THE DARK ROOM

Ulanni quickly pushed the ticket towards him, and he took it from her, tucking it into the little yellow bowl by his side.

Standing up, he took out a bunch of keys from his inner coat pocket and made his way towards the door.

Raising his wrinkled hand to the keyhole, he deftly inserted the key and slowly pushed the door open with a creak.

At that moment, fear crept in as the door opened, allowing the bright daylight to flood into the room. Ulanni knew that once it was closed again, darkness would engulf the entire room, leaving her alone with her thoughts and fears.

She stood there frozen, unable to move, her gaze fixed on the looming black door. The old man stared at her with annoyance before roughly pushing her into the dark room. Ulanni stumbled forward, barely able to see anything in the darkness.

Ulanni tumbled to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through her wrist as she tried to break her fall. She winced as she examined her scraped knee, the redness and stinging reminding her of her clumsiness.

Gingerly rising to her feet, she outstretched her hands to feel for the wall, her fingertips tentatively brushing against the rough surface of the floor.

Frustrated, Ulanni muttered to herself, "Not like I could see anything anyways." Taking slow, cautious steps, she grope her way towards the wall, her hands outstretched in front of her. After what seems like an eternity of fumbling in the dark, her fingers finally graze the cool surface of the wall, and she let out a relieved sigh.

Clutching onto the wall for support, Ulanni slowly lowered myself down until my back was pressed against the cool surface. Releasing a long, weary sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart.

As Ulanni sat there in the pitch-black room, she couldn't help but think that the only thing she had gained from this whole ordeal was an eerie silence that seemed to press in on her from all sides.

Ulanni closed her eyes in resignation, realizing that there was no use in trying to peer into the darkness.

With no sense of time, no sound to fill the void, and no light to guide her, she simply let herself exist in this strange, silent world.

Ulanni's stomach rumbled, reminding her of her hunger and exhaustion. The darkness was disorienting, and she found it difficult to gauge how much time had passed since she had been trapped in this room. She tried to ignore the gnawing ache in her stomach, but the occasional cramp that rippled through her was impossible to ignore.

With nothing else to do, Ulanni decided to take a nap to pass the time. She closed her eyes and began counting backwards from one hundred, hoping to lull herself into a deep slumber. "One hundred... ninety-nine... ninety-eight..." Her mind drifted off with each number, and soon the sound of her counting faded away into the silence of the dark room.

As Ulanni continued counting backwards, her eyelids grew heavy and her thoughts began to slow. It wasn't long before she felt herself slipping away into a dreamless slumber, the darkness of the room enveloping her in a cocoon of silence.

When Ulanni opened her eyes again, she was struck by the incredible scenery that lay before her, a world of vibrant colors and surreal landscapes that seemed to stretch out into infinity. She couldn't believe her eyes; she had gone from the darkness of that cramped room to this breathtaking vista, a place that seemed too beautiful to be real.

As Ulanni gazed out at the forest before her, she was awed by the towering trees that seemed to reach up endlessly into the sky.

Their lush leaves formed a thick canopy that blocked out the sunlight, casting the forest floor in a cool, dappled shade.

The air was thick with the scent of pine needles and damp earth, and she could hear the gentle rustling of leaves as a soft breeze blew through the treetops. It was a peaceful, otherworldly place, and she felt a sense of wonder and awe as she took it all in.

But what really struck her was that the trees were utterly unlike anything she had seen before, far grander and more majestic than any she had encountered in the compound."

The trees were unlike anything she had ever seen before; their trunks a rich, golden hue, their roots glowing white, and their leaves a lighter shade of gold. It was a breathtaking sight."

Even from a distance, she could sense the presence of the forest, looming on the horizon like a promise of adventure and discovery.

Ulanni felt a mysterious pull towards the forest, as if something within her recognized that this was where she was meant to be. The sensation was electric, like a surge of energy that propelled her towards the trees.

The very ground beneath her feet seemed to be infused with a strange, otherworldly energy. The soil was white and powdery, unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was just another reminder that this place was truly unlike anything she had known before.

As Ulanni continued moving towards the forest, her attention was drawn to an unusual pounding sound coming from the ground beneath my feet, leaving her perplexed and curious.

Ulanni stopped in her tracks and knelt down to place her hands on the white sand. To her surprise, she felt a slow pumping sound almost like a heartbeat, resonating beneath her fingertips. It was as if the earth was alive, and its heartbeat matched her own.

Ulanni placed my hand atop her chest, feeling the steady beat of her own heart. As she listened, she realized the slow pumping sound from the ground matched the rhythm of her heartbeat, only slightly faster.

The steady pulse of the ground felt almost like a runner's heartbeat, and she couldn't help but wonder how such a thing was possible. It was as though the earth itself was alive, with its own energy and life force coursing through it.

As Ulanni listened to the steady pulse of the ground, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was different about this place. "That was strange," Ulanni thought to herself, "The ground in the compound didn't have a heartbeat like this one here." Ulanni couldn't help but wonder what secrets this land held.

Despite the strange and unexplainable nature of the heartbeat, Ulanni couldn't deny the soothing effect it had on her. It calmed my racing thoughts and cleared her mind, which was always crowded and unfocused. This was the reason why she was prone to zoning out so often.

Ulanni found solace in her mind, where she could freely express herself without fear of reprimand from Mother or her subordinates.

Ulanni wished silently that she could stay in this place forever, but deep down she knew it was just a fanciful thought.

Standing up, Ulanni immediately noticed that the clothes she was wearing were not her usual ones, the ones that all children in the compound wore.

Ulanni found herself in a gold knee-length gown with a low-cut neck, and her hair fanned out behind her. It felt unfamiliar because she was used to keeping it in a ponytail, as was demanded of them in the compound.

Gently running her fingers over the fabric, Ulanni noticed that her hair felt softer and fuller than it had ever been, with a vibrant pink hue that stood out against the muted gold of my dress.

As she looked at her skin, she saw a soft glow that she had never seen before, making her feel like she had been transformed into a healthier and more vibrant version of herself.

Ulanni's eyes widened as she also noticed that all the scars on her body, which had come from the frequent beatings she received back in the compound, were now gone. It was hard for her to believe what she was seeing.

Despite her limited exposure to books at the compound, Ulanni couldn't help but wonder how this new place could be so different from anything she had ever read.

As she looked up, Ulanni felt something pulling her towards the golden forest in the distance. It was as if an invisible force was drawing her closer, and she couldn't resist its call.

Confused yet curious, Ulanni stood up and started making her way towards her original destination - the Golden Forest. She wasn't sure why she was drawn to the forest, but she felt a strong urge to explore its mysteries. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building up inside of her.

Ulanni ran to the Golden Forest, urged on by an unknown force calling out to her.