Ada and her brother Janek find a hidden path by an old oak tree and a glowing opening beneath the roots. Something mysterious waits below, and the Minics may be closer than they think.
On a sunny morning, Ada and her older brother Janek walked into the forest behind their house. The trees were tall and still, and the sunlight slipped through the leaves in bright gold stripes on the ground.
By an old oak tree, Ada stopped so suddenly that Janek nearly bumped into her. At the base of the trunk, half hidden by moss and roots, there was a tiny path. It was so narrow she almost missed it. "Janek, look," Ada whispered.
Janek crouched down and peered into the trees. "That wasn't there yesterday," he said. The path curved between the ferns and disappeared under the oak roots, as if the forest had closed a secret door and only just opened it again.
Ada took one careful step forward. The air felt cooler there, and the ground gave a soft creak under her shoes. Then they saw it: a round opening in the earth, glowing from deep below with a warm orange light that pulsed once, then again. Ada held her breath. "Maybe it's the Minics," she murmured.
Janek did not answer at once. From below came a faint sound, like a tiny knock... then another. Both children leaned closer, and the glowing opening shivered as if something inside had heard them.