The night had passed with restless dreams. As morning broke, the immortals stirred, each more focused on the pressing need to understand their strange surroundings.
Eirik, as usual, was the first to stand, his ice-blue eyes scanning the forest. "We'll need food if we're to keep moving."
Thalos, ever the sentinel, agreed with a nod. "This forest feels ancient. There may be more to it than meets the eye."
Aurelia yawned, her fiery red hair catching the early morning light. "Well, then, let's find out. I'm hungry, and we still don't know how big this forest is."
Kael, always the optimist, pointed to a faint path winding between the trees. "Let's follow that. It might lead to something—water, food, or at least a clearer way out."
The group packed up their camp and set out into the forest, each keeping their senses sharp. As they ventured deeper, the air seemed heavier, filled with the earthy scents of moss and damp wood. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick canopy above, leaving the forest floor in a cool, shadowy haze.
Nyssa, always on alert, moved quietly, her dragon-blooded instincts sensing something strange in the air. "This place feels off," she muttered.
Hours passed, and just as their stomachs began to growl in unison, Kael spotted something ahead. "Look!" he called, jogging to the base of a massive tree.
Growing from the low-hanging branches were clusters of vibrant, jewel-like fruits. They shimmered in hues of deep violet and crimson, unlike anything they had ever seen.
Aurelia knelt beside him, inspecting one of the fruits. "These... they don't look like anything I've encountered. But they're beautiful."
Lucius approached, more cautious. "Beautiful things in strange places are often dangerous. We shouldn't be too hasty."
Zahara touched one of the fruits gently, her golden eyes narrowing. "They're warm, almost as if they have life in them."
Kael, ever curious, plucked one carefully. "We need food. At the very least, we should take some back to the others."
Eirik frowned, his icy gaze fixed on the mysterious tree. "We don't know what they are, or what they could do. We're not eating them until we know for sure."
Thalos nodded. "I agree. We should bring them back, but we proceed with caution."
With that, they carefully gathered a few fruits, wrapping them in cloth for safekeeping before heading back to camp. The path was eerily quiet as they retraced their steps, and the sense of being watched only grew stronger.
When they returned to the group, Aurelia held up the fruits with a grin. "Look what we found. Strange, isn't it?"
Isolde, always cautious, raised an eyebrow. "Fruits in a forest like this? They could be a trap."
Elara, inspecting one of the fruits, smirked. "Maybe it's enchanted. Only one way to find out."
Zahara stopped her before she could go any further. "No one eats anything until we understand what these are."
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over their camp, the immortals gathered around the fire, the mysterious fruits sitting in the center of their circle like a silent enigma.