The crystal of Eldara

The small village of Velmere sat quietly at the edge of the Alwinor Forest, where trees whispered secrets to those who dared to listen. Among the humble stone cottages and ivy-covered wells lived a girl named Kaela Thorne, known for her unruly auburn curls and curious nature. At seventeen, Kaela felt an invisible pull toward the forest, a longing that stirred in her chest each time the wind carried the scent of wildflowers and ancient earth.

She often wandered to the forest's edge after her chores, her fingers trailing over the rune-carved stones that lined the border. Her grandmother, who once roamed the forest freely in her youth, warned her to stay away.

"The forest remembers," she'd whisper with eyes distant and full of shadow. "And it does not forgive."

But Kaela couldn't help herself. There was something calling to her-something deep within the trees.

One evening, as the golden sun sank behind the misty peaks of Eldwyn Mountain, Kaela heard it: a voice, soft as wind, calling her name. She froze, heart hammering in her chest.

"Kaela..."

She turned, but the meadow was empty. The village bells tolled in the distance, a reminder of the hour. Her instincts screamed to run, but the voice called again, urgent and haunting.

"Kaela... the time is near..."

The air shifted. Leaves rustled though there was no breeze. Something shimmered between the trees-a flicker of blue light. And just like that, the forest no longer seemed like a place of danger but one of destiny.

And Kaela, despite everything, stepped toward it.