The New Guardian

One crisp autumn afternoon, as the sun was setting and the air filled with the scent of falling leaves, Williams stood at the edge of the forest, staring into the thick trees that seemed to beckon him forward. His small hand clutched the leather strap of a pouch his mother had given him, a simple keepsake with a few small stones and his favorite whistle inside. But today, it felt heavier—almost as if something within the forest was calling to him, urging him to take the first step.