The little deer stepped up to the fence and dropped something on the ground. At first, I thought it was just a rock or a bit of mud. But when I got closer, I saw it was a carefully folded bundle of fabric. Inside the cloth was a small wooden box, and within it, a silver locket—aged and marked with unfamiliar symbols.
The little one glanced at me, then at the locket, while the larger deer watched from afar. Something in the air shifted. I felt a quiet urgency stir inside me. I crouched down and picked up the bundle, then called out, “Hey, are you… trying to tell me something?” Without answering, the deer turned its head toward the treeline. Strangely compelled, I followed.
We walked through the forest in silence, golden light slanting through the trees. Eventually, they brought me to a wide clearing, dominated by a massive, ancient oak. The smaller deer looked back one last time and then vanished. Drawn toward the tree, I noticed a faint shape in the dirt. Beneath it lay a stone with the same symbols as the locket, and underneath, a parchment that read: “For those who seek the truth, the journey is never easy. But those who are brave enough to face it shall be rewarded.
