Deep within a nameless forest, cradled by towering mountains, dwelled the Child of Light. They had known no other home but this secluded haven—where emerald leaves whispered in the wind, and fireflies painted the night with soft, golden trails. For countless years, the Child wandered beneath the canopy, marveling at the serenity and harmony of nature. Here, life was simple. Here, they were safe.

Yet, as the seasons turned and time quietly wove its threads, a change began to stir. The fireflies, once radiant, now flickered weakly, as if their glow had grown tired. The spring leaves, which had always shimmered like jewels, now withered and fell before their time. The forest, though still alive, seemed to sigh with an unspoken sadness. What once filled the Child’s heart with wonder now felt hollow, as if the magic of their world was slowly slipping away.

Then, on a night cloaked in silence, the sky was torn open by brilliance. A beacon—pure and blinding—erupted from beyond the treeline, piercing through the darkness. The Child woke with a gasp, heart pounding, and instinctively followed the celestial light. Their bare feet raced over roots and stones, driven by something they could not name.

The beacon led them to the mountains’ edge, to a jagged, unwelcoming slope they had never dared to climb. There, hidden in the shadows of rock and mist, was a cavernous gap carved deep into the cliffside. Above its entrance shimmered the faint outline of a heart, glowing faintly as if it were alive. Beneath it, etched into the stone in ancient, trembling letters, were words that pulsed with an otherworldly light:

⸻

THE CRYSTAL HEART LIES WITHIN.

INFINITE WISDOM, CONTENTMENT, AND WARMTH, SHALL BE BESTOWED UPON ITS BEARER

EMBRACE THE HEART AND CARRY OUR FLAME INTO YOUR WORLD

⸻

The Child’s breath caught. They turned back to look at the forest—the only life they had ever known. The trees stood still, their branches like arms reaching to hold them back, to keep them safe in the familiarity of what was.

But when they glanced back toward the cavern, they saw something else.

You.

Eyes gleaming like stars in the darkness, you stood at the threshold of the unknown. You looked at the Child—not as a stranger, but as if you had been waiting for this very moment.

Curiosity sparked within them, and for the first time in their life, the Child of Light stepped forward…