Sunlight streamed through the large glass windows, filling the room with a gentle warmth. After days of fighting, running, and just trying to survive, they finally had a moment of peace. The house they were staying in—with its thick stone walls and high ceilings—felt like a small fortress, nestled in the middle of lush green nature.
Ethan was lounging on the couch, half-asleep, while Alice sat by the window, flipping through a book about magical plants. Meanwhile, Fyra, Luna, and Selena were busy in the kitchen, preparing… something.
Out of nowhere, Fyra shouted excitedly:
"I've got an amazing idea!"
Ethan, startled from his half-sleep, almost fell off the couch.
"If this is another one of your crazy ideas, I'm out!"
Fyra put her hands on her hips proudly.
**"What are you talking about? This is gonna be a masterpiece! I'm going to make a potion that'll turn me into a dragon—bigger than any dragon that has ever existed!"
Luna gave her a skeptical look.
"…You do realize you're already huge, right?"
Selena shook her head.
"Exactly. When we transform, we're already the size of a house."
But Fyra, clearly too excited to listen, leaned forward over the table.
"Yeah, yeah, but imagine… a dragon the size of a mountain! No one would be able to stand against us. We'd be unstoppable!"
Alice, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
"…Uh-huh. And what exactly do you need for this potion?"
Fyra's eyes sparkled.
"A super rare ingredient that only grows in the Black Forest… and only on the night when two full moons are in the sky."
Ethan dragged a hand down his face and groaned.
"Oh my god… please don't tell me you're planning to go there alone."
Fyra grinned.
"Well… that was kind of the plan!"
But before she could even think about running off, everyone in the room shouted in unison:
"NO!"
Luna crossed her arms and frowned.
"You're not going there alone. Not even for a second. That place is dangerous."
Selena nodded calmly.
"Every time you think you can handle something alone, something goes wrong."
Alice closed her book and laughed.
"And if we all go together, at least someone will be there to stop the disaster before it happens."
Fyra sighed and raised her hands in defeat.
"Fine, fine! We'll go together. But we need a proper plan."
Ethan, still trying to wrap his head around why he kept getting dragged into these insane adventures, just shook his head and muttered under his breath:
"Why does this always happen…?"
But whether he liked it or not, they all started preparing their gear. Tonight, under the darkness of the Black Forest, they would search for an ingredient that might just turn Fyra into a dragon bigger than anyone could ever imagine…
The sky was getting darker, and two bright moons had appeared above.
A cool night breeze rustled through the tall trees of the Black Forest, casting eerie, twisting shadows on the ground. The five-member group—Ethan, Fayra, Luna, Selena, Alice , were ready to venture into the depths of the forest.
Ethan adjusted his hat and sighed. "Why do we always do this stuff in the dark? Couldn't we just look for this magic ingredient in the middle of the day?"
Fayra, who was busy adjusting a hand-drawn map, replied, "Because this ingredient only appears in the forest tonight. Pay attention! We have to follow a specific route and collect it exactly when the two moons align at the right angle."
Luna frowned as she looked at Fayra's map. "Are you sure this map is right? It looks more like something a four-year-old scribbled."
Fayra scowled. "Hey! This is a masterpiece! And it's totally accurate!"
Alice, who was tightening the straps on her boots, smirked. "Fine, I just hope we don't run into another deadly monster this time."
Selena, always calm and thoughtful, glanced around and muttered, "With this forest, I doubt it'll be that easy…"
Ethan placed his hands on his hips and looked at the group. "Alright, is everyone ready? Let's go before we end up in another disaster."
Everyone moved cautiously through the trees, but they hadn't even been inside the forest for ten minutes when suddenly…
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!!"
Alice's scream froze everyone in place. When they turned around, they saw giant purple flowers wrapping around her, one of them happily trying to chew on her arm!
Ethan's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… the flowers are eating people now?!"
Alice struggled, waving her arm. "HELP! This thing is trying to taste me!"
Fayra stepped forward, taking a deep breath. "No problem, I'll burn them with a little fire!"
But before she could do anything, Selena quickly stopped her. "No! If you set them on fire, you might burn down the whole forest!"
Ethan quickly searched his bag and got an idea. "Wait… maybe I can use the magical repellent spray!"
Alice, still fighting off the flower, yelled, "If you have something like that, THEN WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?!!"
Ethan hurriedly pulled out the spray and blasted it at the flowers. Instantly, they shuddered and backed away, making a whining sound.
Luna laughed. "Well, at least that was an easy fix!"
Alice, brushing off her clothes with a scowl, muttered, "If another plant tries to eat me, I swear I'll chop down every tree in this forest."
Ethan, staring at Alice, whispered, "I can't believe a plant actually tried to eat you… What a night."
After that ridiculous encounter, the group continued their journey.
The deeper they went, the darker and more mysterious the forest became.
The sound of rustling leaves and the occasional cry of unseen creatures kept them on edge.
Selena suddenly stopped, pointing at the twisted branches above them. "Look at this… the way these branches form an archway—it's like we're entering a whole new section of the forest."
Fayra grinned. "That means we're close! The map says the special spot is just a few minutes away."
Ethan scoffed. "I just hope the plants don't try to eat us again…"
As they moved forward, the trees opened up into a clearing. The light of the two moons shone directly onto a massive, glowing stone.
Fayra clenched her fist in excitement. "THIS IS IT! This is where the magical ingredient grows!"
But just as she was about to step forward, Alice quickly held her back. "Wait! If you just walk in there, who knows what might happen?"
Selena looked down and noticed something. "Alice is right… There's some kind of magical mechanism here."
Ethan sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "So let me guess… Before we can take the ingredient, we have to solve some kind of puzzle or pass a challenge, right?"
Fayra smirked. "Well, what's an adventure without a little challenge?"
Looking closely, they saw ancient symbols carved into the large stone in the center.
Luna examined them carefully and read, "Only the one who knows the path of the moons may claim the treasure…"
Alice thought for a moment. "Maybe it's talking about the angle of the moonlight? If the two moons line up in a certain way, a shadow will fall on the center point."
Selena nodded. "Yes, we need to find the exact angle, and when the two moons cast their shadow on the right spot, the magical ingredient will appear."
Ethan, getting tired of all the calculations, waved his hand. "So we just have to wait until the moons are in the right position?"
Fayra grinned. "Exactly! And when that happens… my legendary potion will be one step closer to reality!"
As the group carefully observed the moon's position, time slowly passed. But what they didn't know was that this challenge was not as simple as it seemed…