As Marcus entered the grove where the Heart of the Forest had once pulsed, a thick silence fell over him, pressing in from all sides. The air was heavy, filled with an ancient, lingering magic that tingled against his skin. The trees around him seemed to lean in closer, watching, as if they knew why he had come. The ground felt different here—alive, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat. Marcus knew this was no ordinary part of the forest.
The system chimed.
*Ding!*
**System Alert: "Begin Final Trial to Become the True Guardian of the Whispering Woods. Complete the three Trials of Awakening to unlock the full power of the forest."**
