The Whispering Tree

Chapter 12: The Whispering Tree

The sun was setting behind the hills . The sky turned orange and pink. Sera stood on the school roof, looking at the colors. It was quiet, and the wind felt soft on her face.

Valen joined her. He handed her a warm cup of tea . "Beautiful evening, isn't it?"

Sera nodded. "It feels peaceful. But something is... off ."

Valen looked at her. "You feel it too ?"

She nodded again. " The air feels strange. Like it's hiding something."

Later that night, Professor Mora called a meeting. All the students gathered in the great hall .

"There 's something I must tell you, " Mora said seriously. "Deep in the forest, there's an old tree. It's called the Whispering Tree. Long ago, it warned us when danger was near."

Whispers filled the room.

Kael raised his hand. " Why are you telling us now?"

Mora replied, "Because the tree has started whispering again. And it only whispers when dark magic is close ."

Everyone went quiet.

Sera felt her heart beat faster . Valen reached for her hand and held it tightly.

That night, Sera couldn't sleep. She kept hearing soft whispers in her ears, even though her room was quiet .

The next morning, the group decided to visit the tree .

Kael, Lira, Riven , Valen, and Sera packed snacks and magical items. They walked through the forest . Birds flew above them. The sun peeked through the trees. But the deeper they went, the darker it became.

Lira said, " It's too quiet here. Even the birds are gone."

Finally, they found the tree. It was tall and wide, with black bark and silver leaves. The leaves moved, but there was no wind.

Sera stepped closer. She heard a voice. It was soft and low, like a song and a warning together .

"Danger is near... not all is well... trust your heart... not every spell."

She looked back at her friends. " Did you hear that?"

They nodded, their faces pale.

Suddenly, the ground shook. A dark shadow burst from behind the tree. It looked like a wolf, but with glowing red eyes .

"Run!" Kael shouted.

They scattered . Valen grabbed Sera's hand, and they ran together. The shadow chased them , howling like a beast.

Riven turned and threw a shadow spell. It hit the creature, slowing it down.

Kael made a wall of fire. Lira called tiny fireflies to blind it.

Sera took out the glowing stone Mora had given her. She whispered, "Help us. Please."

The stone glowed brightly and pushed the shadow back.

The creature howled and vanished into mist.

Everyone stopped, breathing hard.

"What was that?" Lira said, shaking.

Sera held the stone tightly. "It's not over. That was just a warning."

Valen looked at the tree. Its leaves were still moving.

Sera stepped forward again.

The tree whispered once more. "One you trust... may not be true... danger lies close... inside your crew."

They all looked at each other.

"What does that mean?" Riven asked.

Sera felt a chill. " Someone close to us is hiding something."

They walked back in silence.

That night, Sera sat by the window. Valen joined her.

"What if it's me?" he said. "What if I'm the one hiding something?"

Sera looked at him. "Do you feel that way?"

He shook his head. "No. But I don't remember my dreams. What if something bad is hiding in them?"

Sera leaned her head on his shoulder. "Then we'll find the truth together."

He smiled. "Together."

Downstairs, Professor Mora stood in the hallway, looking at an old letter. Her face looked sad and worried. She whispered, " I hoped this day would never come."

Outside, the tree's silver leaves shimmered under the moonlight. And far away, someone watched Sera and her friends from the shadows , eyes glowing red.

The Whispering Tree had spoken.

But the real danger was just beginning .