Terror rooted me to the spot. I turned, and the tree loomed over me, vast and unyielding, its rough trunk etched with cracks like dry rivers filled with memories. Then, from deep within, a golden energy pulsed, glowing through its sap.

I pressed my hand against its coarse, living bark. Its essence slid toward me—not hostile, not warm—just the impassive judgment of an entity that had seen too much. Yet, it did not reject me.

Its scent was damp earth laced with a withered sweetness, its shadow deeper than the mere absence of light. This was no ordinary tree; it was a witness. Once, blood had been spilled upon its roots, and throughout its long existence, it had watched lovers walking hand in hand—until time turned them to ashes.

But it was also peace. Its energy was a promise that time flows, that all things heal, even if scars never truly fade.

The Old Oak. Its name echoed in my mind, vast and ancient. For a fleeting moment, I had touched its memory, glimpsing the fate of the blonde girl.

I clung to the tree’s quiet strength and climbed onto one of its branches. From there, the town stretched out beneath the night, a tapestry of warm lights flickering softly, as if breathing with the wind.

Beyond, the streetlights illuminated the hollow, barely tracing the ghostly outline of the old train tracks. On the other side, the forest loomed like a dense shadow, a wall of darkness without a single fracture.

And then, in the darkness, a silver glow shimmered between the trees, like a pool of water reflecting the moon. For an instant, I felt a current of magic ripple across my skin.

Immediately, I pulled out my phone, desperate to capture it, but in the blink of an eye, the light vanished. Only the dense forest remained, indifferent, as if it had never been there.

Curiosity jolted through me. I climbed down from the tree and walked along the wide streets stretching toward the woods. My heart pounded with a fierce rhythm.

The shadow wolf appeared once more. Sometimes, it would salivate at the scent of my emotions, savoring them with cruel delight, as if crushing one of my bones between its fangs. But this time, there was something more.

Nature pulsed with an intense yet warm force, like a veiled warning. A good omen? A bad one? Nothing is absolute. What some see as a blessing, others perceive as a curse.

Before reaching the forest, I came across a hill, and something beckoned me to climb it.

—Go to the top —the wolf whispered in my mind—. I will follow… and I will feed. But when you fall, no one will find your body here. You will be just another shadow on the mountain.

A shiver ran down my spine, but I ignored it. The glow I had seen from the tree was still too far away. I changed course, gripped my skateboard against my side, and began to climb.

The night closed in around me. Despite the starry sky, darkness devoured everything. The path twisted beneath my feet, the ground treacherous. Then, I tripped over a hidden rock.

The impact tore a strangled cry from my throat. The hill spat me backward, and I tumbled down, stones and dirt scraping my skin, striking me without mercy.

The world spun along with me, and when I finally stopped, oxygen burned in my lungs, and a dull pain throbbed in my elbows and knees. I slowly pushed myself up, brushing the dust off my trembling hands.

—You see? —purred the wolf—. You didn’t even have to reach the top.

—SHUT UP! —I shouted, my eyes filled with tears.

Around me, everything was still, but it wasn’t comforting; it was an aura of suspense that seemed to hold secrets, as if the landscape knew something I didn’t yet understand.

Among the tangled grass and the dust my fall had kicked up, something caught my attention. An unusual light was emanating from the ground. I approached the spot, still panting, and observed: a rock engulfed in flames, but the fire neither spread nor consumed it. It was a different kind of fire, contained, as if it obeyed the natural laws of another world.

Without hesitation, I took off my sweatshirt and tried to extinguish the flames. The heat was suffocating, but it didn’t burn, as if the rock were measuring my intention.

I watched, absorbed by this phenomenon, when the fire finally receded, revealing a surface that wasn’t an ordinary rock. Its texture was smooth and shiny, and under the faint light still emanating from it, I could see what appeared to be stars trapped in a deep, infinite sky.

The peculiar rock was beautiful, yet unsettling, and I felt as though a veil was being lifted before me, offering knowledge that challenged everything I thought I knew. I waited, holding my breath, letting the object cool.

When I finally touched it, the air seemed to change around me. An inexplicable, glacial current ran down my spine, and in front of me, a glowing figure appeared, about my size, or slightly taller than me.

—Hello… Who are you? —I asked, trying to remain calm, though my heart thundered in my ears. The figure wasn’t human.

Its skin was a canvas of stars, radiant and almost ethereal. Its golden hair cascaded like threads torn from the cosmos, and its smile seemed to hide secrets as old as time itself.

—Humans are charming! —he said, with a voice that was warm, like being near a campfire, but with a deep tone that brushed against my cheeks. There was a mischievous, magnetic undertone to it, impossible to ignore. He spoke in an ancient, resonant language, but I understood it as if his words were etched deep inside me.

—What’s your name?

He let out a laugh, as clear and free as the chirping of birds at dawn. It was the most beautiful sound I had heard in a long time.

—I'm Eridanus, though you can call me Erid.

—Juno… —I introduced myself— Or, if you prefer, "the girl who’s always where she shouldn’t be" —I joked, downplaying it.

He tilted his head, as if savoring my name.

—Your hair has the fire of your spirit —he commented, watching the orange flashes in my locks.

The warmth rose to my cheeks as I twisted a lock of hair between my fingers.

—Do you hear nature? —I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from my blush.

—Of course not. Does it talk? —he replied, furrowing his brow with genuine curiosity, as if I had just asked him the strangest riddle in the universe.

I couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

—I'm dreaming… —I whispered, bringing my hands to my cheeks.

—If this is a dream, then we’re both sharing it —he said with a smile so wide it seemed to light up the place—. Although, if my father finds out that a human has seen me, I'll be in serious trouble.

—It’ll be our secret, Erid —I said, excited, as if I had known him my whole life.

—I trust you, Juno of the fire —he tucked his hair behind his ear—. By the way, that rock, "halonite," is mine, but you can keep it.

I clenched it in my palm as I gazed at his chrysanthemum smile.