Chapter 4
The lingering chill of the river clung to my skin, even as Midora's oversized coat warmed me. My father's frantic hug and the whirlwind trip to the doctor had left me more confused than ever. I watched as my father, his face still etched with worry, paced the living room. "We need to understand what's happening," he murmured, more to himself than to me.
"Dad," I began, "I keep having these dreams…and then I wake up in places I don't remember going. And the boy, the one from my childhood…"
"Mio, we'll figure it out," he said, his voice strained. "But for now, we need to focus on getting you better."
"But I am better," I insisted. "It's like…like something else is happening."
Midora, perched on the arm of the sofa, nodded. "She's not wrong. It's too weird to just be a coincidence."
"Perhaps," a low, gravelly voice interrupted. We all turned to see a figure standing in the doorway, a tall, gaunt man with piercing grey eyes and a long, dark coat. Elias Thorne.
My father stiffened. "Elias," he said, his voice tight. "What are you doing here?"
"The forest whispers," Elias replied, his gaze fixed on me. "It speaks of strange occurrences, of a girl caught between worlds."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, a shiver running down my spine.
"The dreams, the disappearances, the creature in the forest…they are not random," Elias said, his voice resonating with an ancient authority. "They are connected."
"Connected how?" Midora asked, her eyes wide.
"To the balance," Elias said, his gaze shifting to the window, to the dark expanse of Blackwood Forest beyond. "To the forces that have been stirring for centuries."
"Centuries?" my father scoffed. "Elias, you're scaring her."
"The truth is rarely comforting," Elias said, his eyes returning to mine. "The boy you seek, the one from your childhood…he is not what he seems."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart pounding.
"He is a guardian," Elias said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "A protector of the balance. But the balance is shifting, and his power is waning."
"And the wolf attacks?" I asked.
"They are a symptom," Elias said. "A sign of the growing darkness. The forest is restless, its creatures disturbed."
"So what do we do?" Midora asked.
"We seek answers," Elias said. "We delve into the shadows of the past, and we confront the forces that threaten to consume us."
"How?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"We begin in Blackwood Forest," Elias said. "There, the answers lie hidden among the ancient trees."
"That's crazy," my father said. "I'm not letting Mio go into the forest."
"It is her destiny," Elias said, his gaze unwavering. "And it is the only way to protect her."
"Destiny?" I echoed, my mind reeling.
"Your mother knew," Elias said, his voice softening. "She knew that you would be caught in the middle of this. She knew that you would have to face the darkness."
"My mother?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"She was a protector, like the boy," Elias said. "And you, Mio, you are her legacy."
He turned to leave, his dark coat swirling around him. "We will meet at the edge of the forest at dusk," he said, his voice fading as he stepped out into the night. "Be prepared."
As he disappeared into the darkness, a heavy silence fell over the room. My father stared at the empty doorway, his face pale. Midora looked at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and excitement. I looked back at her, my mind a whirlwind of questions, my heart pounding with a strange sense of anticipation. The forest was calling, and I knew, deep down, that I had to answer.
To be continued