The sun was slowly rising over the castle towers, casting golden rays over the still dewy gardens. The air smelled of fresh flowers and wet earth. It seemed like an ordinary day… but Sofia knew it wasn't. Ever since she had met Miral and discovered the magic of the Itezista forest, nothing had seemed the same.
And most of all, she couldn't forget the faces of the two mysterious children—Alexandra and Vlad. Their shadows still danced in her mind.
Dragoș was already waiting for her at the stone gate of the garden, holding a branch as a sword.
— "Are you ready, princess?" he asked, laughing.
— "I'm ready, but don't call me princess anymore. Today I'm a brave traveler!" Sofia replied, pulling on her boots and putting a blue scarf around her neck.
— "Then, brave princess-traveler, let's go!"
— "Knight of the mud, lead us!" she teased him, and Dragoș burst out laughing.
The forest awaited them, quiet but alive. The leaves rustled as if whispering secrets, and the wind carried a gentle, ancient melody. With each step, Sofia felt her heart opening more and more to that mysterious world.
— "You know, Sofia," Dragoș said as they slipped through the branches, "I think the forest likes you. When you enter, everything lights up."
— "Or maybe it's afraid of you," she laughed.
— "Of me? Never! I'm the friendliest knight who ever lived!"
Their laughter mingled with the rustling of the leaves. And so, without realizing it, they reached the clearing where the light was refracting in blue and green colors. The air trembled slightly, like a liquid mirror.
Sofia stopped.
— "Did you feel that?"
— "Yes… as if someone was watching us."
A quiet but clear voice was heard from somewhere nearby:
— "Maybe because I waited for you."
Sofia and Dragoș turned suddenly. From the shadow of an old tree, Alexandra appeared. She was wearing a black dress that seemed to move on its own, like smoke. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight, and her eyes—red and deep—had an unsettling beauty.
Next to her sat Vlad, leaning against a trunk, his arms crossed. His black hair was tousled, and his cold gaze hid a strange gentleness.
— "I thought you were just a dream…" Sofia whispered.
Alexandra smiled slightly. — "And maybe I was. But some dreams come back, when you're ready to live them."
Dragoş took a step forward. — "Who are you, really?"
Vlad looked up. — "Shadows. But not the ones that hurt… but the ones that protect."
Alexandra approached Sofia and touched her hand lightly. Her touch was cold, but not painful—but strange, full of energy.
— "The forest chose you, Sofia. It opened the way for you to us."
— "It chose me? For what?"
— "For balance," Vlad replied. "The world needs someone who can see both the light and the darkness."
Sofia looked at him in amazement. — "And Dragoş?"
— "He is your shield," Alexandra said, smiling. "Without him, the forest would not have accepted you."
Dragoş blushed, but raised his chin proudly. — "Then... the shield is ready!"
— "Okay," Alexandra said. "Then let's start."
— "Start what?" Sofia asked, puzzled.
Alexandra smiled mysteriously. — "Let's play."
Suddenly, the light of the clearing exploded in blue sparks. The leaves rose into the air, spinning around them. A white bird flew through the trees, leaving behind trails of light.
Sofia laughed and started running, and Alexandra followed her, seemingly floating above the ground.
Vlad and Dragoș also got caught up in the game — they threw balls of light that hit the trunks and turned into silver sparks.
The laughter mixed with the echo of the forest. It was a moment of pure happiness, as if time had stopped just for them.
After a while, they stopped, panting, their cheeks red and their eyes full of light.
Alexandra looked at Sofia, serious this time.
— "We will meet again, Sofia. But not yet. The forest still has much to teach you."
— "And you?"
— "We will be there when the light calls you again," Vlad said, then nodded briefly.
Sofia nodded, trying to remember every detail.
Dragoș whispered: — "I find it hard to believe they are just shadows."
Sofia smiled. — "Maybe they are not. Maybe they are friends."
As Alexandra and Vlad disappeared into the rays of light, the forest whispered softly, like an old song:
"Shadows never go away completely. They wait. Until the light calls them again."