Atheline quietly smiled.
"Whoever built this understood nature better than we do."
Lilith slowly nodded.
"I don’t think they built against the forest; they built with it, which allows the forest to grow with it."
The little fox suddenly became excited. She darted toward a nearby bush before disappearing completely.
Atheline followed.
"What did you find?"
The fox proudly emerged carrying... Nothing. Or so it seemed, then sunlight struck the air. Hundreds of tiny glowing particles drifted upward.
At first Atheline assumed they were insects, then he looked more closely. Each light moved with deliberate purpose. They danced through the air before gathering briefly around the little fox, almost as though curious about the strange visitor.
The fox happily wagged its tail. Moments later, the lights scattered among the trees once again. Lilith watched them disappear.
"They’re beautiful."
Neither ruler noticed that the tiny lights had never come closer than a few meters nor that several of them paused behind leaves... As though quietly observing.
By late afternoon, they reached the highest point in the hidden forest. From there, the land stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
Atheline slowly exhaled.
"I don’t understand."
Lilith looked toward him.
"This place should be impossible."
He nodded.
"The Cataclysm destroyed entire civilizations, reshaped continents, erased kingdoms, and yet..." He gestured toward the untouched forest. "This survived."
Not merely survived, it had remained completely hidden; untouched by history itself. Lilith remained silent for a long while.
Finally she spoke.
"I don’t think this place survived by chance."
Atheline looked toward her.
"I think..." She gazed back toward the invisible direction from which they had entered. "...someone wanted it forgotten."
Neither of them realized they were no longer alone. Far above, among the immense branches hidden beneath layers of emerald leaves, several tiny silhouettes watched silently. Each possessed delicate wings that shimmered like morning dew.
Soft whispers spread between them. Voices so quiet that even Atheline’s keen hearing couldn’t detect them. The strangers observed the newcomers with enormous curiosity.
It had been... A very long time; long enough that generations had passed, stories had become legends, that almost no one alive remembered the outside world and now... Two outsiders had somehow crossed the ancient gate.
For the first time in countless ages... visitors had entered the hidden sanctuary. The silent watchers did not reveal themselves; instead, they slipped soundlessly through the branches, carrying news deeper into the ancient forest.
Leaving Lilith and Atheline completely unaware that every step they took was being carefully observed by the descendants of a race the rest of the world believed had vanished before recorded history.
The forest gradually changed once again. The towering trees remained, their colossal trunks reaching into the heavens, but the undergrowth became noticeably gentler.
Wildflowers bloomed in carefully balanced clusters instead of growing randomly. Moss-covered stones formed natural pathways, and streams curved gracefully through the woodland as though deliberately guided.
"It feels..." Atheline looked around thoughtfully. "...lived in."
Lilith nodded.
"I was about to say the same."
Nothing had been built recently; there were no fresh footprints and no smoke rising through the trees. Yet there was an unmistakable sense that the forest was being quietly cared for.
Broken branches had naturally been woven away from the paths. Overgrown vines had been redirected instead of cut. Even fallen trees seemed to have been encouraged to nourish younger growth rather than left to decay haphazardly.
The little fox happily trotted ahead, occasionally stopping to sniff glowing flowers before continuing onward with renewed excitement.
Unlike before, she no longer appeared cautious; if anything, she seemed delighted.
Golden light poured through the leaves, causing countless floating motes of Aether to shimmer like drifting stars.
Atheline suddenly stopped.
"Look."
Lilith followed his gaze. Far ahead, between the trunks of several enormous trees, the familiar tiny lights danced through the air.
Unlike ordinary insects, they moved with unmistakable purpose. They gathered together before drifting away, then returned. Almost... As though they were inviting someone to follow.
Lilith narrowed her eyes.
"They’ve been watching us."
Atheline smiled.
"I suspected as much."
He had noticed occasional movement high within the canopy ever since entering this hidden forest. Whatever had been observing them had never shown hostility, only curiosity.
One of the tiny lights drifted closer. It hovered several feet before Atheline before circling him once, then it floated toward the deeper forest.
It stopped and waited. Turned another circle and continued onward.
Atheline chuckled softly.
"I believe we’ve been invited."
Lilith smiled faintly.
"It would be rude not to accept."
They followed the glowing lights through the woodland. The path curved naturally between giant roots and crystal-clear streams. As they walked, more lights gradually joined the procession. Dozens became hundreds.
The little fox bounded happily among them, occasionally attempting to catch one before discovering that they always slipped away at the last second. Her repeated failures only seemed to encourage her.
The forest itself grew brighter. Even as evening approached, the woodland refused to become dark. Soft bioluminescent flowers bloomed beneath the trees. Crystal vines hanging from ancient branches emitted pale blue light. Tiny mushrooms illuminated the edges of the path with gentle silver radiance.
The entire forest slowly transformed into something resembling a dream.
The procession eventually slowed. The lights gathered together ahead before scattering upward into the canopy. Beyond them, the trees suddenly parted.
Lilith and Atheline stepped into an enormous clearing, and both stopped walking. Before them lay a village. Houses stood among the giant trees, though "houses" hardly seemed an adequate description.
Some had been grown directly into living trunks, their walls formed from polished wood that remained vibrantly alive. Others rested upon enormous branches high above the ground, connected by elegant bridges woven from flowering vines.
Several homes resembled giant flowers whose petals had hardened into graceful roofs. Others were built around crystal formations that glowed softly from within.
Streams flowed gently between homes instead of roads. Small gardens flourished everywhere. Everything seemed to belong exactly where it stood.
Children laughed somewhere in the distance. Music drifted faintly through the evening air. The village radiated peace.
Atheline quietly exhaled.
"So they do exist..."
Lilith looked toward him.
"You’ve heard the stories."
"Every child has." He smiled. "Most were treated as fairy tales, but it seems the storytellers underestimated reality."