That night, I had a dream or at least, something that felt like one.
Everything around me was covered in fog. I couldn't see much, just faint shapes and shadows moving far away. The air felt heavy and quiet, almost like the world was holding its breath.
Then I saw something... a mountain. It looked almost the same as the one I had drawn in my sketch, tall and sharp against the cloudy sky. I tried to move closer, but my feet wouldn't move. It was like I was stuck in place.
A faint light glowed near the bottom of the mountain, and for a second, I thought I saw that same circle symbol from the map shining faintly. It was there only for a moment before the fog covered it again.
I heard a soft whisper, too quiet to understand, and then everything slowly faded away... the mountain, the light, the fog...
I slowly opened my eyes, feeling half-awake and still thinking about that strange dream. The image of the mountain and the glowing symbol kept replaying in my mind.
I got up, washed my face, and went to the kitchen to make some tea. The warm smell helped me wake up properly. After breakfast, I cleaned my table a bit and pulled out the map again. The symbol on it looked the same as before — nothing glowing or strange, just faded ink on old paper.
I sighed and said to myself, "Maybe it really was just a dream."
A few minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. This time, it was normal — no jump scares. When I opened it, Chakshu and Palash were both standing there.
"Good morning, explorer," Chakshu said with a big smile. "Ready for our first adventure?"
I stepped aside to let them in. "Yeah, come in. I've been looking at the map again. There's something about it that's bothering me."
Palash walked straight to the table and looked at it carefully. "Still the same half map?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said. "But I think the place it shows could be real. Maybe it's not far from town."
Chakshu leaned over the map, eyes wide. "Then let's go check it out!"
"Wait," I said. "We don't even know where to start yet. Look—this mountain shape here, it might match the big one near the north forest."
Palash nodded slightly. "That could be it. The outline looks close enough."
"Exactly," I said. "If this symbol near the river means something, maybe it's pointing to that area."
Chakshu grabbed his jacket. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go before it gets dark."
I smiled a little. "You're always in a hurry."
"Adventure doesn't wait, my friend," he said proudly.
Palash shook his head but smiled too. "Fine. Let's check it out. Worst case, we get some fresh air."
I folded the map carefully, put it inside my sketchbook, and packed a small bag with a bottle of water and a torch, just in case.
As we stepped outside, the air was cold but clear. The sky was bright, and the snow had almost melted. We started walking toward the north side of town, not knowing what we'd find or if we'd even find anything at all.
We spent hours walking around the north side of town, following the lines and shapes from the old map as best as we could. The air was cold, and snow crunched softly under our shoes with every step.
We checked the small hills near the forest, looked around the riverbank, and even climbed partway up the rocky trail, but nothing seemed to match what we were looking for. The place was quiet except for the wind and the sound of our footsteps.
Chakshu groaned, kicking at the snow. "Man, we've been walking for so long! Are you sure this is the right area?"
I looked down at the map again, squinting at the faded lines. "It's the closest match I can find… the mountain, the river, everything looks similar — but maybe it's too old. Things could've changed."
Palash crossed his arms. "Or maybe the map is just a random drawing. We could be wasting our time."
Chakshu sighed loudly. "Don't say that! There has to be something."
We spread out a little, checking the nearby trees and rocks. The place was calm and empty, with only a few birds flying overhead. I started feeling a bit disappointed too — after all the effort, there was still nothing.
I folded the map and said, "Alright… maybe we should head back. It's already getting late."
Palash nodded. "Yeah. Let's return before it gets dark."
Just as we turned to leave, a sound echoed faintly through the trees... a scream.
We froze. It was distant but sharp, like someone yelling for help.
Chakshu looked at me. "Did you hear that?"
"Yeah," I said quietly. "It came from that way." I pointed toward a narrow path deeper into the woods.
Palash's expression turned serious. "That didn't sound like an animal."
For a moment, none of us moved. The cold air suddenly felt heavier, and even the forest went silent.
Chakshu took a small step forward. "Should we… check it out?"
I hesitated, staring into the trees. The path ahead looked darker than before, like the sunlight couldn't reach that far.
"Yeah," I finally said. "We can't just ignore it."
And so, we started walking toward the sound, not knowing what we were walking into.
We followed the sound carefully, moving through the trees. The snow on the ground was thinner here, and broken branches lay scattered everywhere. The scream came again, weaker this time. It sounded close.
"Over there!" Chakshu said, pointing toward a group of rocks near the small river bend. We ran toward it, slipping a few times on the wet ground.
When we got closer, we saw someone lying beside a rock, half covered in snow. He looked hurt — a boy around our age, with messy dark hair and a jacket torn near the shoulder. His face was pale, and his eyes were half-open, like he had been there for a while.
I rushed forward and knelt beside him. "Hey! Can you hear me?"
He didn't answer at first. Then, slowly, he turned his head toward me and whispered, "Help…"
Chakshu crouched next to me, his usual playful tone gone. "What happened to him?"
