I took a deep breath and followed Lila into the forest, my heart pounding in my chest. The darkness seemed to swallow us whole, and I could barely see a few feet in front of me. I stumbled over roots and underbrush, my senses on high alert as I tried to keep up with Lila's swift pace.
“You will understand everything and you will understand why I have to leave very soon.” She spoke quickly as if it were a riddle and I was supposed to guess what she meant.
As we walked, the trees grew taller and the underbrush thicker. I could hear the sound of a stream burbling in the distance, and I wondered if Lila was heading towards it.
After what felt like an eternity, we emerged from the forest and found ourselves standing on the edge of a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood an old, dila
