Chapter 4 The other side

The moment Danny stepped through the glowing doorway, the world around him shifted. It felt like stepping off a merry-go-round at full speed-his stomach flipped, and his vision blurred. When everything stopped spinning, he blinked and looked around.

They weren't in the basement anymore.

"Uh...where are we?" Tommy asked, his voice shaky.

Danny turned in a slow circle. They were standing in the middle of a sprawling forest, but it wasn't like any forest Danny had ever seen before. The trees were massive, their trunks twisting toward the sky in impossible shapes. Their leaves shimmered with colors that seemed to shift and change, glowing faintly in the dim light. The air smelled sweet and electric, like the moment before a thunderstorm.

"This...isn't Maple Street," Sarah whispered, clutching her bag of Skittles like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.

"No kidding," Hazel said, her voice filled with awe. "This is incredible."

"Incredible?" Tommy snapped. "We're lost in some magical forest, and you think it's incredible?"

Hazel shrugged. "I mean, yeah. Don't you think it's cool?"

Danny wasn't sure if "cool" was the word he'd use. He was too busy trying to figure out how they'd gotten here-and how they were going to get back.

"What's that?" Sarah said, pointing to something in the distance.

Danny followed her gaze and saw a faint light flickering through the trees. It looked like a fire, but the light was bluish-white, and it seemed to pulse, like a heartbeat.

"Should we check it out?" Hazel asked.

Tommy groaned. "How about we don't? For all we know, it could be some kind of alien trap!"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "You've been watching too many movies."

"Guys," Danny said, cutting off their argument. "I think we should go. If there's someone-or something-over there, maybe they can help us figure out what's going on."

Hazel nodded. "Exactly."

Tommy sighed but didn't argue.

The group moved cautiously through the forest, the strange light growing brighter as they approached. Danny couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Every so often, he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned, there was nothing there.

"Do you hear that?" Sarah whispered.

Danny paused and listened. At first, all he could hear was the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. But then he caught it-a low, melodic hum, like a choir singing in the distance.

"What is that?" Tommy asked, his voice hushed.

"I don't know," Danny said. "But it's coming from the light."

They pushed through a thick cluster of glowing bushes and found themselves in a clearing. At the center of the clearing was a stone pedestal, and hovering above the pedestal was a crystal the size of a football. It pulsed with that same bluish-white light, and the humming sound seemed to be coming from it.

"What is that?" Sarah asked, her voice filled with awe.

"It looks like some kind of...artifact," Hazel said, stepping closer.

"Don't touch it," Danny warned.

Hazel shot him a look. "I'm not an idiot."

Tommy frowned. "What's it even doing here? Who puts a glowing crystal in the middle of a forest?"

As if in response to his question, the humming grew louder. The crystal flared brighter, and the air around it seemed to shimmer.

"Uh, guys?" Sarah said, backing away. "I don't think we should be here."

Before anyone could move, the crystal let out a blinding flash of light. Danny threw his arm over his eyes, but the light was so intense it felt like it was burning through his eyelids.

When the light faded, Danny lowered his arm and blinked. The crystal was still there, but now there was someone standing next to it.

It was a tall figure, dressed in flowing robes that seemed to be made of the same shimmering material as the leaves. Their face was mostly hidden by a hood, but their eyes glowed faintly, like embers in a dying fire.

"Who dares disturb the heart of the forest?" the figure said, their voice low and resonant.

Danny's throat went dry. "Uh...we didn't mean to disturb anything. We're just-"

"Lost," Hazel interrupted. "We're lost, and we're trying to get back home."

The figure tilted their head, studying them. "You are not of this realm."

"Nope," Tommy said quickly. "We're from, uh, Earth. You know, trees, pizza, the internet?"

The figure didn't seem amused. "You should not be here."

"We didn't come here on purpose," Danny said. "We found this disc in a basement, and it-"

"Ah," the figure said, cutting him off. "The portal stone."

"Portal stone?" Hazel repeated.

The figure nodded. "It is a relic of great power, designed to connect realms. Only those with a purpose are meant to use it."

"Well, we don't have a purpose," Tommy said. "We just want to go home."

The figure frowned. "It is not that simple. The portal stone can only be activated under certain conditions. And now that you have entered this realm, you cannot leave without fulfilling the terms of the crossing."

Danny felt his stomach drop. "What terms?"

The figure's glowing eyes fixed on him. "There is a balance to be maintained. Something has been taken from this realm, and it must be restored before you can return to yours."

"What was taken?" Hazel asked.

The figure's gaze shifted to the forest. "The light. The life force of this realm. It was stolen by a great darkness that seeks to consume all."

Sarah whimpered. "You mean, like, a monster?"

The figure nodded. "A shadow beast. It dwells in the depths of the forest, feeding on the light. Until it is defeated, the portal stone will remain dormant."

Tommy threw up his hands. "Great. So now we have to fight a monster? This just keeps getting better."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Danny asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

The figure gestured toward the crystal. "The heart of the forest will guide you. But beware-the beast is cunning and powerful. You must work together, or you will not survive."

Danny exchanged a nervous glance with the others. This was way more than they'd bargained for. But if it was the only way to get home, they didn't have much of a choice.

"Okay," Danny said, his voice firm despite the fear bubbling inside him. "We'll do it."

The figure nodded. "Then may the light protect you."

With that, they vanished, leaving the group alone in the clearing.

Hazel turned to Danny. "Well, fearless leader, what's the plan?"

Danny took a deep breath and looked at the glowing crystal. "First, we figure out how to use this thing. Then, we find the beast."

"And then what?" Sarah asked.

Danny clenched his fists. "We fight."