In the heart of Elderglow, a village cradled by ancient oaks and veiled in mist, Liora Veyne knelt in the soft earth of the Whispering Woods. The air was thick with the scent of moss and wildflowers, and the late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled gold across her auburn hair. At nineteen, Liora was the youngest witch in her coven, her magic still raw and unpolished, like a flame that flickered too brightly before settling. Today, she was meant to gather moonpetals for a protection charm, but her curiosity had led her off the worn path, deeper into the forest than she'd ever ventured.
The woods were alive with secrets. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig felt like a whisper from the earth itself, urging her forward. Liora's fingers brushed the ground, feeling for the telltale hum of magical herbs, when her hand grazed something cold and smooth. She froze, her heart skipping. Buried beneath a tangle of roots was a glint of silver. She dug carefully, her breath catching as she unearthed a small, crescent-shaped amulet, its surface etched with runes that pulsed faintly with a violet glow.
"What are you?" Liora murmured, turning the amulet in her hands. It was warm now, as if it had been waiting for her touch. The runes shimmered, and a soft hum filled the air, like a distant lullaby. She tucked her gathering basket aside and sat cross-legged, her curiosity outweighing the coven's warnings about unknown magic. Closing her eyes, she whispered a simple revealing spell, one she'd practiced a hundred times: *"Lumen veritatis, ostende mihi."*
The amulet flared, and Liora gasped as a wave of energy surged through her. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she saw a glade bathed in starlight, two figures standing hand in hand—a woman with eyes like her own and a man whose face was shadowed. The vision faded as quickly as it came, leaving her dizzy and breathless. The amulet dimmed, but its warmth lingered, sinking into her skin like a promise.
"Liora!" a sharp voice called, slicing through the forest's hum. It was Mara, her older sister and the coven's apprentice healer, striding toward her with a frown. Mara's dark braid swung as she approached, her green eyes narrowing at the amulet in Liora's hands. "What have you done? You know better than to touch strange objects out here."
"It's not dangerous," Liora said, though her voice wavered. She slipped the amulet into her pocket, its weight grounding her. "It's just… something old. I felt it calling me."
Mara's frown deepened. "The woods don't *call* unless something's awake. And you're not skilled enough to handle whatever that is." She grabbed Liora's arm, pulling her to her feet. "Come on. The elders will want to know about this."
Liora followed reluctantly, her fingers brushing the amulet through her cloak. The forest seemed to watch her as they walked, its whispers growing softer but no less insistent. She didn't tell Mara about the vision—not yet. It felt too personal, like a secret meant only for her.
As they neared Elderglow, the village's lanterns glowed like fireflies against the dusk. The coven's hall loomed ahead, its stone walls carved with protective sigils. Liora's stomach twisted. The elders were strict, especially High Witch Selene, who saw untested magic as a spark that could burn the village to ash. But Liora couldn't shake the feeling that the amulet was hers, meant for her hands, her heart.
Inside the hall, Selene stood by a table strewn with scrolls, her silver hair glinting in the candlelight. "What is it, Mara?" she asked, her voice calm but sharp as a blade.
Liora stepped forward before Mara could speak. "I found this," she said, pulling the amulet from her pocket. It gleamed faintly, and the room seemed to still. "It was buried in the Whispering Woods. I… I saw something when I touched it. A vision."
Selene's eyes locked onto the amulet, her expression unreadable. "A vision?" she said softly. "Describe it."
Liora hesitated, the memory of the starlit glade flickering in her mind. "A woman and a man, in a clearing. They were together, but I couldn't see his face. It felt… important."
The High Witch's gaze darkened. "That amulet is no trinket, Liora. It carries old magic, the kind that binds fates and breaks them. You will not touch it again until we know its purpose." She extended her hand, expectant.
Liora's fingers tightened around the amulet. "But it chose me," she said, the words spilling out before she could stop them. "I felt it."
Selene's eyes flashed. "Magic doesn't *choose*. It tempts. Give it to me."
Reluctantly, Liora handed over the amulet, her chest aching as if she'd lost something vital. Selene placed it in a warded box, muttering a sealing spell. "Go home, Liora," she said. "And stay out of the woods until we've studied this."
As Liora left the hall with Mara, the night air felt heavier, the stars above too bright. She didn't have the amulet, but its warmth lingered in her memory, as did the vision of the two figures, their hands entwined. Somewhere in her heart, she knew this was only the beginning—and that the Whispering Woods had more secrets to share.
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