The Itezista Forest was silent that morning. Mist rose between the ancient trunks, and sunlight barely pierced through the dense canopy, drawing golden lines across the green moss. Above, the birds sang only rarely, as if unwilling to disturb the strange stillness that ruled the forest's depths.
Sofia and Dragoș walked slowly, following the stone path Miral had shown them the day before. Sofia held in her hand a small blue crystal the wizard had given her — a talisman that would protect her if the shadows came too close.
— "Are you scared?" Dragoș asked, glancing around.
— "A little," Sofia smiled. "But the forest knows us. I don't think it will harm us."
The wind carried a long whisper, like voices speaking from far away. The trees seemed to bow slightly, and a cold, sweet scent drifted through them — the smell of night flowers and wet stone.
From the shade of a massive oak, a girl stepped out in silence. Her hair was long and white as snow, and her eyes glowed ruby red. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and the black dress she wore looked as though it had been woven from mist.
— "Who are you?" Sofia asked, astonished.
The girl smiled. It was not an evil smile, yet not entirely human either.
— "Alexandra. I live here, in the forest. You're the ones who have come too close to the shadows."
In the next instant, a boy appeared beside her. He had dark brown hair, nearly black, and eyes of metallic gray. He wore a leather coat and a moon-shaped pendant. Around him lingered the faint scent of earth and wind.
— "I'm Vlad," he said simply, though his voice sounded as though it came from the depths of the forest, like an echo.
Sofia and Dragoș exchanged wary looks. Alexandra approached, her gaze fixed on Sofia's crystal.
— "Light… Miral gave it to you, didn't he? He's still trying to keep the balance between his light and our shadows."
Dragoș stepped back.— "Shadows… yours?"
Alexandra laughed softly, a sound like clinking glass.
— "The Itezista Forest has two faces. Day belongs to the light. Night belongs to us. We guard it… but we hide it as well."
Vlad sat down on a stone, watching Sofia with his gray eyes.
— "You're not like the other humans. The forest chose you, even if you don't yet know why."
A chill ran down Sofia's spine. She didn't understand, yet his words rang true. Suddenly the light shifted — sunlight dimmed, and the forest seemed to breathe deeply.
Alexandra held out her hand to Sofia.
— "Do you want to see our world? It's not far. It's where the shadows meet the light."
Though Dragoș grabbed her arm, Sofia stepped forward. The four of them moved between the trees, and the air grew cold, almost unreal. Beyond an arch of black branches opened a clearing bathed in silvery light.
Black butterflies drifted slowly, and in the center lay a mirror-lake that reflected not the sky, but stars — though it was still daytime.
— "This is our place," Vlad said. "We were born from the forest's gentle darkness. We are its children."
Alexandra moved closer to Sofia and placed her cold hand over Sofia's heart.
— "Feel it? The heart of the forest beats inside you. One day, you'll understand why."
Sofia did not answer. She felt an ancient mystery unfolding before her — something far greater than herself.
After a few moments, the wind rose and the mist thickened. Alexandra stepped back.
— "You must go now. Day is ending, and the shadows will soon awaken."
Sofia looked at her, wanting to speak, but Alexandra smiled again — a smile both sorrowful and beautiful.
— "We will meet again. Perhaps when you're older. The shadows are patient."
With those words, Alexandra and Vlad dissolved into the mist, and the forest fell silent once more.
Sofia stood perfectly still, holding the crystal tightly in her palm.Its light pulsed faintly, like a living heart.
She knew without knowing how that the two children of shadow were not merely strangers.They were part of the mystery that called to her each time she ventured into the depths of the Itezista Forest.