Chapter 2: The Guide

The disorientation was overwhelming. Elara's heart raced as she tried to understand what had just happened. Her modern clothes felt out of place in the forest, and a sense of danger loomed around her. Every shadow seemed alive, watching her.

She picked up the book she had carried into this strange place, but its pages were now blank. No glowing text, no explanations. Panic surged through her until she heard a voice, soft but clear, like a whisper in the wind.

"You're not from here, are you?" the voice asked.

Elara spun around, her pulse quickening. From behind a massive oak tree emerged a figure—a young man with sharp features, silver eyes, and clothes that seemed stitched from the very fabric of the forest itself. His presence was both calming and unsettling.

"I'm Kaelen," he said. "And you've made quite the entrance. No one crosses the Rift without reason."

Elara struggled to find her words. "The Rift? Where am I? How do I get back?"

Kaelen smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Aeloria. And as for going back, well… it's not that simple."