3.
Mountain Temple
High in the mist-draped
mountains, where the wind
whispered through pine trees
and the sky felt almost within
reach, a forgotten temple
stood carved into stone. Time
had worn away its sharp
edges, but the essence
remained—solid, serene,
sacred. The only path to reach
it was a narrow trail winding
through forests and across
narrow ledges where one
false step could mean a fatal
fall. Few made the journey,
and those who did rarely
spoke of what they found.
Inside the temple, candles
burned low, their flames
flickering like old memories.
Incense drifted through the
halls, curling into unseen
corners. A monk, aged and
silent, moved without sound,
sweeping fallen needles from
the stone floor. He had not
spoken in years. His prayers
were written in movement,
breath, and ritual. Travelers
who stumbled upon the
temple left changed, as if
something old and essential
had stirred awake within
them. The temple offered no
answers, only stillness—a
mirror into which one could
finally see without distortion.