The druid turned around just as the boy ran into his arms and wrapped himself around his waist like a child afraid of a monster lurking in the pitch-black darkness surrounding them.

He observed the forest, which had fallen silent all of a sudden and devoid of any living beings. He knew right off the bat that the immaculate façade before him was nothing but a disguise to deceive his senses.

Something out there, something lurking in the dark, frightened the boy out of his wits, on purpose or by pure accident. Yet, there was only one thing he did not grasp no matter how many times he thought it over: why?

What business did the dark forces of the night have with a mere boy, who did not even have a name of his own?

It wasn’t just this strange silence that bothered him. Even the quiet living beings around him gnawed at his consciousness. It was as if they were afraid of something that watched over them and hushed their merry chants. Again, but why?

Gwydion stared at the boy, who held him tight with closed eyes and bated breath, studying him for the umpteenth time. A mere boy… Why was everyone and everything so wary of a mere boy, who couldn’t even give himself a name?

He gently pulled away from the poor thing, uncomfortable beyond words yet alert, and led him through the thorny bushes to show what lay hidden beyond it.

Whatever frightened him was now long gone, and there was no reason to stay put and await the unknown.

The grey-eyed boy stumbled forwards and his eyes shot open before the breathtaking sight in front of him.

He stared back at the druid, who was not as enchanted by the sight, for he had come here far too many times to be taken aback by its beauty.

A lake the size of Mazheven lit up the darkness around them, surrounded by bushes and thickets. It was hidden in the murk like the finest jewel amidst grey stones, like a star in the sky dearth of clouds.

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The moonlit black water shone bright, so bright in fact, that the surrounding darkness dared not approach it, and the bluish mist around the lake swayed in the air and devoured everything that came too close to the edge of the black water to keep it safe.

“Do you like what you see?”

“I never knew there was a lake this beautiful so close.”

“You must be lucky, then.”

Hain frowned, seemingly unable to grasp what he meant by that, as the druid put on a smirk just as mysterious as the black water itself.

The boy knew nothing of the dread that lay beneath the shimmering surface, but Gwydion knew. Indeed, the rumours that surrounded the Forgotten Forest were true. Many men drowned in the lake, fooled by its enchanting beauty – victim to their weakness and desire to be around beautiful women.

Like prey in the darkest hour of the night, they were led to their deaths in the blink of an eye. Even the bushes around the lake teemed with wicked thorns to keep anyone and everything away.

Yet only the despicable humans were fooled by its innocent disguise, blinded by lust and unable to see the hideous face beneath the mask.

The sirens lying in wait beneath the lake hunted for men every waking hour, deceiving them with their innocent smiles that only humans failed to see through.

That was why their remains were buried deep beneath the sandy bottom to this very day – forever lost in time and forgotten. A fate many men fell victim to yet they had no one to blame but themselves.

“This is no ordinary lake, child. Underneath the water lies the lair of sirens no man alive has ever seen.”

“Sirens?” the boy repeated in a hushed tone, his mouth gaping wide with awe and trepidation. “But why do you say it’s their own fault, sir?”

“That’s the nature of man since the mists of time. Man, mind you, fails to see the weed among red roses, too blind for his own good to see the true face behind the mask before the monster digs her teeth in and drags him to the bottom of the lake.”

“Then why are we here?”

Gwydion smiled, tapped the boy’s shoulder and pointed at the heart of the lake in silence. He didn’t have to say a word, only guide the boy to the spot he wanted him to focus on.

Hain followed his intelligent gaze, his eyes narrowing as nothing but waves appeared in the heart of the lake – waves so tiny that they could not even be called waves if he had to be honest.

As the boy looked at him with a cocked head, questioning what he was supposed to look at, Gwydion hushed him with his eyes and let the magic begin.