As Lucian led his group deeper into the Blackwood, the forest around them grew darker and more foreboding. The trees were ancient, their twisted branches casting eerie shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, and the silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. Lucian knew that the Blackwood was no ordinary forest; it was a place of ancient magic and forgotten secrets, and they had to be prepared for whatever trials it would throw at them.