Alex opened his mouth to protest, to demand answers, but the words died in his throat.
The figure's presence was overwhelming, and he felt the very ground beneath him shift.
The garden around them blurred and began to fade, swallowed by an intense light that grew brighter and brighter until it engulfed everything, leaving him with nothing but the echo of the person's last words ringing in his ears.
When the light receded, Alex was no longer in the garden.
He stood in a bright forest, the sunlight streaming down through the thick canopy of trees overhead.
He panicked at first, his heart hammering in his chest, but quickly realized this place was different from the suffocating darkness of Blackwood Forest.
Here, the air was warm, and the light was clear, untainted by shadow.
He glanced around, taking in his surroundings.
There was a strange stillness in the air, a kind of peace he hadn't felt in a long time.
But then his gaze dropped to the ground, and he saw something half-buried in the dirt.
His heart skipped a beat—there, lying at his feet, was the small dagger his mother had given him and his worn backpack, which he thought he had lost.
"I thought I lost it!" he exclaimed, his voice breaking the silence.
Relief and confusion washed over him as he bent to pick them up.
The familiar weight of the dagger in his hand was comforting, a reminder of home and the family he was determined to protect.
But why were they here?
Before he could make sense of it, a familiar voice echoed around him.
"Seriously, this guy is going to give me a heart attack," Alex muttered to himself, his heart racing as he recognized the voice.
It was him—the Mister.
Alex had decided to call him that because he couldn't bring himself to call the figure a monster or a spirit.
The Mister was something in between, something that defied explanation.
"Your training begins here," the Mister's voice said, calm and commanding.
"You are at the edge of the Forest, and your task is to reach the other side.
It's a journey you must undertake, no matter how long it takes."
Alex felt a knot form in his stomach as he looked around, realizing the scale of what lay ahead.
The forest stretched as far as he could see, and beyond the trees, the peaks of jagged mountains loomed high, partially obscured by mist.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Alex shouted, his panic rising.
"What do you mean, 'training'?
This forest looks endless! How am I supposed to get through it?
And what's with those mountains? They're everywhere—do you expect me to climb them all?"
He was breathless by the time he finished, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the task in front of him.
His mind was racing, imagining all the things that could go wrong.
"That's why it's called a training," the Mister replied, his tone unyielding.
"But... but how am I supposed to fight the monsters here?" Alex stammered.
"I couldn't even handle that wolf before, and I nearly died!
How am I supposed to face whatever's out here? Please, you have to help me!"
"That is why I said get stronger," the Mister answered, and there was something almost patient in the voice, as if explaining a simple truth to a child.
Alex swallowed hard.
He looked down at his dagger, feeling the cold metal against his palm.
It suddenly felt small and useless, a relic from a safer time that was long gone.
His throat tightened, and he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the despair threatening to overwhelm him.
He was supposed to get stronger... but how?
"Monsters lurk in this forest, Alex," the Mister continued.
"Some weaker, some stronger.
Each one a challenge, a test.
You will learn, you will adapt, and you will survive.
There are treasures hidden within these woods—gifts that will aid you if you have the strength and cunning to claim them."
"Treasure?" Alex echoed, opening his eyes.
"What kind of treasure?"
"The kind that will help you become what you need to be," the Mister said.
"But only if you're strong enough to find them, and wise enough to use them.
This forest is more than what it seems."
"But I'm not ready!" Alex said desperately. "I don't have what it takes—I barely know how to defend myself!"
"You don't have a choice," the Mister replied.
"You must find your way.
This forest will push you to your limits, but each step you take, each challenge you face, will make you stronger."
Alex's panic turned to frustration, and he clenched his fists, feeling anger flare in his chest.
"You can't just drop me here and expect me to survive on my own! You don't understand—I don't even know what I'm supposed to be looking for! I don't know how to fight! I don't even know if my family is safe!"
There was a silence, and then the Mister spoke, softer this time, but no less firm.
"The path you walk is not easy, Alex.
No one said it would be. If you want to protect those you care about, if you want to be strong enough to keep them safe, then you must face this forest and everything within it.
Or you will never be ready for what lies ahead."
Alex felt a lump in his throat.
He glanced down at the dagger, the last tie he had to his family, and something hardened inside him.
He couldn't turn back. He didn't have that luxury.
Whatever this forest was, whatever lay in its shadows, he had to face it.
For his family. For himself.
"Alright," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"I'll do it. I'll get through this forest.
I'll get stronger.
But not for you. I'm doing this for me."
He looked up, waiting for a response, but there was nothing.
The forest was silent, the sun filtering through the leaves above.
The voice was gone.
Alex let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of what he'd agreed to settle on his shoulders.
He tightened his grip on the dagger and took his first step forward, deeper into the unknown, his heart pounding in his chest. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it.
He had to.
The first rays of sunset cast long shadows through the trees as he moved forward, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the undergrowth. The journey had begun, and there was no turning back.