices must be made if you wish to save both worlds.”
“I know that already!” I replied, frustration lacing my words as I ran a hand through my tangled hair. “I could let the Fae take over the human realm, but it would be disastrous. Magic would overrun everything, and the humans-they can’t survive in a world like that. They’d be destroyed.”
“Look towards the past, Isabella. The answers to the present live within it.”
I opened my mouth to ask more, but the Wisp’s glow intensified suddenly, the light flaring so brightly that I shielded my eyes. When the brightness finally subsided, the Wisp was gone, leaving me alone in the clearing, now lit only by the faint light of the three moons.
Only the moonlight remained, casting a dim glow through the thick forest. I couldn’t see a clear path back to the village; the trees’ dense leaves blocked most of the light. My frustration surged.
“Brilliant move, Isabella,” I muttered under my breath.
The sound of my own voice seemed to startle me, reminding me how silent the forest had become. Usually, the night was alive with creatures’ calls, but here, a deep silence pressed down, making my ears ring and my sweat turn cold.
Then I heard it. A sound that didn’t belong-something far older than the usual forest noises. This part of the forest felt strange, as if it had roots in a much older time. The trees were dark and twisted, their gnarled branches reaching into the sky like claws.
The Wisp, for all its neutrality, had brought me here to a place where the Old Magic ran free, where rules held no sway and danger seeped into the air itself.