Whispers of the Forgotten Pines

Ethan's scream was lost to the abyss as he plummeted into the darkness. The air rushed past him, cold and damp, carrying the scent of wet earth and something… rotten. The fall felt endless, but just as panic overtook him—

Thud.

He landed hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. For a moment, he just lay there, dazed. Every part of him ached, but somehow, he was alive.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, his fingers sinking into soft, damp soil. His heart pounded as he took in his surroundings.

He wasn't in the forest anymore.

A vast underground cavern stretched before him, its ceiling hidden in shadow. Massive roots twisted down from above like skeletal fingers, disappearing into the darkness below. The walls pulsed faintly, as if the very earth was breathing.

And then… the whispers began again.

Not from the trees. Not from the shadows.

From below.

Ethan swallowed hard. He had no idea how deep he had fallen, or where he even was. But one thing was clear—he wasn't alone.

A soft glow flickered in the distance. A light.

His heart leapt. Someone else was here. Maybe a way out.

Cautiously, he stood and moved forward, his footsteps barely making a sound on the damp ground. The glow grew brighter, revealing what lay ahead.

A stone archway, ancient and cracked, stood at the edge of the cavern. Strange symbols were carved into the stone, their edges worn with age. Beyond it, the glow pulsed like a dying ember, illuminating something… massive.

Ethan's breath caught.

It was a door.

Not just any door—this thing was ancient, carved from blackened stone, towering high above him. Chains, thick and rusted, crisscrossed its surface, holding it shut. The glow seemed to pulse from deep behind it, like something on the other side was… breathing.

The whispers grew louder, curling around him like smoke. His chest tightened as he stepped closer.

And that's when he saw it.

The symbol.

Carved into the center of the door was the same strange marking he had seen on the book in the library. The same marking Lillian had traced into the dirt.

His stomach dropped.

This wasn't just any door.

This was the thing keeping something locked away.

Something that was never meant to wake up.

A sudden gust of wind howled through the cavern, sending shivers down his spine. The whispers turned urgent.

And then—

A deep, resonant boom echoed through the cavern.

The chains rattled.

Ethan's blood ran cold.

Something on the other side had heard him.

Something was waking up.

What lies behind the ancient door? Why does it bear the same symbol as the book? And has Ethan just made a terrible mistake?