Chapter 3: "Roots of the Sleeping Mountain"

When they start exploring the forest, the forest whispered with ancient secrets as Aryan moves carefully his eyes fixed on the magical looking deer. Sorrenpaw instantly tell Aryan that it's a magical deer.

Sorrenpaw –

" it's a magical beast, of course not a divine beast but magical beast is also very rare and powerful. It's really surprising to encounter one."

Aryan with curiosity –

" hey tell me what is the name of that magical beast."

Sorrenpaw –

" his name is velmorn – is also known as [ grace of the forest] but they are very critical in nature so I think we should stay away from them "

While telling about velmorn, when he turn his head Aryan is not there.

Sorrenpaw " that idiot "

Aryan trying to get close to velmorn, when Aryan looks closely to deer he notices that the deer is not ordinary deer, its fur shimmered faintly under sunlight. Its eyes, deep and wise seemed like he can see through your soul.

Each step Aryan took echoed softly through the trees, the deer turns his head once, then leapt over a patch of glowing mushroom, disappearing behind a thick curtain o vines.

Aryan heart races when the deer disappear and when he pushed the vines aside – but before he could take any step, the ground beneath him gave away.

" Ahhhhhh -!"

Aryan fall into a deep dark tunnel, wind roared in his ears. The tunnel was narrow at first then widened as he fell. For several minutes, there was only endless fall – his heart pounding.

He landed with a rough thud on a thick bed of moss. Aryan sat up, his hands are shaking.

" What… is this place?" he whispered, eyes widening.

When he went outside a very beautiful valley unlike anything he would ever imagined. Towering emerald trees – some hundreds of feet high – covered the land like a living sea, their leaves glowing with gentle hues of blue, violet, and golden. Birds with crystal wings.

But it wasn't just the forest that stole his breath.

Surrounding the valley on all four sides stood colossal mountains, their peaks hidden by clouds. Their sheer size made him feel as small as a grain of sand. And right in the middle rising like a silent domination was a mountain unlike others.

It was darker, older… mysterious.

Its surface shimmered with ancient symbols , and the air around it is full of dark special energy. As if it was alive, watching him.

" I think I wasn't meant to find this…" he murmured.

" But now that I have… I can't turn back"

And deep in his soul, something stirred.

The valley was unnaturally still.

Aryan wandered through the dreamlike landscape, brushing his fingers against glowing bark of the towering magical trees.

He feel like they are alive and observing him, but strangely walking deep in the forest no sounds came from within the forest. No rustle of animals. No chirping of birds. Everything is dead silent.

" Why is there no one here… ?" he muttered, scanning everywhere.

The deeper he walked the stranger it felt. The air shimmered with invisible tension. The trees bent slightly towards the mountain at the center of the valley, as if they are bowing to something… ancient.

" I think I am on the right way"

Finally, he reached the base of that towering mountain.

As soon as he stepped close, everything changed.

The colors drained from the land. The green, gold, and blues faded into dull grays and cold black. Fog began to cover all over the area, thick and suffocating. Even the light from the glowing trees dimmed, as if mountain itself doesn't allow them.

Aryan froze. His breath turned cold.

And then – he saw it.

On the face of the mountain, carved deep into dark stone, were symbols. Twisted, ancient letters that glowed faintly with blood-red hue. The language was completely unfamiliar-none he'd ever seen before.

But something inside him stirred.

His heartbeat starts pounding, his skin tingled.

And then-

HIS EYES. THE RED ONE…