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Genesis

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the dense canopy of the forest. Leaves crunched underfoot as I sprinted through the underbrush, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The tall pines loomed overhead, their dark silhouettes merging into an almost impenetrable wall. Every few steps, branches clawed at my arms and face, but I pressed on, driven by a sense of urgency that outweighed the pain.

A cool evening breeze whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine needles. The rhythmic pounding of my heart echoed in my ears, a steady drumbeat that matched the rhythm of my footsteps. My eyes darted from side to side, scanning for any signs of movement, any indication that I was being followed.

The forest was alive with sounds: the distant hoot of an owl, the rustle of small creatures in the underbrush, the creak of tree branches swaying in the wind. But beneath it all was an eerie stillness, a silence that seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something, or someone, was out there, just beyond the edge of my vision.

My foot caught on a root, and I stumbled, barely managing to regain my balance. I couldn’t afford to fall, not now. Not when I was so close. Up ahead, a faint light flickered through the trees, a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness. It was the clearing I had been searching for, the place where I could finally stop running and make my stand.

With a final burst of energy, I pushed myself harder, my legs burning with the effort. As I broke through the last line of trees and into the clearing, I was met with a sight that made my heart skip a beat. There, in the center of the open space, stood an ancient stone altar, its surface covered in strange, glowing runes.

I slowed to a walk, my eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. I had heard the legends, the stories passed down through generations, but I had never truly believed them. Now, standing before the altar, I couldn’t deny the truth. I reached out a trembling hand, tracing the patterns of the runes, feeling the power that thrummed beneath my fingertips.

I had found it. The heart of the forest. The place where my destiny awaited.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The beeping sound of my alarm brought me back to reality.

“This dream again?”. I thought to myself. I’ve been having this same dream for weeks ever since I took up the post of the head archaeologist. It was probably a coincidence something. No one really understands dreams. I jumped out of bed and dashed to the bathroom. I was already running late for work. Apparently, my alarm was beeping for some time before I finally woke up.

I dressed up really quickly and before I knew it, I was already on the 8am bus to work. My name is Stacie Phillips, and I reside in a quaint, centuries-old cottage on the outskirts of the lake District in Northern England. My days are often spent poring over ancient manuscripts analyzing artifacts and piecing together stories of the past. But lately, it’s been quiet. It feels like we’ve discovered and uncovered everything there was to. I still miss the thrill of field work, but for now, I’m stuck in my office working on documents and finances or whatever. Things that I never had interest in.

I walked the into to Company and proceeded to the elevator to get on with my boring day of document sorting when Elijah stopped me.

“Good morning boss!”

“I told you not to call me that.”

“Sorry boss. Anyways, I have news.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you want to say that I haven’t heard yesterday”

“Trust me, this is different.”

“Alright. Shoot!”

“So you know that we sent an excavation team to Transylvania”. Elijah started “They returned yesterday by around 4pm. You know, after you closed for the day.”

“So what?” I retorted “How’s that any different? We send teams every month to different places and they never return with anything worth looking into.”

“On the contrary, they found something different.” Elijah said with a smirk on his face. “Very different”. His excitement was now very visible on his face. I know that is not a guarantee that they found something that would interest me because everything gets him excited. He’s 21 but he acts 17. Always smiling, jovial and optimistic. He is honestly the only person left in this company that is still full of energy and enthusiasm.

“Alright, lay it on me.” I grew rather impatient. “No more beating around the bush.”

“Caleb-the head of the team we sent met with me yesterday.” Elijah started “To tell me the latest on the mission. As I am, you know- your PA.”

“You’re not my personal assistant” I was quick to point out.

“For now…” Elijah smirked like a little kid who was about to do something mischievous “They found the bones of an unknown animal. It was carnivorous, most likely a primate. It had short canines like that of a Cheetah and long claws like that of a wolf. An animal that I have never seen before in my life.”

“Wow. So we could be on the verge of a new animal discovery?” I was now as excited as Elijah. “You’re right Elijah. This is great news”. I was about leaving when I heard Elijah’s voice again.

“That’s not all” Elijah’s smirk had returned. “There were traces of human DNA found all over the bones. There was also on arrow found lodged within the creatures body. I thought it was a mere arrow used by the locals in the vicinity but judging from the exterior, I knew it was something different. We were about to remove the arrow for further analysis but decided to inform you first.”

“Now I’m intrigued.” I smiled, eager to uncover more about the mystery unfolding before me. “Where was this body found?”

“The bones?” Elijah asked “It was found in Hoia Baciu forest”. “Hoia Baciu forest?” I stammered “The one the large clearing in the middle?”.

“Yeah…” Elijah said, obviously surprised that I knew that about the forest. “Have you been there before?”

“No” I was quick to say. I wasn’t ready to start explaining an adventure I had in my dream to him because he’ll definitely make a big deal out of him and try to interpret the dream or something “Never mind. Just wait for me in the lab. I’ll be there in 20. I can’t afford to miss this chance to discover a new animal.”

Elijah chuckled after he walked towards his desk. An image from my dream flashed in my mind. I saw the forest. The exact forest that I’ve been having dreams of for weeks is the forest that this creature came from. Could it be that this dream has been leading me to something? Something new, maybe even something supernatural…

Nah… probably not. Damn I watch way too many movies.