Nestled deep in the English countryside during the 1300s, a small village clung to the edge of the world. It’s thatched-roof cottages and cobblestone streets bore witness to the lives of hardworking villagers, who tilled the soil and tended to their livestock, eking out a modest existence under the watchful eye of their ruler.
Seth, a creative and curious 13-year-old boy, lived in one such cottage on the outskirts of the village with his widowed mother. His unkempt brown hair framed a face alive with wonder, and his eyes, the color of new leaves in spring, sparkled with an insatiable hunger for knowledge.
His days were filled with chores and helping his mother, from fetching water at the well to mending fences in the small patch of land they owned. Despite the mundane nature of his daily life, Seth’s imagination soared. He would daydream of far-off lands filled with mythical creatures and magical beings, inventing stories he would later recount to his friends under the flickering glow of firelight.
The village, while humble, was under the iron grip of Flynn, a tyrannical ruler whose heart was as cold as the winter winds that whipped through the narrow streets. At 61, his once-dark hair had turned a ghostly gray, yet his eyes burned with the intensity of a man half his age. His crooked nose sat atop a thin-lipped smile that rarely offered warmth or compassion. The villagers whispered about his dark deeds and twisted nature, fearing his wrath.
Flynn’s rule was marked by deceit and manipulation. He would pit neighbor against neighbor, inciting conflict and suspicion, while he reaped the rewards of their labor. He exploited the villagers’ hard work for his benefit, amassing wealth and power at their expense. The villagers dared not oppose him, for they had seen the consequences of defiance, and none were willing to risk the safety of their families.
In the shadow of this oppressive rule, Seth found solace in his vivid imagination and insatiable curiosity. He explored the nooks and crannies of the village, seeking out hidden paths and secret groves that the other villagers had long forgotten. During one of these explorations, Seth discovered the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, a place shrouded in mystery and whispered about in hushed tones.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, Seth’s curiosity led him to venture into the depths of the Forbidden Forest, unaware that his actions would set into motion a series of events that would forever change his life and the fate of his village.
