The Itezista Forest was silent that morning. The mist rose among the old trunks, and the sunlight barely penetrated through the dense crowns, drawing golden lines across the green moss. Above, the birds sang rarely, as if they did not want to disturb the strange peace that reigned in the depths of the forest.
Sofia and Dragoş walked slowly, following the stone path that Miral had shown them the day before. Sofia held in her hand a small blue crystal that the wizard had given her — a talisman that would protect her if the shadows moved too close.
"Are you afraid?" Dragoş asked, looking around.
"A little," Sofia smiled. "But the forest knows us. I think it will not harm us."
The wind brought a long rustle, like a whisper of voices. The trees seemed to lean slightly, and a sweet, cold scent crept through them—a scent of night flowers and damp stone.
From the shadow of a huge oak, a girl emerged silently. She had long, snow-white hair and eyes the deepest red of rubies. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and the black dress she wore seemed made of mist.
— "Who are you?" Sofia asked in amazement.
The girl smiled. Her smile was not evil, but not entirely human either.
— "Alexandra. I live here, in the forest. You are the ones who came too close to the shadows."
In the next moment, a boy appeared beside her. His hair was dark brown, almost black, and his eyes were a metallic gray. He wore a leather coat and an amulet in the shape of a moon. There was a faint smell of earth and wind around him.
— "I am Vlad," he said simply, but his voice seemed to come from somewhere deep in the forest, like an echo.
Sofia and Dragoş looked at each other in disbelief. Alexandra approached, looking at Sofia's crystal with interest.
— "Light... Miral gave it to you, didn't he? He's still trying to maintain the balance between his light and our shadows."
Dragoş took a step back.
— "Shadows... yours?"
Alexandra laughed softly, a sound that sounded more like the clink of glass.
— "The Itezista Forest has two sides. The day belongs to the light. The night belongs to us. We guard it... but we also hide it."
Vlad sat down on a stone, looking at Sofia with his gray eyes.
— "You are not like other people. The forest chose you, even if you don't know why yet."
Sofia felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't understand why, but his words seemed true. Suddenly, the light changed—the sun's rays faded, and the forest seemed to breathe deeply.
Alexandra reached out to Sofia.
— "Do you want to see our world? It's not far. It's where the shadows meet the light."
Although Dragoș grabbed her arm, Sofia took a step forward. The four of them walked through the trees, and the air became cold, almost unreal. Beyond an arch formed by black branches, a clearing bathed in a silvery light opened up.
Black butterflies flew slowly, and in the middle of the clearing was a mirror lake, reflecting not the sky, but the stars—even though it was daytime.
— "This is our place," Vlad said. "We are born from the gentle darkness of the forest. We are its children."
Alexandra approached Sofia and placed her cold hand over her heart.
— "Do you feel it? The heart of the forest beats within you. Someday, you will understand why."
Sofia did not answer. She felt that an ancient mystery was unfolding before her, something that surpassed her.
After a few moments, the wind picked up and the fog deepened. Alexandra took a step back.
— "You must leave now. The day is ending, and the shadows will wake up soon."
Sofia looked at her, wanting to say something, but Alexandra smiled at her again — a melancholy smile, beautiful and sad.
— "We will meet again. Maybe when you are older. The shadows are patient."
With those words, Alexandra and Vlad melted into the fog, and the forest became silent again.
Sofia remained still, holding the crystal tightly in her palm.
The light in it pulsed weakly, like a living heart.
She knew, without knowing why, that the two children of the shadows were not just strangers. They were part of the mystery that called her every time to the depths of the Itezista forest.