People said that there was something strange in the eastern woods. Something that didn't belong to this world, at least not anymore. Most folks who happened to traverse those parts caught an unnerving feeling, like there lingered a presence of something unexplainable. They weren't sure if it was malicious or not, but still, this mysterious presence stirred anxious feelings within people. And usually, everything that happened in the woods were just that, unsettling feelings, but no actual threat. But there had been records of people venturing into those woods, never to be seen again. They would just vanish without a single trace. It wasn't a common occurrence, fortunately, but still enough that all kinds of rumors and stories circulated around the settlements of this region. Maybe there was a monstrous creature that attacked people? Or was there a hideout of people who worshipped an evil god? Or perhaps, a living gate that led to other dimensions was wandering around the woods?

Whatever people thought the explanation was, there was one eerie experience that linked all of them. Very faint whispers could be heard, and they have been described as haunting and as if whoever was making those whispers were in great distress. And yet, no one knows what they could mean or what happened in the woods in the first place that it had left behind such hauntings. Since the deal with the strange presence was usually harmless, not many had tried to investigate the matter; it was just treated as a spooky story that people used to playfully frighten each other. And so, year after year, the mystery of the woods remained the same.

It was said that the last person who mysteriously disappeared in the woods was a little girl by the name Holliam. She went to the forest all by herself and never came back. It happened thirty years ago, but her parents were so devastated by this incident that nothing was able to bring comfort to their great sorrow and even after all these years, they mourned their missing daughter.

Kimene and Amaru heard this story while visiting the little village of Sansere. It was one of the few small settlements where people knew about the mystery of the forest. And of course, hearing about it piqued Kimene's interest and would be perfect material for his book about folklore. He had been traveling with Amaru for quite a while and they had been collecting stories around the world together. They never knew where they would end up next or what kind of tales they would uncover, but that was part of the fun for their adventurous spirits. Even sinister rumors didn't scare them off, so hearing about a place in the woods where people had gone missing wasn't something they would be too scared to check out. In this case, it just fed their curiosity.

The two travelers had decided to spend the night in Sansere and head out in the morning. The village had a nice and cozy little inn where they were able to rest. What they had learned during their adventures was that often the smallest settlements turned out to be very hospitable ones and that was true with Sansere as well. When they left the inn in the morning, a few folks were waving at them and wishing for safe journeys as they walked through the village, which did leave a warm feeling inside their hearts.

The morning sun was still climbing its way to the sky when Kimene and Amaru disappeared into the world of shadows that just got born by the early light. The air had a fresh scent to it, morning dew still glimmering on the leaves of various plants. It seemed like the day was becoming a pleasant one, perfect for traveling. Days like this one were something both Kimene and Amaru enjoyed wholeheartedly, but often it was the simplest things that can bring joy to one's heart. Kimene and Amaru shared the view that a world is a beautiful and wondrous place and being able to exist in it, living through moments like this was one of the greatest blessings of all. Walking through a lush forest left them with a serene feeling and they were once again left in awe with how the golden sun sustained life all around them. It touched them spiritually, especially Amaru who happened to be a descendant of a shaman, and just sensing the vigor of all living things made them feel content.

Neither of them knew how deep into the woods one had to venture before something unexplainable would occur. But it didn't matter that much, however, as they both took pleasure in just wandering around; reaching the destination wasn't always the most important thing. And so their day passed by, eventually turning into night, and so far it had been just an ordinary walk through the woods for them. As the gentle darkness veiled the world around them, Kimene and Amaru laid down in between the roots of a grand tree, embracing each other, sharing the warmth of their bodies. They rested pleasantly through the night and the calm forest slept peacefully with them.

At dawn, the golden warm rays of the sun infiltrated through the branches of the trees, shining their life to the woods once more. These first beams of light of the day woke up the two travelers and as if greeting after not seeing each other for a long time, they shared a little kiss. Kimene and Amaru began their day with a brief breakfast and once they were done eating, they continued their journey. The start of this new day was just as pleasant as the previous one, and for some time, everything remained the same, the changeless serenity prevailed.

It was approximately at noon when things started to gradually take a turn for something different. Just like usual, it was Amaru who was the first one to notice the subtle changes in the atmosphere, thanks to his connection with the spirit realm. Kimene, on the other hand, had learned to distinguish the moments when his partner would start to perceive things that were unseen by most.

“What is it?” Kimene curiously asked while they continued to stroll forward, his eyes now fixed at his partner.

