Chapter 3: The Beast Beneath the Roots

A low growl rumbled through the clearing.

Aryan's heart pounded. He clutched the map tighter as the mist parted to reveal a massive shape - hulking, furred, and crawling low to the ground. Its eyes glowed amber beneath its bony forehead, and thick tusks curved out from its jaw like the roots of an ancient tree.

Lira stepped in front of Aryan, her curved dagger drawn. "Don't run," she whispered. "It'll chase."

"I wasn't planning on it," Aryan muttered.

The beast snarled, dragging its claws through the dirt. It sniffed the air and let out a bellowing roar that shook the leaves from the trees.

"What is that thing?" Aryan asked.

"Forest guardian," Lira replied. "Or what's left of one. Twisted by the Shadows."

The beast charged.

Lira rolled left, Aryan barely diving right in time to avoid its crushing weight. The creature slammed into the pedestal, shattering the stone base. The glowing orb tumbled off and rolled toward Aryan.

He snatched it up, expecting it to burn - but it was cool in his hand, pulsing faintly.

"Lira!" he shouted. "The orb - should I use it?"

"It's already spent!" she yelled back, ducking behind a tree. "It can't help us now!"

The beast turned again, snorting, then charged toward Aryan.

He ran. Branches whipped past his face as he dodged trees and leaped over roots. Behind him, the heavy thuds of the beast's steps grew closer.

Then - CRACK.

A root snapped beneath him. He tumbled down a slope, crashing through underbrush, and landed hard in a shallow ravine. Pain shot through his shoulder, but he clutched the orb and scrambled behind a mossy rock.

The beast peered down from above, sniffing the air. It let out a snarl, then slowly turned and disappeared into the woods.

Moments later, Lira slid down beside him, panting. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he groaned. "More or less."

She helped him up. "It won't leave the clearing for long. That area was its domain."

Aryan looked at the broken pedestal above. "I guess the Trial of Shadows is done."

Lira nodded. "And it nearly killed you. That's one for the storybooks."

He laughed breathlessly. "Some story."

They began walking again, deeper into the forest. The map pulsed in Aryan's pocket, and when he checked it, the golden trail had returned - curving through the trees toward the northeast.

"So what's next?" Aryan asked. "Another trial?"

"Yes," Lira said. "They're called The Four Trials of Passage. My parents believed they were keys - meant to prove someone worthy of reaching the Lost Sanctuary."

"And if someone fails?"

Lira was quiet for a long moment. "Then the forest doesn't let them leave."

Aryan gulped. "Good to know."

---

They set up camp by a small stream that night. Lira made a fire using dry moss and flint from her pack, while Aryan tried to clean his scraped arm with stream water.

"Not bad," she said, nodding at the bandage he tied using a strip from his shirt.

"I watched a healer once," Aryan replied. "She patched up a hunter who'd been gored by a wild boar."

"Handy skill." Lira handed him a strip of dried meat. "You'll need it."

He chewed in silence for a moment, then asked, "Why are you really here?"

She looked up, surprised. "I told you. My parents were Seekers."

"I know. But why you? Alone? After three years?"

She poked at the fire. "Because no one else would believe they didn't just disappear. They followed the map - one just like yours. My mother told me if they didn't return, I should find it too."

Aryan hesitated. "And you think they're still alive?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "But if they made it through the trials, there's a chance they're at the Sanctuary. Or at least? something they left behind."

Aryan nodded slowly. "Then I guess we're both chasing ghosts."

She gave him a small smile. "Let's hope they lead somewhere real."

---

They woke early, following the trail as the map glowed brighter with each step. The trees began to thin, and strange stone markers lined the path - pillars with ancient carvings, worn by time.

Eventually, the forest gave way to a wide hollow. In its center rose a massive tree - easily the size of a castle tower, its roots twisting like staircases and its bark pale silver. Hanging from its branches were glowing blue leaves, gently swaying without wind.

Aryan stopped, breath caught in his throat. "What is this place?"

"The Heartroot Tree," Lira whispered. "The second trial."

As they approached, a low hum filled the air - like a distant song carried on the wind.

Then, a voice - soft, ancient - echoed from the tree itself.

"One carries truth. One carries doubt. To pass, you must choose the path without."

Lira looked at Aryan. "Another riddle."

He scanned the base of the tree. Two tunnels yawned beneath the roots - one glowing softly with white light, the other dark and flickering with shadow.

Aryan held the map. No golden trail appeared this time.

"Of course," he muttered. "We have to choose."

"What do you think it meant?" Lira asked. "'Path without' what?"

Aryan thought back to the vision in the first trial - his reflection, accusing him of running from home. Of chasing fantasy. Doubt. Fear.

"One path feeds on what we bring inside," he said slowly. "If we go in full of doubt, it'll use it against us."

Lira nodded. "So we walk the path without it. Without fear. Without doubt."

They shared a look, then stepped together into the tunnel of white light.

---

Inside, it was warm and bright, like walking through a dream. Roots formed walls and ceilings, but soft grass lined the floor. Light danced around them in swirling patterns.

Then came the visions.

Not painful like before - gentle, but deeply emotional. Aryan saw moments from his past: his mother laughing as she taught him to bake, his grandfather showing him constellations, the day he first heard the stories of the Lost Sanctuary.

Lira saw her parents - kneeling beside her at a riverbank, showing her a compass. Her mother's voice: "Follow where your heart stays steady. That's where truth lives."

The light faded, and they emerged from the tree's other side, blinking.

The forest was still. A stone arch stood before them, and carved into it: "Trial of Truth Passed."

Aryan let out a breath. "That was?"

Lira nodded. "More beautiful than I imagined."

As they passed through the arch, the map glowed again - stronger than ever. A new symbol appeared at the corner: a glowing leaf beside the dragon compass.

"Two down," Aryan said. "What's next?"

Lira looked to the northern horizon, where storm clouds gathered.

"Trial of Storms," she said. "We'll need to move fast."

---

To Be Continued?