As the trio neared the edge of the valley, a vast and unexpected landscape unfolded. Before them lay a sprawling forest, its dense canopy casting deep shadows that darkened the entire forest floor. This was no ordinary wood; Mara immediately recognized it as the Forest of Echoes, a place rarely entered and even more rarely left unchanged.
The Forest of Echoes held a strange power, a place where one's past could resurface in haunting ways. Legends warned travelers of the echoes — memories turned to physical forms that replayed one's greatest fears, regrets, or moments of doubt. It was said that the forest was alive with magic, capable of drawing out emotions hidden even from oneself.
"We have to go through this?" Calem asked, raising his brows. "I've heard stories of people walking into this place only to be trapped by their own memories. Or worse, lost to them."