Whistling

Erik, Liam, and Mia moved cautiously through the ancient forest.

As they ventured deeper the forest began to show signs of its mythical nature. Small, glowing orbs of light flitted between the branches like will-o'-the-wisps, leading the way deeper into the woods. Strange plants with bright colors lined the forest floor, their petals opening and closing as if responding to the trio's presence. The sound of rustling leaves and distant animal calls filled the air, creating a symphony of nature's whispers.

"Look at that," Liam whispered while pointing to a stream that wound through the trees. The water shimmered with a golden hue. "This place is incredible, isnt it?"

Mia nodded. "Right. It will be even more incredible if we were'nt in an almost suicidal mission."

"Hey, don't be so pessimistic. You're spoiling this beautiful forest with your gloomy attitude," Liam retorted.

"Did I say something wrong, though?" Mia shot him a look.

"Well, what you said isn't really wrong. But could you at least try to be a little more… uh, positive? It might help me feel a bit better about this mission."

"No, I can't. I'm nervous and I'm scared. I'm not going to pretend everything will be fine."

"Will you guys shut up? Do you want to attract the monsters to us right now?" Erik sighed. "Remember, we need to stay focused on finding Freya."

The reminder of their mission sobered them. Liam and Mia exchanged glances and sighed. Then they continued to move cautiously. The further they went the more the forest seemed to shift around them. The trees growing denser.

They passed by a grove of silver-leafed trees whose trunks seemed to pulse with rhythmic glow. Close to it a pair of deer with silvery antlers grazed, lifting their heads to watch the trio pass with calm eyes before disappearing into the underbrush.

After what felt like hours of walking, the trio paused in a small clearing, their expressions growing tense as they realized they had no idea where to go next.

"Where do we even start looking?" Liam asked. "This place is huge, and we don't have a map."

"We need some sort of clue," Mia said and nodded to Liam's words.

Just as Erik was about to respond a soft chime rang out, and the translucent Quest Window appeared before their eyes again.

[Quest: Freya's Rescue]

Objective: Locate the glade where Freya last performed her ritual.

Clue: Seek out the Glade of the Whispering Trees, where the leaves sing with the voice of the wind.

Erik, Liam, and Mia stared at the window in surprise, reading the instructions carefully.

"Glade of the Whispering Trees," Erik murmured, glancing around. "That's where we'll find our next clue."

Mia looked up at the treetops, listening closely. "The leaves sing with the voice of the wind… That must be how we'll find it."

"Do you think the sound will be obvious? Or are we supposed to just listen really carefully?" Liam asked.

"Only one way to find out," Erik said, determination in his voice. "Let's move."

The trio set off again, this time with a clearer sense of direction. They moved quietly, listening for the sound of the singing leaves that would lead them to the glade.

The atmosphere around them began to shift. The usual rustling of leaves and distant animal calls faded, replaced by stillness. The trio exchanged uneasy glances. Their steps slowing as they sensed something different about this part of the forest.

They grab their shotgun – Bǫltr – and get ready for anything. Or more precisely, trying to be ready.

Then, softly at first, a faint whistling sound began to fill the air. It was almost like the wind playing through the branches.

"Do you hear that?" Mia whispered, her eyes scanning the treetops above.

Erik nodded. "Yeah, it's coming from the leaves… up there."

They all looked up in unison. The towering trees above them swayed gently, their leaves shimmering with a soft glow. As the wind moved through the branches the whistling grew louder, forming a melody.

"That's it. The singing leaves… it's got to be," Liam said. "Holy shit. I thought its just metaphorical but turns out its real."

"Let's go."

Erik took the lead following the sound with cautious steps. Mia and Liam stayed close behind him.

As they walked, the trees around them began to thin, the canopy above giving way to patches of clear sky. The ground underfoot became softer, covered in a thick moss.

"We're close," Erik murmured with eyes focused on the path ahead.

The trio pressed on. Then, the forest seemed to open up before them to reveal a small clearing bathed in soft, golden light.

As they stepped into the glade the whistling of wind suddenly fell silent.

"This is it. We've found the glade," Erik said.

They see a towering and ancient tree with trunks twisted in elegant spirals silvered leaves shimmered in the soft light.

"These must be the Whispering Trees," Mia muttered.

In the next moment, the Sytem give them something again.

[Approach the Whispering Tree]

Without hesitation the trio obeyed. As they did.

[Approach the altar]

The trio exchanged brief glances, steeling themselves for what was to come. They moved together, stepping carefully through the glade until they reached where a once-grand altar stood in ruins.

The altar was carved from the same ancient wood as the trees surrounding it, but it was now splintered and broken with its surface marred by deep gouges and cracks.

As they neared the altar, the System's voice grew more insistent.

[Stand close. Scanning in progress.]

They obeyed, positioning themselves around the altar. A faint hum filled the air, the System's energy merging with the remnant of Aether lingered of the altar. The runes on the altar flickered to life, glowing faintly as the System began its scan.

Finally, the scan concluded, and the System's voice rang out with clarity:

[Scan complete. Altar destruction confirmed. Traces of powerful magic detected. This was no accident. Continue your search. The path forward will be revealed.]

As the light faded, Erik, Liam, and Mia stood in silence, absorbing the weight of the System's words.

Erik broke the silence. "We're on the right track. Let's keep moving."

Liam and Mia nodded.

---