The Forest's Chosen

Every night at exactly 2:13 AM, the ground would hum—not shake, not rumble—hum,

like a giant bee buried under the earth. Most animals avoided the spot,

but one brave fox named Liora was tired of wondering. She wanted answers. One night she crept

toward the humming circle, her paws silent on the moss. As the sound grew

louder, the ground split open like a zipper. Soft blue light poured out,

and out climbed… a creature no one could have imagined. It had owl wings, wolf eyes,

and glowing antlers like crystal branches. It looked at Liora and bowed. “I’ve been waiting,”

it said without moving its mouth. The voice echoed inside her head. “The forest chose