Dust scattered like a mist of eternity as Viana opened the door of the old teakwood wardrobe. Fragile spiderwebs trembled, adding to the lonely atmosphere of her grandfather's storage room. The smell of must and trapped time pricked her nose. Her eyes swept over the wardrobe's contents, piled high with worn fabrics and mysterious boxes, then turned towards the small shadow at her feet.
Whisper, a black cat with eyes like yellow full moons, sat gracefully on the faded rug.
"Whisper," Viana whispered, her voice hoarse from dust. Her expression clearly asked... where? This should be the perfect spot?
Her mind drifted to childhood tales of hidden doors behind wardrobes, gateways to magical lands.
---
Whisper let out a long sigh that sounded like the rustle of the night wind, his tail moving slowly. His blue eyes regarded Viana with a mix of deep patience and concern.
[Not there, Vivi...] His voice trembled softly, more like the wind whispering through leaves than an ordinary cat's meow.
[You're too fixated on old fairy tales. Magic often hides in forgotten places, not the ones you seek.]
"Oh!" Viana's eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushing slightly with excitement. "I thought it had to be here! Those stories always talk about old, dusty wardrobes..."
She brushed the dust off her palms. "But you're right, Whisper. Magic does love surprises." Her heart pounded, a mix of embarrassment and anticipation.
[Follow me!] Whisper exclaimed, his voice suddenly clearer and more energetic.
His grey fur seemed to absorb the dim light from the small window. With a nimble cat-like movement, he darted across the room, stopping in front of a small bookshelf slumped in the darkest corner. Its wood was rotten, some books inside crumbling from age.
Whisper sniffed the base of the shelf, then gently pressed a worn edge of wood with his velvet paw pad.
Creeeak... Groooook...
The sound of long-untouched hinges echoed in the room's silence. It sounded eerily like the noise that had accompanied Whisper's first appearance.
The bookshelf slowly slid sideways, revealing a widening gap. Not darkness lay beyond, but a burst of golden dust motes filling the air, sparkling like fairy dust. The light was warm and soft, carrying a sweet scent like honey and wildflowers. Viana gasped, her mouth agape, eyes wide with disbelief.
Behind the shelf wasn't the storage room wall, but an ancient wooden door adorned with intricate carvings that glowed faintly.
---
Staggering forward with awe, Viana stepped over the threshold. Her skin felt the warmth of the golden light, like a gentle embrace. She took a deep breath, inhaling the intense scent of fresh green grass and distant flowers from within. As her foot fully landed on the floor on the other side...
Whoosh!
The golden light vanished instantly. The old bookshelf slid back into place with a heavy thud. Grandfather's storage room returned to its dusty, silent solitude. As if Viana and Whisper had been nothing but a dream swallowed by time.
Fresh.
That was the first impression that struck Viana. Cool, fresh air swept across her face, carrying the complex scents of wildflowers, damp leaves, and something else... something alive and full of energy.
The gentle breeze here was different from the winds in her village; it was softer, fuller, like breathing. Bright sunlight bathed her skin, yet without scorching heat, only a soothing warmth.
She stood at the edge of a lush, perfectly green forest. In the distance, brightly colored birds flocked across the clear blue sky, their songs mingling with the rustle of leaves and the chirps of tiny insects, creating a harmonious symphony of nature. One word echoed in her mind. Magical.
[Welcome to Lumera, Vivi!] Whisper cried, leaping gracefully onto Viana's shoulder.
His tail curled gently around her neck. His youthful voice sounded full of joy. [How does it feel? This is your true home.]
Viana's gaze was drawn to a magnificent mansion towering amidst the forest, sheltered beneath a giant tree whose leaves emitted a soft golden glow.
The mansion was built of pale, shimmering stone, adorned with gold ornaments reflecting the sunlight. Its wrought-iron gates stood wide open, inviting.
---
With steps filled with reverence and burgeoning curiosity, Viana passed through the gates.
The first to greet her wasn't a servant, but a graceful doe. Her coat was pure white like snow, but what made Viana gasp were her antlers. Not ordinary antlers, but clear crystal that emitted a soft rainbow light, like living diamonds. The doe's eyes were large, deep purple, regarding Viana with profound intelligence.
[This is Luna,] Whisper whispered from Viana's shoulder, his voice filled with respect.
[The Eternal Guardian of the Argentum Mansion and the Lumera Forest. She who has kept everything alive and balanced since... since the last owner left.]
Viana's awe transformed into a strong desire to touch such beauty. Without thinking, her slightly trembling hand reached out, slowly approaching Luna's elegant head. Whisper remained silent, watching intently.
"May I...?" Viana murmured, almost inaudibly.
Luna didn't pull away. Instead, she gently bowed her head, letting her glowing crystal antlers touch the tips of Viana's fingers. As the contact happened...
Zap!
A brief electric warmth shot from Luna to Viana. Then, the white doe's body suddenly shone with blinding light. The light condensed, rippled, then shrank rapidly into a swirling cloud of shimmering silver smoke hovering in the air.
"No! Luna!" Viana cried out in panic, her hands grasping at the vanishing smoke. "What have I done?! Whisper!"
