Finally, we reached a clearing where the trees parted to reveal a wide, open space. In the center stood a large, ancient tree, its branches twisted and gnarled. There was something about it that set my nerves on edge, though I couldn't put my finger on why.
"Gather around," Professor Brandt ordered, his voice echoing in the stillness.
We obeyed, forming a circle around the ancient tree, its twisted branches casting eerie shadows over us. I couldn't help but notice the strange markings carved into the trunk—runes, perhaps, though they were unlike any I had ever seen.
They pulsed with a faint, unsettling energy, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
