Chapter 6: The Great Oak's Doorway
Rohan stood gasping for breath on the massive, silver-barked roots of the Great Oak. Up close, the tree was even more magnificent. Its trunk was covered in glowing runes that pulsed like a slow, ancient heartbeat.
"Look," Pip whispered, pointing with a trembling paw.
In the center of the trunk, hidden behind a curtain of hanging vines, was a small, circular indentation. It was the exact shape of the silver key's handle. Rohan stepped forward, his hand shaking as he reached into his pocket.
Suddenly, the ground groaned. The vines pulled back on their own, revealing a keyhole made of solid diamond. As Rohan moved the key closer, the tiny silver wings on the key started to flutter, actually moving in his hand.
"Wait!" a deep, booming voice echoed from above.
A giant owl with feathers like starlight descended from the high branches. "Before you turn that key, Rohan of the Human Realm, you must understand the cost. Once the portal opens, you are no longer just a boy. You become the Guardian. You will have to fight for a world you have never seen, against an enemy that knows your name."
Rohan looked at the key, then at Pip, and finally back at the owl. He thought of his grandfather's hidden map and the bravery he had shown in the Valley of Echoes.
"I'm ready," Rohan said, his voice firm.
He pushed the key into the diamond lock and turned it. Click.