The carriage jolted to a halt.
We stepped out. The Whispering Forest loomed before us. It wasn't a normal forest. The trees were massive, their bark grey and twisted like old muscle. The canopy was so thick that the sun was reduced to thin, piercing beams of light.
And the sound.
Sssshhhh...
The leaves rustled constantly, creating a sound like thousands of people whispering secrets. It was psychological warfare.
Professor Cassandra stood at the entrance, checking her watch.
"Group 11. Your designated zone is Sector 4. Objective: Retrieve the Core of a Moss Golem or defeat 10 Goblin Warriors. You have 48 hours."
She handed me a magical flare gun.
"If you're dying, fire this. We'll come save you... eventually. But you'll fail automatically."
"Understood," I nodded.
"Good luck," she whispered, her eyes lingering on me. "Don't disappoint me, Alex. I have thirty retests riding on your success."
We entered the treeline.
