Love walked into the darkness of the night, the glow of the stars above her and the rustle of the travel bag that Zeydran had prepared for her the only sounds marking her steps.
The cold wind of Frostheim lashed against her face.
It didn’t take long for her to leave the city behind.
She was now advancing in the uncertain light of dawn, when the first pale rays of sun began to break the night’s darkness.
Before her, the entrance to the Fjalrin forest stood like a natural arch of gigantic trees, whose trunks twisted into bizarre shapes, almost as if they were alive and in a perpetual attempt to touch each other.
It was a surreal landscape: every branch, every leaf was covered by a transparent layer of ice reflecting the sunlight.
As soon as she crossed the threshold of the forest, the world seemed to transform.
The sounds became muffled, as if the snow under her feet was swallowing every noise.
The air was sharp, a mix of resin and glacial freshness, with a sweet and spicy hint from flowers hidden beneath the snow.
The trees, hundreds of meters tall, rose like columns of an ancient natural cathedral.
Their trunks were covered in silver bark streaked with blue, and the branches spread into an intricate web that seemed to mimic a starry sky.
Some of them emitted a faint, gentle glow.
And she wasn’t alone in that forest; there were various species of animals, birds, and plants that seemed to come from a realm of fantasy.
It was a full-fledged enchanted forest.
Her steps sank into the soft snow that sparkled under the filtered light from the high branches.
The silence was broken only by the faint rustling of her movements and the distant chirping of birds.
She felt a strange unease, as if unseen eyes were watching her from every direction.
But she kept walking.
Suddenly, a different sound broke the stillness: a soft giggle, as light as the wind.
Love stopped abruptly, her heart pounding.
She looked around, searching for the source of the noise, but saw nothing.
She took another step, and this time the giggle turned into a crystalline, cheerful voice.
“Well, finally someone who can see me! Hello, little lost one!”
Love flinched and turned quickly.
Before her, on a low branch of a tree, was a small luminous creature, the size of a robin.
It seemed made of light, with an ethereal body glowing with a soft bluish hue.
It had large curious eyes and two small transparent wings that fluttered slowly, as if it were floating rather than flying.
“Who… who are you?”
Love asked, clutching her cloak to her chest to shield herself from the sudden cold that seemed to have filled the air.
“Ah, finally someone asks the right question!”
the creature replied, doing a small pirouette in the air.
“I am Ayperi, the most charming, amusing, and brilliant sprite in all of the Fjalrin forest! And who are you, my little lost one?”
“My name is Love,”
she answered hesitantly.
“Why did you call me lost?”
Ayperi sat cross-legged on the branch, the playful smile never leaving its face.
“Because you’re here, in the forest, of course! Isn’t this the place where everyone ends up when they don’t know where to go?
But wait, wait!”
It floated closer, until it was just a few inches from Love’s face.
“You can see me… you can really see me?”
Love nodded slowly, confused.
“Yes, of course I can see you. Why wouldn’t I?”
Ayperi pulled back abruptly, as if struck by a revelation.
“Ohhh, but this changes everything!
You know, the others who enter here… well, they don’t see me.
And yet, they stay. Always.
Do you know why?
Because the forest enchants them, traps them, and eventually… takes something from them.”
Love shuddered.
“Takes something? What do you mean?”
Ayperi floated idly, seemingly indifferent to Love’s growing fear.
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“Their souls, little lost one.
That’s how the forest feeds.
It keeps them here, wrapped in such overwhelming beauty that they forget everything, even themselves.
And when there’s nothing left of them… well, they’re just another part of the scenery.”
It made a sweeping gesture, pointing to the glowing trees and the creatures moving in the shadows.
Love stepped back, her terrified gaze darting around.
“Are you saying I can’t leave here?”
“Oh, no, no, no!”
Ayperi answered, laughing.
“You’re special.
You can see me, and that means the forest can’t take your soul, at least not while I’m here.
You know what? I’ll be your guide! After all, who better than me to help you not get lost?”
Love hesitated.
“And why should I trust you?”
Ayperi put a luminous hand to its heart and made an exaggerated expression of mock offense.
“Trust me? But I’m the only one who can help you, little lost one!
And besides, who else would you talk to in this frozen cathedral of trees and snow?
Come on, let me show you the way!”
Love stared at it for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
“Alright… but if you’re lying to me, Ayperi, I swear…”
Ayperi raised its hands, laughing again.
“Me? Lie? Never!
Now, follow me, and don’t worry: with me, you’ll be safe—at least until we have a little fun together.”
Despite its demeanor, Ayperi kept its word and guided her out of the forest.
Ayperi: (floating in front of Love, with the usual mischievous smile) “So, little lost one, now that we’ve avoided you becoming a lovely piece of decoration for this forest... what are you planning to do next?”
Love: (looking straight ahead, with a thoughtful expression) “I must continue my journey. I’ve been told to head towards Porto Fidelis. There’s someone I need to find there. But, to be honest, I don’t even know where to start.”
Ayperi: (doing a somersault in the air, seemingly indifferent to the seriousness of her response) “Oh, Porto Fidelis! A place I’ve never seen… but it sounds exotic. And dangerous, just how I like it!” (suddenly stopping, staring at her with sparkling eyes) “And you, little lost one, what are you hoping to find on this journey? Answers? Salvation? Or just a bit of peace?”
Love: (pulling her cloak tightly around her, gaze lowered) “I don’t know. I’m just… trying to move forward. Maybe a place where I’m not judged, where I can just… be free. But I’m not even sure what that means.”
Ayperi: (lowering to float at her eye level, voice softer) “Free, huh? That’s no small word. You know, little lost one, I once sought freedom too… and I ended up trapped in this forest for centuries. Funny, isn’t it?”
Love: (looking up, curious) “Why didn’t you ever leave? I mean… you’re a sprite; you could fly anywhere, right?”
Ayperi: (shrugging, tone more melancholic) “Oh, sure. I could have left this place… but I always found an excuse to stay. Here, I was safe. And when you spend enough time in a place, it starts to feel like home. Even if it isn’t really.”
Love: (hesitant but sincere) “And now? Why don’t you stay here? Isn’t this home for you?”
Ayperi: (chuckling, though with a serious undertone) “Maybe it was, but you know what? After talking to you, little lost one, I realized that home isn’t where you feel safe, but where you feel like you belong. And this forest… well, it’s too full of tired memories. I need to see something new, feel something different.”
Love: (with a faint, but genuine smile) “So… will you follow me?”
Ayperi: (putting on an exaggeratedly surprised expression) “Oh, what a question! Of course I will! Do you have any idea how boring this forest is? And let’s be honest, who else will keep you out of trouble, little lost one? You’re a magnet for disasters.”
Love: (softly laughing, for the first time in days) “And you think you’re the solution to my troubles?”
Ayperi: (laughing, spinning in the air) “Oh no, I’ll probably make everything worse… but at least we’ll have fun. And who knows, maybe along the way, we’ll find that place we both call home.”
And so, with Ayperi floating beside her, joking and casting her glittering glances, Love set off toward the snowy horizon.
The capital of Frostheim awaited them, hidden beyond the silent, icy expanse.
APPENDIX WARNING:
As we move into the next section, I want to give you a heads-up: the upcoming part is highly intricate and delve deeply into the technical details of this universe. These details are not strictly necessary to understand the main plot, but they are essential for those who want a fuller comprehension of the world-building and its inner workings.
If you enjoy immersing yourself in the mechanics, lore, and finer points of a richly detailed universe, I encourage you to continue reading. However, if you prefer to stick to the core storyline, feel free to skim or skip these parts.