It was a deep, quiet night when Lena, Alex and Michael set off with their torches through the overgrown path leading into the forest. They were all well aware that the Night Forest was better avoided by a wide margin, but this time they had to do things differently. Somewhere among the centuries-old trees, under a veil of mist, there was a book that everyone in the city whispered about. But no one had dared to search for it for decades. Lena walked first. In her hand, she clutched an old map on which the old man's fuzzy writing marked the way to a hidden clearing. She tore through the thorny blackberries, heedless of the quiet whispers that carried under the canopy of leaves. - "Just a little further," she hissed quietly, looking behind her. Alex - tall, dark-haired, with a torch attached to his jacket - looked up, watching the treetops weave high above them. "Can you feel it?" - he asked suddenly, stopping in place. The air grew cool and thick, and the shadowy silhouettes of animals flashed among the trees. Michael, the calmest of them all, clutched his bag with a notebook and a delicate pen. He noted every twitch of his surroundings, every new light blinking in the distance. He knew that what they would see would go down in the city's history forever. At one point, the path ended at a fallen oak tree. A soft light emanated from beneath the root maze, flickering like the breath of a large, sleeping creature. Lena knelt by the tree and slid her hand under the root. Her fingers came across a smooth metal object. Suddenly, a quiet laugh sounded from behind them. Alex turned abruptly, holding the torch high. A silhouette appeared in the light, whose face was unrecognisable. The figure stood motionless, and mysterious glowing signs began to sparkle around it. The friends froze, unsure whether they should run away or follow the lights. Lena held the metal object tighter. There was a rustling of leaves in the silence, and the forest drew them deeper between the shadows, which suddenly began to move....