The Secret Pond

It was a narrow path that led into the forest, with trees on both sides. The trees were so dense that the interior of the forest was dark. Aiden walked along that solitary path.

The paths that lead deep into forests are usually overgrown and filled with bushes and weeds, but this path was smooth; narrow but smooth, with no weeds to block the way.

As Aiden advanced along the path, the silence of the forest deepened. Only the soft crunch of dry leaves under his feet could be heard, and from time to time, the distant song of a bird, almost like a whisper. The path, though narrow, seemed to guide him with a mysterious precision, as if it knew exactly where it wanted to take him.

Aiden noticed a slight breeze caressing his skin, but it didn’t come from the treetops; it seemed to come from somewhere beyond. He kept walking, with the feeling that something was waiting for him, inviting him to move forward, but without revealing itself just yet.

Suddenly, the path began to widen slowly, and the darkness of the forest slightly dissipated.

Ahead of him, he found an unfamiliar clearing, an open space in the midst of that sea of leaves. In the center, a pond of still waters reflected the little sky visible between the branches, like a perfect mirror.

The place was imbued with an unsettling tranquility, as if time had stopped only in that hidden corner of the world.

Aiden cautiously approached the pond, fascinated by the stillness of the water. He watched as the ripples gently wove together, forming perfect circles that seemed to spread into infinity. But suddenly, one of those ripples intensified, breaking the harmony of the water’s mirror.

He felt a slight movement beneath the surface, as if a dark shadow was stirring there. He held his breath, his heart beating faster with every second. What was happening? He moved closer, his eyes fixed on the spot where the water had changed.

And then, like in a dream, an ethereal figure emerged from the water. A delicate, almost translucent figure with a light of its own that seemed to shine from within. It was a fairy, small and graceful, with wings that appeared to be made of the same water from the pond, shimmering and trembling like the reflection of a ray of light.

Her eyes, full of ancient wisdom and mystery, locked onto Aiden's. She smiled softly, as if she had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The forest, which had once seemed so dark and menacing, now seemed to envelop them with a sense of magic and anticipation.

What did this fairy want? Why had she appeared at that moment, in that hidden place? Aiden couldn’t take his eyes off those shining eyes, wondering what would happen next, what unknown magic was about to unfold in that forgotten corner of the forest.