We ventured into the woods, the trees towering over us like silent sentinels. The further we went, the thicker the fog became. Every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs made my heart pound faster.
"Pororo, you sure you know where we're going?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.
Pororo's ears twitched. "Trust me. I can sense it."
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the forest. I froze, gripping a fallen branch like it was Excalibur. "Did you hear that?"
"Of course I did," Pororo whispered back, his eyes glowing faintly. "Stay close."
We pressed on, the growls growing louder. My palms were sweaty, and my mind was racing with every horror movie cliché imaginable. Finally, we reached a clearing where the fog seemed to thin. In the center was Kyle, standing stiffly. Just as we were about to reach him, he vanished like mist. The fog thickened, and Pororo and I could barely see each other as if the mist intended to separate us. We tried to stay together, but the mist pushed us further and further apart until I was completely alone.
"Pororo, Kyle? Come on, you guys..." Tears welled at the corners of my eyes. I walked through what seemed like a never-ending stretch of trees, but no matter how fast I walked, I always returned to the same place. Then I saw a huge tree standing in the middle of the forest, completely different from the trees around it. As I approached, I noticed a massive hole in it that could fit two kids my size.
I got bad vibes from it, but I had to be strong. Before going inside, I opened the book and summoned Pororo as a sacred tool. At first, I wasn't sure if it would work, but then a staff came swirling through the air against the backdrop of thick mist, and I caught it. Pororo, now transformed into the staff, spoke, "You should have done this earlier."
"I was so afraid I couldn't think straight," I admitted.
Pororo and I decided to enter the huge, scary-looking tree. Inside, it was like a cave. I wondered if this cave had always been here or if I was just going crazy. I saw Kyle's yellow jacket on the ground, and I knew this must be where the beast takes the lost children it ensnares.
Further down, we saw Kyle entangled in what seemed like a spider web. He was unconscious, and when I tried to wake him, he wouldn't stir. As I shook Kyle, the web moved, and I felt a pair of glowing red eyes staring from the darkness from the opposite side.
"The beast!" Pororo exclaimed.
A huge screeching sound echoed, and the creature appeared in front of us. I nearly tipped over at the sight of it—a monstrous spider from the waist down and a woman's bust from the waist up, with hollow eyes and fangs as sharp as blades. It fired a projectile web at me, but I managed to dodge it. I opened the book and activated autopilot mode, not trusting myself to handle the beast on my own.
Book: "Autopilot mode activated; the system now has full control of all your locomotor functions." The book flickered, and a light gushed forth from it, and I felt my body start moving on its own. It was weird but cool at the same time.
In autopilot mode, the book system takes full control of the sacred tool inventory, but only I can summon beasts to fight for me when needed. The book was insane! I felt like the Flash, darting from one side to the other. My body was as light as a feather, and though I didn't have full control, I still had control of my mind.
Book: "The beast you're battling now is a demon-type beast with a level 10 difficulty. Capture it, and your reward system will be activated," the book explained. I had no time to listen or ask about rewards or points or whatever nonsense the book was spewing. All I wanted was to save Kyle and get out of here.
So, the battle raged on with the Huldra. Pororo explained that Huldra have strong maternal instincts and adopt any young they see, be it children or animals. They are demon-type beasts. I recalled what Pororo had said about the levels of beasts in the spirit realm. While on autopilot, the book used the sacred tool Forest Amulet to subdue the Huldra with an overwhelming amount of roots and vines until it could no longer move. I enchanted the spell, "By moon's light and shadows deep, Awaken beasts from ancient sleep. Return to your eternal keep."
The Huldra fought its way from being caught and sealed back into the book. No beast had ever fought the book's power better than the Huldra. It was indeed strong, but my resolve to save Kyle was stronger. With the power of the Forest Amulet still active, I used the roots and vines to push the Huldra further down into the book until it was completely devoured by the book's power.
When it was sealed, I rushed to Kyle. I had never been so worried in my entire life as I was looking at my best friend lying helpless on the forest floor. Once more, I used the book's power to summon the Centaur and bring us back to the camp. All the while, my body was revolting, and I desperately needed help. We fell asleep when we got back to camp, and when we woke up, the memory of what happened last night was erased from Kyle's head, much like the Obliviate spell in Harry Potter.
Pororo, back to his usual form, grinned. "Next time, let's stick to safer camping sites, alright?"
I nodded, still shaken. "Yeah, definitely. And maybe, just maybe, we avoid trees with giant holes in them."
Kyle woke up, stretching and yawning. "What a weird dream I had... You guys were there, and there was this crazy forest..."
Pororo and I exchanged glances, our secret safe for now.
"Yeah, Kyle," I said, patting his shoulder. "Just a dream."