The mist floated above the ground like a tablecloth woven of silver, and the branches of the trees whispered something under their breath. Lena walked first, clutching the handle of an old brass lantern she had seen in a dusty corner of the library only moments ago. Nicholas, leaning against the bark of a crumpled oak tree, was checking the compass on his phone. "That's impossible...", he muttered, looking at the needle spinning senselessly. They entered the forest through a rusty gate hidden behind the fence of the old manor house. Lena only noticed it because something unearthly flashed through the crack. They had crossed the threshold a few minutes ago, but time was beginning to stretch and twist in bizarre ways here. The phone's display once showed dawn, once the middle of the night. Around them stretched the Astral Forest - a place about which legends circulated among suburbanites. It was said that something ancient slumbered in the depths, and that those who walked too far would find more than just a way back. "Do you hear that?", Lena stopped suddenly. Between the roots, she noticed glass shards forming a perfect circle. They shimmered with subtle colours, and each colour seemed to correspond to a different sound - as if the forest had its own range. As they leaned closer, they noticed barely visible marks carved into the ground. "Look!", shouted Nicolas as frosted leaves began to rise into the air, swirling around them without the touch of wind. A figure made of shadows and light appeared in the centre of the circle, and the air crackled with energy. Everything around went silent and time seemed to stop. The figure looked at them with eyes that reflected images of places they had never seen before - palaces made of crystals, flying islands, mountains floating like pollen. A voice sounded soft, though it could not have belonged to anything human: "Only those who discover the true name of the forest can return to their world. Are you ready?" Lena exchanged an understanding glance with Nikolai, and then they both crossed the boundary of the glass circle, not yet knowing what awaited them on the other side....