Late that night, under the cover of darkness, a cloaked figure moved stealthily through the dense trees that marked the border between Astaria and the Tamry Forest. The border was a place of dread, the edge of civilization where the land met the wilds, the dark unknown. The Tamry Forest, a forbidden territory, was where monsters and malevolent Faeries were banished, its entrance sealed off by a powerful barrier that had stood for centuries, keeping the horrors within from spilling into the realm of Astaria.
The figure moved with purpose, her steps silent as a whisper, until she reached the barrier. It shimmered faintly in the moonlight, a nearly invisible force field that vibrated with an ancient power. She stood there for a moment, her hood pulled low over her face, before extending a hand toward the barrier. Her fingers trembled slightly as they made contact with the invisible wall, and she began to murmur incantations under her breath, the words ancient and forbidden.
