"The Forest of Echoes"

Page 1: The Legend of the Forest of Echoes

Mia had always been drawn to stories of forgotten places and hidden

treasures. Growing up in a small village nestled at the edge of an ancient

forest, she had heard tales passed down through generations. The

villagers whispered of a place known as the Forest of Echoes, a

mysterious woodland shrouded in fog where time seemed to stand still.

Legend had it that deep within the forest lay an ancient treasure,

guarded by spirits of the past. Some said it was gold, others believed it

was a powerful artifact lost to history. No one had ever returned from the

forest to confirm these stories. Yet, Mia felt an unexplainable pull toward

it.

The day came when Mia made up her mind. She would be the one to

find the treasure, to uncover the secrets hidden in the heart of the forest.

With determination in her eyes, she packed her bag with essentials:

food, water, a map, and a sturdy rope.

kissed her mother goodbye, and with a wave to her father, set off toward

the forest, her heart beating fast with anticipation.

Page 2: Preparations and Farewell

Mia’s journey was not going to be easy. The forest was vast, and the

path to its heart was unclear. She had heard that many who ventured in

never returned, either lost to the thick fog or consumed by the

enchantments of the forest. Yet, the thought of the treasure — and the

adventure itself — pushed her forward.

She spent hours carefully packing her rucksack, making sure she had

everything she might need. She took her favorite compass, a family

heirloom, and a map she had found in the attic. It was old and faded, the

ink smudged in places, but it showed a possible route through the forest.

At the last minute, she added a small, sharp knife for safety, and a

journal to document her discoveries.

As the sun began to dip behind the hills, Mia’s mother called her to

dinner. “Promise me you’ll be careful, Mia,” her mother said, her voice

tinged with worry.

went to bed early, though sleep came fitfully. She could already feel the

pull of the forest, and in her dreams, she saw its shadowy trees reaching

toward her.

Page 3: The Edge of the Forest

The morning sun had barely risen when Mia set off. Her village, with its

quaint cottages and bustling market square, soon faded behind her as

she approached the edge of the Forest of Echoes. The trees loomed

ahead, their gnarled branches twisted and reaching like fingers.

A thick mist hung low over the ground, swirling like smoke. The air

smelled damp and earthy, carrying with it the scent of moss and decay.

Mia paused at the forest’s edge, her breath catching in her throat. This

was it. She had reached the place of legend.

The path before her was overgrown with brambles, and the forest

seemed unnervingly silent. Not a bird sang, not a breeze stirred. The

forest was still, waiting. Mia’s heart raced as she took her first step into

the shadows.
As she ventured deeper, the mist closed in around her, swallowing the

world. It wasn’t long before she lost sight of the clearing where she had

entered, the trees pressing in from all sides. Every step seemed to echo,

and strange rustling noises whispered through the underbrush. Mia

couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched.

Page 4: The Whispering Woods

Mia’s mind played tricks on her as she walked further into the forest. The

trees were so tall and thick that the sunlight barely reached the ground.

The air felt dense, heavy with the weight of time. Every so often, she

heard whispers—soft and unintelligible, carried on the wind.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice trembling. But there was no answer,

just the rustling of leaves.

As she made her way through the forest, Mia noticed something odd: the

trees seemed to be marked with strange symbols—carved into the bark,

faded but still visible. Some looked like circles, others like zigzagging

lines, and a few were intricate geometric patterns. It was as though

these trees held secrets from another age.

to look, no one was there. She pressed on, determined to find the

source. Soon, she found herself standing before a large oak, its bark

smooth and nearly glowing. Something about the tree seemed important.

Mia noticed a small stone tablet wedged between the roots, half-covered

in moss. Curiosity piqued, she crouched down and gently brushed the

moss aside. The tablet was inscribed with an ancient riddle:

"In shadows deep, the treasure sleeps,​

Follow the path where silence weeps,​

To find the gold, or what lies bold,​

Solve the riddle, and be brave, be told."

Page 5: The Riddle

Mia studied the riddle, the ancient words dancing in her mind. “Shadows

deep, silence weeps…” she muttered to herself. The riddle was a puzzle,

but one that she felt compelled to solve.

As she ran her fingers over the inscription, a shiver ran down her spine.

The words seemed to shift, almost alive in their cryptic meaning. She

took out her journal and began to write down her thoughts.
The “path where silence weeps” — what could that mean? Mia thought

back to her journey through the forest. It had been eerily quiet, save for

the soft whispers. Could this “path” be the one she had walked so far?

The one where the silence had seemed to press down on her?

After pondering for some time, Mia realized that the key to the riddle lay

not in finding something obvious, but in sensing the quiet places where

the forest spoke without words.

She stood up and looked around. The forest seemed to hold its breath

as if waiting for her to move.