“There are faint traces of spirit particles in the air”, Amaru informed his partner. “They aren't just scattered around; they are lingering in the air like a trail to somewhere. I think that if we follow them, we may find something.”

The deer nodded. “Maybe they will lead us towards the mystery of the forest.”

“Maybe”, Amaru replied. “But they're pretty hard to see, even for me. I have a hunch, though, that they'll become more clear when it's darker.”

“I'm sure you can trace them just fine”, Kimene said, giving a look of adoration to his partner.

“I'll try my best”, Amaru responded and offered a smile to Kimene.

There was a change in the air now that they got their first clue that was taking them closer to the mystery of the woods; it was small evidence that there truly was some secret hidden within the forest. Both Kimene and Amaru felt an excited tension, eager to find out where exactly the spirit particles were leading to. They followed them all day and just like Amaru had guessed, they started to become more visible to him as the sunlight was slowly fading from the world. Kimene couldn't see them even when it was getting darker, but he trusted his partner would be guided by them as if there was a clearly lit path slithering through the woods. As the sun descended from the sky to slumber for the night, allowing the moon to take its turn in the heavens to shine its guiding light to the world, Kimene and Amaru started to experience the one thing they had expected to face when they had got signed up for this journey.

It was the fabled whispers. At first, they were very faint, just like local people had told them. Amaru also noted that the whispers seemed to come from the same direction as to where the spirit particles were leading to. It appeared that these two phenomena were linked together. Neither of the travelers could understand what the whispers were exactly saying and they felt a little eerie. But were they a product of something malevolent? It didn't seem to be the case. There was this odd ring to them, it gave a sensation that they were something ancient, something that had existed in this world for far longer than anyone could remember. They were haunting, for sure, but it was like they were a remnant of a presence that was more powerful than any mortals could comprehend, something that naturally stirred the feeling of respect within common folks. This was true for Kimene and Amaru as well and as they continued to walk deeper into the eastern woods, they were enveloped by a solemn sensation, both staying quiet simply out of strange admiration they felt towards whatever resided in these woods.

The deeper they went, the louder the whispers became, which seemed to be a sign that they were going in the correct direction. The air was rippling, a presence of something that was beyond their conception was practically ingrained to this part of the woods. At this point, both Kimene and Amaru were aware of the fact that they could be in the middle of a sequence that would make them disappear and they would become just a story to the locals of how they went to the forest, never to be seen again. But despite this, they continued to walk further, driven by their bottomless curiosity and will to learn the secrets of the woods. They kept going, feeling a weird pressure in the air, but none of these odd sensations caused them to back off. They were so close now, they could feel it.

Oddly, something else started to resonate in the air along with the whispers. A deep humming voice, like a devoted prayer, could be heard. But it wasn't the only thing that reached Kimene and Amaru's ears, no, they could also hear something that was vastly different from all the other sounds they had been picking up during their latest bit of their journey. It was the singing voice of a girl, but it was free from the otherworldly echo that the rest of the sounds held. It was like it was coming out of the mouth of a mortal. Without exchanging words, Kimene and Amaru briefly looked at each other, both sharing the same thought that things were definitely getting more and more strange the further they ventured. And yet, they continued to keep going forward.

Suddenly, they could see a spot ahead of them where there were no trees. Perhaps there was a clearing of some sort? They couldn't really see much of what lies beyond the tree line, because there was something weird, like a blue mist, shrouding the area ahead of them. It didn't have a sinister feeling to it, though, it felt holy if anything. This fact only encouraged Kimene and Amaru to keep going forward, although at this point they both were aware that there was no going back. They couldn't foresee what was waiting for them once they would step out of the shelter of trees, but they wanted to know the source of the voices they had been hearing, as well as finding out the mystery of the woods, so they prepared themselves, hearts beating fast from the tension, and they stepped inside the blue mist.

The voices started to have a weird resonance to them once Kimene and Amaru were walking through the mist. They kept glancing around, trying to figure out where they had ended up. But the blueness, it hung around everything, this whole small world was enveloped by it. Kimene and Amaru couldn't see much, they could only follow the sounds and see where they were taking them. The grass beneath their feet was oddly green, it looked so pure, so luxuriant. It was a sign of a presence of something extraordinary, something that held the power of maintaining vigor all around it. This gave a sort of tranquil feeling to Kimene and Amaru and so they continued to traverse forward with no fear in their hearts.