But the silver smoke didn't disappear. Like an intelligent serpent, it shot straight towards Viana's chest. Viana felt a strong, warm push, as if pierced by light, but it didn't hurt.
It felt... like coming home. She stumbled back a step, her hand pressed against her suddenly warm and rapidly beating chest.
From her shoulder came Whisper's soft laugh, sounding like the tinkling of small bells.
[Meow! Look!]
[Congratulations, Vivi!] Whisper exclaimed, jumping to the ground and rubbing his head against Viana's leg.
[Luna has acknowledged you! Now, you are the new Keeper of the Lumera Forest and Guardian of the Argentum Mansion!]
Viana stared at Whisper, her eyes still wide, panic mixed with confusion. "Keeper? Me? Huh?!"
Her hand still pressed to her chest, feeling the strange warmth nesting there. "But... why me? What does this mean? I just touched her!" Her voice rose, full of disbelief. "I just got here! This is crazy!"
Whisper shook his head slowly, letting out another long, dramatic sigh. His round blue eyes looked at Viana with an unreadable expression – concerned, but also slightly amused by her confusion.
[Oh, Vivi, Vivi...] the cat purred softly. [You truly know nothing, do you? So pitiful... and a little adorable.]
"Hey!" Viana protested, her eyebrows knitting together.
"It feels like you always look at me like I'm a lost child! What do you even know about me?" Her thoughts churned, a burning mix of annoyance and curiosity.
[Come this way,] Whisper said, turning and starting to walk along a white stone path winding towards the mansion's grand entrance. The path was flanked by flowerbeds filled with colorful blooms that seemed to glow.
[Enter your ancestral home. As we walk, I will tell you why you are here... and why none of this should surprise you.]
Following the elegantly strolling Whisper, Viana gazed in awe at the mansion. Its white and gold facade shone under the giant tree's light. The intricate carvings on its walls seemed alive.
[This magnificent Argentum Mansion,] Whisper began, his voice turning more serious, [and the Lumera Forest you see now, full of life and light... were once very different, Vivi.]
Viana listened, her steps slowing. "Different how?"
[Dark. Tainted. Full of an evil mist called Miasma,] Whisper explained, his tail moving to the rhythm of his words.
[Poisoned air. No birds sang, no animals roamed. Only gloom and lurking danger.]
"Then... how did it change like this?" Viana asked, her curiosity overcoming confusion.
[Someone came, Vivi. Someone immensely powerful and pure of heart.] Whisper paused, looking up at the giant tree towering behind the mansion, its golden leaves shimmering.
[They conquered the Miasma, purified the land, and nurtured new life. And they planted a seed... the seed of the tree that became the heart of this forest.]
"That tree?" Viana pointed at the giant tree whose leaves emitted golden light. "What is it? So huge and... beautiful."
[That is Yggdrasil,] Whisper answered, his voice trembling with reverence. [The Tree of Life. The World Tree...]
"The World Tree?" Viana interrupted, her eyes widening again. "The one the Elves have? Wait, hold on!" She stopped walking, staring sharply at Whisper, who now sat on a small fence post.
"How could my grandmother... Lutishia... grow something like that? An Elf World Tree?" Her doubt was clear. Tales of Elves and their World Tree were high-level myths, not something her grandmother could or would do.
Whisper tilted his head, his yellow eyes narrowing as if smiling. His voice sounded matter-of-fact, yet full of meaning, [Why? Of course, because she wasn't human, Vivi.]
The cat jumped down and approached, looking straight into Viana's eyes. [Lutishia, the grandmother you knew as an ordinary, loving village woman...] Whisper paused, creating tension. [...was Luthien Sylvaranth. The Last Queen of the lost Sylvanore Elf Kingdom. And you, Viana...]
Whisper lifted one front paw, as if pointing to Viana's chest where Luna's light still felt warm.
[You are her flesh and blood. Heir not only to this Mansion or this Forest... but also to Elf blood and the responsibilities she left behind.]
Whisper's words hung in the air like a spell. Viana stood frozen in silence.
The world around her—the magnificent mansion, the magical forest, the Yggdrasil tree pulsing with life—suddenly felt overwhelmingly large, real, and terrifying.
Elf blood? Queen? Responsibilities? Her mind spun wildly. She looked down at her hands, as if searching for proof of change. Only the faint warmth in her chest remained.
"But... Grandma..." she murmured, her voice hoarse. "She... disappeared years ago, and I never met her. If she was such a powerful Elf Queen... why? Where did she go?"
Whisper bowed his head, his grey fur glistening in the sunlight.
[That, Vivi...] he whispered, his voice suddenly heavy with sorrow and deeper mystery.
[That is the question even Luna and I still seek the answer to. And perhaps...] He looked at Viana again, his gaze now heavy with a burdensome secret.
[Perhaps only her blood descendant, the true Heir of Lumera, can uncover the truth.]
A gentle breeze caressed Viana's hair, carrying the scent of flowers and secrets. She stood before the door of the Argentum Mansion, no longer just Viana from the village, but someone who had just been thrust into a destiny far greater than her imagination.
The mansion's large wooden door seemed to challenge her to open it, step inside, and begin unraveling the lost past and an unforeseen future. Her journey as the new Keeper of Lumera had only just begun.