Palash looked around the area carefully. "There's no one else here. It doesn't look like he fell — no footprints besides ours."
I took off my scarf and placed it under the boy's head. "Hey, stay still. We'll get you help soon."
He shook his head weakly. "No… don't… go there…"
His voice was so soft that we barely heard him.
"Don't go where?" I asked, leaning closer, but his eyes slowly closed again.
Chakshu looked worried. "He's breathing, but barely. We should take him back to town."
"Yeah," I said, nodding. "We'll figure out the rest later."
Palash helped lift him gently, and we started heading back the way we came. The whole walk felt strange — quiet, heavy, and full of questions.
Who was this boy? What was he doing out here alone in this freezing cold? And what did he mean by 'Don't go there'?
When we finally reached the edge of town, Chakshu said, "We should take him to my house first. It's closer."
I nodded. "Good idea."
We carried him carefully, trying not to shake him too much. For the first time, none of us spoke — not even Chakshu. The only sounds were the crunch of snow under our feet and the soft wind blowing around us.
We laid the injured boy on the couch at Chakshu's house. His clothes were still wet from the snow, so Chakshu brought a towel and a blanket while I lit the small heater nearby. Palash checked his pulse again — it was weak but steady.
For a while, we just waited. The room was quiet except for the sound of the heater. I sat on the chair near him, still holding that old map in my hand. The lines on it suddenly felt more mysterious than ever.
After about half an hour, the boy moved slightly and opened his eyes. He looked around, confused, then at us.
"Hey, you're awake," I said softly. "You're safe now. We found you in the forest."
He tried to sit up, but I stopped him gently. "Take it easy. You were hurt."
Chakshu handed him a glass of water. "Here, drink this first."
The boy took a small sip, his hands shaking a little. His voice was low but clear. "Where am I?"
"At my house," Chakshu said. "We found you near the river bend. You were lying in the snow."
He looked down for a moment like he was trying to remember something. "I… I don't remember much. I was walking through the forest, and then… something felt strange."
Palash raised an eyebrow. "Strange? Like what?"
The boy thought for a few seconds, then said slowly, "The air changed. It got colder — not like normal cold. And I heard this humming sound, like a vibration in my head. After that, everything went blank."
We exchanged confused looks. Chakshu leaned forward. "That sounds creepy. Are you sure it wasn't just the storm messing with you?"
He shook his head. "No. It wasn't the storm. It felt like… the ground itself was shaking, but quietly."
I asked, "Do you remember anything else? Maybe where you were going before that happened?"
He hesitated, then said, "I was following something. A light, maybe. It was small, floating near the trees. I thought it was a lantern or something — but then it disappeared, and I ended up there."
The room went silent for a moment. Chakshu looked at me with a half-nervous smile. "So now we've got an old map, a treasure hunt, and a guy who follows floating lights in the forest. Sounds normal, right?"
Palash sighed. "This is getting weird."
The boy looked at us with tired eyes. "My name is Living," he said quietly.
I nodded. "I'm Magic. That's Chakshu, and that's Palash. We're from the same town."
Living gave a small nod. "Thank you… for helping me."
"Don't mention it," I said. "But we'll need to figure out what happened out there. Maybe it's connected to this." I held up the half map.
Living's eyes widened slightly. "Where did you get that?"
I frowned. "You've seen it before?"
He looked uncertain but nodded slowly. "Yes… or something that looked just like it."
I leaned forward a little. "Wait, you've seen this before? Are you sure?"
Living nodded slowly, still staring at the piece of map in my hand. "Yeah… it looks almost the same. The edges, the faded lines — everything. But the one I saw was complete, not torn like this."
Chakshu's eyes widened. "Complete? You mean there's more to it?"
Living took a moment before answering. "I think so. I saw it a few months ago. I found it in an old box in my house. It didn't make much sense back then, so I just kept it in a drawer."
Palash crossed his arms. "And where is it now? Still there?"
Living frowned, trying to remember. "I don't know. The last time I saw it was before I went into the forest. I think I left it at home… unless someone took it."
I looked at him seriously. "Do you remember anyone coming to your house recently?"
He shook his head. "No one. I live alone most of the time."
Chakshu scratched his head. "So you had the full map, and now we have a half map that looks the same. That can't be a coincidence."
Palash nodded slightly. "It's possible both pieces are connected?"
Living looked down at the table, his voice calm but quiet. "If it's still at my house, we should check. Maybe it's still there."
Chakshu immediately stood up. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get it!"
I stopped him. "Hold on. It's already dark, and Living isn't fully okay yet. We can go tomorrow morning."
He sighed but nodded. "Yeah, fine. But first thing in the morning."
Living leaned back against the couch, his eyes slowly closing again. "Yeah… tomorrow."
As the night grew quieter, we all sat for a while, thinking about what we had just learned. The half map I found, the strange light Living saw, and the way he ended up in that forest... it all felt connected somehow.
Maybe tomorrow, we would finally start to understand what this "treasure" really was.