Calde kept pace with the woman, her mind racing as she followed her through the dense forest. The trees loomed overhead, their trunks thick and tangled with vines, casting everything in a shifting, almost dreamlike gloom. The air was damp, heavy with the smell of moss and earth, but there was a strange stillness to the forest. It was as if the entire world was waiting—watching—her every move.
The woman moved with a quiet grace, stepping lightly through the underbrush as if she were part of the forest itself. Calde found herself struggling to keep up. She wasn’t used to this kind of pace. She was used to isolation, to hiding away in her own space, away from anything or anyone that might remind her of her past life.
Now, here she was, following a stranger through an unfamiliar, hostile world.
“So, who are you, really?” Calde asked, her voice tinged with suspicion as they walked. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman knew more than she was letting on. The way she had appeared in the forest, the way she spoke, it all felt... calculated. “You say the forest doesn’t welcome outsiders. What does that mean?”
The woman didn’t look back, but Calde could feel her gaze, sharp and unwavering. She didn’t answer immediately, allowing the silence to stretch between them. When she finally spoke, her voice was low, almost a whisper carried by the wind.
“It means,” she began, “that this world is not kind to those who don’t understand its rules. The creatures that roam here are not the only threat you’ll face. There are others—older, deeper forces that watch from the shadows. And they won’t hesitate to make their move if they sense weakness.”
Calde frowned. “Sounds like you’re talking about more than just wild animals.”
The woman’s lips curled into a faint smile, but there was no warmth in it. “Yes. There are many dangers here—both physical and... otherworldly. The beasts are only the beginning. The magic of this world has a will of its own. It bends, shapes, and shifts to its own purposes. And if you’re not careful, it will use you as it pleases.”
That sent a chill down Calde’s spine. She was no stranger to feeling out of place, but this world felt alive, in a way that made her feel small. The trees weren’t just trees. The air wasn’t just air. There was something more here—something far older and more powerful than she could ever have imagined.
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“So... how do I survive?” Calde asked, the question hanging heavy in the air. Her words were more than just about surviving the creatures—they were about surviving this world. She wasn’t sure she was ready to learn the truth, but the uncertainty gnawed at her.
The woman slowed her pace just slightly, turning her head to glance at Calde with an unreadable expression. “You have powers,” she said, her voice calm, but with an edge that spoke of experience. “But powers alone won’t be enough. This world will test you in ways you can’t predict. Your magic is strong, but it’s also raw. Uncontrolled. If you’re not careful, it will consume you.”
“I didn’t ask for any of this,” Calde said sharply, a bitter edge creeping into her tone. She had never wanted to be special. She didn’t want powers that would set her apart. All she had ever wanted was to live a quiet life—away from the pain, away from the loss. Instead, she had ended up in this strange world, her life no longer hers to control.
The woman’s gaze softened ever so slightly. “No one asks for the life they’re given. But that doesn’t mean you have a choice. You’re here now. And you will learn how to survive, or you won’t survive at all.”
The words hung in the air between them, heavy with the weight of truth. Calde didn’t like it, but she understood. She could either adapt to this world—or be destroyed by it.
They walked in silence for a while, the tension between them palpable. Calde couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman was testing her, waiting for her to ask the right questions. But Calde didn’t have the luxury of asking everything. She needed to focus on surviving.
Ahead, the trees began to thin, and the underbrush grew lighter. The air felt fresher here, and the light—though dim—was softer. The forest seemed to change as they moved deeper into it, becoming less oppressive. More alive. Calde noticed strange, glowing plants poking through the soil and vines that seemed to move slightly, as if they were alive themselves. It felt like they were passing through a threshold—one that separated the mundane from the magical.
The woman stopped at the edge of a small clearing and turned to face Calde. “This is where I live,” she said simply. “For now, this will be your home as well.”
Calde blinked, startled. “You live here?” She had assumed the woman was just passing through, like everyone else. But the way she spoke, the way she carried herself—it seemed like this place was as much hers as the forest was.
The woman gave a single, almost imperceptible nod. “This is not just a place of survival. It’s a place of learning. You will train here. You will learn about this world, and about your powers. And then, when you’re ready, you will face what comes next.”
“What comes next?” Calde asked, her voice barely a whisper.
But the woman only smiled again—a faint, enigmatic curve of her lips. “You’ll see,” she said, turning toward the shelter she had apparently made for herself in the heart of the clearing.
Calde followed, her mind racing with questions she didn’t know how to ask. The woman seemed to know everything about her—everything about this world—but there was so much left unsaid, so much hidden beneath her words.
As they entered the shelter, a small hut made of woven branches and leaves, Calde’s mind wandered back to the beast. She had narrowly escaped it, but what if next time, there was no luck to save her? What if her powers weren’t enough to protect her from whatever else lurked in this world?
The woman had said that this was a place of learning. But Calde wasn’t sure if she was ready to learn the lessons this world had to teach.
END OF CHAPTER 4