The diary felt warm in my hands,
as though it held a pulse of its own.
I returned home and placed it respectfully on my table.
For a moment, I simply stared at it
that fragile book now carried the weight of my future.
With a deep breath, I opened it again.
More words waited for me:
When you take your first step,
the world will change around you.Don't fear the unknown.for the unknown already knows you.
The writing felt like a whisper from another time.
I packed my small bag
just a notebook, a water bottle, and the diary.
No destination.No map.
Only a quiet pull inside my heart.
When I stepped outside,
the wind brushed against my face
almost like a welcome.
The world looked the same. yet different.
Colors felt sharper.Sounds deeper.
As though life had awakened along with me.
I didn't know where I was going,
but my feet moved without hesitation.
I had no answers.
Only a path.And the journey… had begun.
I walked for hours until the village was far behind me.
Fields stretched endlessly,
birds flew across the sky,
and the world felt strangely alive.
As the sun began to set,
I reached a narrow dirt road leading into a quiet forest.From inside the diary, a small pressed flower slipped out.Purple.Dry.
Yet still fragrant.On the page it rested above, a message was written.
Where the purple blooms,
the truth awaits.
I scanned the forest.Nothing.
But when I stepped in,
a faint glow caught my eye.
There.hidden between the trees
tiny purple flowers swayed gently.
My heartbeat quickened.
I followed the petals deeper inside,
until I reached a clearing.At its center stood…
a stone.Old.Cracked.Covered with moss.
Carved into it were strange symbols
circles, lines, and something resembling a river.
I stepped closer and touched the stone.
Suddenly
everything went silent.No wind.No birds.No sound.
And then…I heard a whisper.Not from around me.but inside my mind. You have come.
I stumbled back, terrified.
The voice again.Do not fear.
You walk the path that was once walked.
The forest trembled.
The symbols on the stone pulsed faintly.
Then…everything returned to normal.
I stood frozen, breath heavy.
The first sign had appeared.And someone
or something
knew I had begun.
Night fell quickly as I left the clearing.
A faint mist crept between the trees,
coiling around my feet like soft ropes.
I kept walking,trying to find my way out.
That's when I saw him.
A man, standing alone on the path ahead.
His face hidden beneath a grey hood.
I stopped.
He did not move.
The silence felt sharp.
Who are you?I asked.
He lifted his head slightly
revealing only a pale chin and lips.
Then he spoke
his voice calm, yet cold.
You carry the diary.
My grip tightened.How do you know?He chuckled softly.
Because it once belonged to me.
My heart froze.
The old man?No.this voice…was younger.
He stepped closer.
The mist thickened around him.Arin,he said simply.
That was my name.
I felt my breath catch.Arin.
The name from the diary.
But.the old man.He shook his head. He walked the path.But he was not me.I couldn't understand.
He pointed toward the forest behind me.
The river doesn't end where you think it does.
And the man you met…
is only one of many who failed.Failed?
What do you mean?
He leaned closer.
The path you're on…
is not just a journey.
It is a test.His voice hardened.
Most never return.My spine chilled.
Why are you here?
He paused.To warn you.
About what?
He looked directly into my eyes.The river flows both ways.And what waits at its end…
hungers.
A sudden gust of wind blew between us
and when I blinked…
He was gone.Only the mist remained.
I stood alone
the diary heavy in my hand
and for the first time,
I wondered if beginning this journey.was a mistake.
But something deep inside whispered
No turning back now.