Eventually they could see a large dark form manifesting itself in the middle of the mist. Neither of them knew what it could be, but the sounds were coming from its direction. Kimene and Amaru walked towards it, and its form just continued to grow the closer they were getting to it. It seemed to be a tall building of some sort, desperately trying to reach for heaven. As Kimene and Amaru were approaching it, the clearer its features became; it resembled a tower, however, the upper part of it had collapsed and crumbled away a long time ago. Perhaps it had been grandeur back in the day it had been built, but now it was just a shadow of its former glory. And as Kimene and Amaru got closer and its form wasn't veiled by the mist anymore, they noticed how it was made of lavender stone, which was at the same time gorgeous and strange. Numerous divine figures were carved onto the stone and it felt like they were alive, protecting and looking over this place. The building was sacred and left Kimene and Amaru with the feeling of wonder and reverence.

There were gaping holes on the walls as they had partly fallen apart. Through one of these wide openings, Kimene and Amaru could see a small figure that was sitting in the middle of the building. Once they were close enough, they could tell that it was a little wolf girl. She was singing – so this was one of the voices Kimene and Amaru had heard. But the humming noise, they couldn't see anyone who could be doing it, the little girl was alone.

Or so they thought.

The two travelers stepped inside the crumbled building, looking around with awe, noticing the beautiful mosaic on the floor, depicting many colorful entities. Even though the rest of the building had suffered in the hands of time, the floor was still in pristine condition. The little girl was at the center of it all, like an important part of a ceremony of some kind. As soon as she noticed Kimene and Amaru approaching her, her voice faded away and she curiously looked at them. Around the same time, the strange humming stopped as well.

[i]“Welcome, travelers.”[/i]

The sudden disembodied voice resonated in the air and it sounded like the voice of someone ancient, someone who had been here in this plane of existence for far longer than mortal memory could remember. Kimene and Amaru were glancing around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but they saw no one.

[i]“Your confusion is understandable. But have no fear, I was not created to harm anyone. My existence has been a lonely one after the first gods left this world and I lay here, utterly forgotten by both deities and common men. Having the presence of a living being around me soothes my soul, and thus, I greet you with joy.”[/i]

Was it the structure itself that was communicating with them? It seemed like that.

“What is this place?” Amaru asked, both his and Kimene's gaze wandering around the building as if trying to pinpoint the exact location of where this sentient structure's soul was.

[i]“I am what is left of the old days when gods and mortals frequently held gatherings. This place – in other words, me – is where the gods and mortals used to communicate with each other. But over time, this connection was cut, and relics like me were left abandoned. I can only remain here, forgotten, and lament. Sometimes, a living being would make their way to this sacred ground and they would keep me company. Like this little girl here.”[/i]

Kimene looked at the girl who had remained quiet after she stopped singing. He had just realized something.

“Is your name Holliam?” he asked from the wolf.

The girl nodded. “Yes.”

Kimene was a little astounded by this. “We heard that you went missing thirty years ago… How is that possible?”

[i]“Time passes differently in this sacred ground. And unfortunately, I am incapable of knowing just how fast it has been fleeting. What has felt like a blink of an eye may be as long as mortal life. What feels like a night has passed may be just a short moment. To me, it seems like the girl has been here for just a couple of hours. I am deeply sorry that I have kept you here for so long. Please, travelers, guide her back home.”[/i]

“We will”, Kimene responded.

Though at the same time, he wondered just how much time had passed in their world now. It felt like they had been here just for a moment, but what if months had passed – or maybe even years? It caused a little bit of nervousness in him, but in the end, the only thing they could do was just to go back nonetheless. What a strange place this happened to be, he would definitely write a segment of it for his book.

Then he got an idea. He looked up and said: “Uh, honorable entity of the relic? I think I have an idea that will make you less lonely. We just tell your story to the people and maybe more folks will visit you. You won't feel so abandoned and alone any longer.”

[i]“You are kind. That would bring me bliss. However, that same promise has been made by different mortals already.”[/i]

“Well, I don't know what happened to them, but we will guarantee that you'll be known”, Kimene assured.

[i]“I trust your word. I wish you a safe journey.”[/i]

“Come with us, sweetie”, Kimene said to Holliam and gently took a hold of her hand.

Kimene, Amaru and Holliam started to slowly walk away from the ancient structure, Amaru at the front since he could follow the same trail left behind the spirit particles which had guided them in the first place. They traversed through the mist and it didn't take them long to reach the tree line. Step by step they were leaving the building farther behind, abandoning it like everything else in this world. But that was only momentary, because as a folklorist, Kimene was sure that he would let the story of this place be known. And perhaps, then the ancient structure didn't have to sing alone ever again.