READ NOVEL FREE Chapter 5: 5
Nina steps out of the Adventurers' Guild, the heavy wooden box clutched tightly in her arms. the bustling city of Porthaven, with its cacophony of sounds and smells, fades as she walks towards the city gate. Rex, her faithful hound, trots faithfully at her heels, his tail wagging gently despite the somber atmosphere. The cobblestones under her feet are worn smooth, testament to countless travelers who have passed this way before, some to return, others... not.
The air grows cooler as she nears the gate, a palpable shift from the city's warmth. The gate itself is imposing, made of dark, weathered oak, reinforced with iron bands. Beyond it, the Whispering Woods loom, their dense canopy a wall of shadowy green against the darkening sky. Even from this distance, an unsettling silence emanates from the forest, broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures.
A lone guard stands by the gate, his gaze fixed on Nina as she approaches. He is a tall, broad-shouldered man with a weathered face, his expression a mixture of weariness and grim determination. He doesn't stop her, merely offers a curt nod and a mumbled warning: "Be careful, little one. They say the woods whisper secrets... and sometimes, those secrets are hungry."
Nina manages a weak smile, her heart pounding in her chest. She pushes open the heavy gate, the creak of the hinges echoing in the sudden stillness. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves fills her nostrils. Rex whines softly, his ears pricked, sensing the shift in atmosphere. The path ahead is barely visible, swallowed by the encroaching shadows of the Whispering Woods. The weight of the box, and the unspoken weight of her quest, feels heavier now, pressing down on her as she takes her first step into the unknown. The forest seems to hold its breath, waiting.