A long time ago, there lived a concealed village located in the middle of high mountain peaks. This

village sat in a great forest so dense that, over time, no one remembered the name of the place. The

villagers ventured into the forest during the day, but in the evenings and prime nights, chilling

whispers carried by the wind gave them the creeps. To them, these whispers were part of the

village's myths.

 

The whispers stemmed from the story of a little girl who had disappeared and was said to haunt the

forest. Her name was Elara, and she had once been a lively and inquisitive young woman, the heart

of the village. The tale went that one day Elara followed a fawn into the woods and vanished, never

to return. Anyone who searched for her found only an ancient well, enclosed by dry trees, but no

sign of Elara.

 

From that day onward, the villagers avoided the forest and spoke in hushed tones of "Elara's curse."

They murmured that if anyone approached the well, they would hear whispers, urging them to

leave.

 

In the village, there lived a sixteen-year-old boy named Kian. Unlike the others, Kian could not

contain his curiosity. He refused to accept such myths, dismissing them as fables meant to keep

children obedient. To Kian, Elara's disappearance was a puzzle waiting to be solved. The villagers,

including Kian's parents, warned him, "Some things should remain hidden; they must be respected."

But Kian could not heed such advice—he was determined to uncover the truth.

 

One night, under a full moon, Kian decided to act. Armed with only a lamp and a rope, he ventured

into the forest. The trees cast enormous, dark silhouettes, and the wind howled like a warning:

“Don’t go...”

 

At one point, a sudden splash of water appeared out of nowhere, startling Kian. He rationalized it as

nothing more than the work of the wind and pressed on. Before long, he reached the fabled well. It

was overgrown with moss, surrounded by gnarled roots, and looked undeniably eerie.

 

As Kian leaned closer, a shadowy male figure suddenly pinned him against the well’s walls. Startled

but unafraid, Kian watched as a faint, glowing light emerged from the bottom of the well. Slowly,

the figure transformed into a spectre—a woman illuminated by the light. It was Elara.

 

She wasn’t a fearsome apparition. Instead, she radiated warmth and calmness. In a soft, melodic

voice, she said, “Kian, thank you for coming. I’ve been waiting for someone brave enough to seek

answers. My spirit is tethered to this forest, but the villagers must understand that the forest is not

their enemy. It is their protector. Tell them, ‘Help me set them free from their fear.’”

 

Though Kian was surprised, he felt no fear. Elara’s presence brought him an inexplicable sense of

comfort. She exuded a brilliance that dispelled the forest's darkness. Tossing an ancient book to the

surface, Elara said, “Take this. It contains the hidden history of the village and the forest. Share it

with them.”

 

The next day, Kian returned to the village with the book and Elara’s message. At first, the villagers

were sceptical. But as Kian read aloud from the book and recounted his encounter, their doubts

began to fade. The book revealed that the forest was not cursed but divine—a guardian and

protector of the land.

 

Gradually, the villagers came to understand the truth. They began to respect and care for the forest.

The whispers that once frightened them were now embraced as the voices of the "forest family."

The well, once feared, became a revered symbol of the harmony between the village and nature.

By courageously unearthing the truth, Kian reunited the villagers with the forest. The ominous

whispers of the shadows transformed into harmonious songs of peace and gratitude—Elara’s eternal

gift to them.