As soon as he crossed the village borders, the face of nature changed. Entering the 'Forbidden Forest,' Aryan felt the air grow heavy. The trees here were unlike any other; their branches did not reach for the sky but curved toward the ground as if ready to snatch passersby.
The deeper Aryan ventured, the thicker the mist became. Suddenly, he noticed the magical stone in his pocket flashing with a brilliant blue light. At that moment, a rustling sound came from behind the bushes. Aryan drew his dagger and stood alert.
"Lower your weapon, young traveler. In this forest, iron cannot defeat the shadows," a deep yet melodic voice echoed.
A strange creature emerged from behind a tree. Though human-like, her ears were long and her eyes were green like emeralds. She wore clothes made of vines and leaves. She was an 'Elf' named Elara, the guardian of the forest. She was surprised to see someone carrying the signal of the stone after so many years.
Elara told Aryan that the shadows in this forest were alive. Those who succumb to fear never leave this place. To move forward, Aryan would have to cross the 'Spring of Amnesia,' where a person's courage simply vanishes.
Aryan and Elara began their journey together. Along the way, they rescued a small dragon fledgling trapped in a giant spider's web. Out of gratitude, the tiny dragon joined them. But as they reached the edge of the forest, a massive shadow-demon emerged from the mist. Aryan's stone began to glow intensely.
Aryan realized that brute force wouldn't be enough; he had to combine his willpower with the magic of the stone. As he held the stone high, a blast of blue light forced the demon to retreat. Crossing the forest boundary, they saw the formidable, snow-capped 'Dragon's Mountain' looming ahead.