A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
It was raining. Hard. That was not to George's advantage as he ran through the muddy ground. "I've gotta find shelter.. but I'm so lost.." he said to himself. He then promptly trips over a tree root, falling face-first into a puddle. "Ew! Ughh.. now I'm.. really.. cold.." George said as he got up. Once he lifted his head up, there was a small light in the distance. "Ah! Light.. must mean.. a person.. or a house.. or.. something. Whatever it is.. it's there." He began to walk towards the light, slipping on the mud every now and then. Soon he came across a tree with a torch holder nailed into it, with, of course, a torch inside of it. "Warmth..." said George as he put his hands up to the flame. Once his hands are warm a few minutes later, he began to look around. To his left was the Forres, and to his right was a stump with a coin on it. "How strange..." said George as he went to inspect it. The coin was inscribed with a fancy design, but no apparent value. "Well.. if I come across any people, I'll ask them about this." George said to himself, not noticing the warning carved on the stump: 'Keep in the light of the torch, never out of the brightness. He will be set upon you, and none escape Him.' George pocketed the coin and wandered off into the Forres, not noticing the shadow that was right behind him, ready to strike.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
The moon was rising softly in the sky, the reflection in the lake mirroring it exactly. It was being watched by several that night, as it was in a uncommon phase: The Neo-Summer. This phase happened twice every new summer in the year. At exactly midnight, according to legend, a great hush will come over the Forres, and those who were lost in it will find their way back. Alice, of course, knew this legend like everyone else. She just hoped it was true. Alice remembered little about how she had gotten lost, but she knew clearly why she was lost.

...

Alice had been sent out into the Forres to find an item of legend. She knew should would likely not return, as the Forres had not been kind to visitors. The item she had been seeking was the Lunar Chalice, which the Moon would rise out of each night. It would be easy to sell, and Alice knew her family needed the money. The Forres was not inviting the night she had gone out, but it had never been. A few hours and wrong turns later, Alice knew she was lost. She had sat down on a stump, closed her eyes, and had fallen asleep.

...

Alice awoke, breathing hard. Where was she? She looked around, fearing the worst, then relaxed. She saw she was.. home? Alice walked to the balcony, where The Neo-Summer Moon winked at her from high in the sky.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
Two yellow dots blinked at me from up in the trees. Ugh, just another cat, I thought to myself. What was with it in this part of the Forres? Cats everywhere. They gave me the creeps. Now, don't get me wrong, I love cats; we have one at home who would do nothing other than sit on your lap all day. These ones, however, were cats of the Forres. They would stare at you, making you feel uneasy. No, they weren't like my cat. I reached a stream, where, of course, there was a black cat on the other bank. It was calmly washing its paw, not at all giving notice to me. I started down the stream's edge, going with its flow. As I was walking, I almost tripped over another cat. Soon, I came across a huge tree, its branches filled with cats. I stared up, not even able to count them all. Something isn't right here.. I thought to myself. I then noticed a small, short stone pillar at the base of the tree. On top of it was a silver statue of.. a cat. Why were there so many cats?! I studied the statue closely, and noticed an inscription on its back: "The Feline's Gaze has seen you." I put the statue back, and was extremely surprised when I started to shrink. I dashed to the stream and gazed into its reflection. I had become a cat? I looked back at the tree, and realized the enormity of it all.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
"How.. much.. farther..?" I wheezed to my guide. "Not much farther. We'll be at the Silenced Garden soon." he replies back firmly. No more words were exchanged after. An hour later, we arrived a very expansive garden. It was filled with strange, exotic plants I had never seen before. I walked in, marveling at the sheer beauty of it all. I turned back, expecting the guide to be right behind me. Instead, he was closing the gate. I yelled at him to stop, but no sound came out of my mouth. I tried again, but nothing. The guide began to walk away after locking the gate. I knew there had to be another exit. I wandered around for hours, and saw nothing but strange beauty. Soon I came across what I thought to be the center of the garden: a huge pond. It has to be at least half a mile across. The water was slightly green, with plants floating in it that I couldn't identify. After walking around the pond for a while, I noticed something white near the bottom. The pond was about waist-deep, so I waded in. After I got to the white object, I saw it was a skull. The Guide had decieved people before, and I was just another victim. I had to find a way out.. just had to keep going.. keep pressing on.. I soon fell asleep, falling under the pond's green surface.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~ 
The fisherman couldn't see through the fog that morning. A golden coin jingled in his pocket. He always carried it with him after he had found it in the Forres. The Beast had only knocked him out, having a rare moment of stupidity. George had managed to escape, but the Beast still pursued. He got out of the Forres, forgeting about the Beast years later. Little did he know the Beast only grew larger. The Coin's text, when translated, reads, 'Your dreams - Never take them out of your focus, the light'. George didn't know that, nor could he have, as it was written in a long-lost dialect. The only person who could translate it was deep in the heart of the Forres. When he had taken the coin out of the light, he forgot about his dreams. George was about to sail to a new fishing spot when the current pulls him away, leading him into the Forres. He paddles as hard as he possibly can, but doesn't quite make it. Soon, a low-lying tree branch hits him on the head, knocking him out. When George awakes, his boat is tied to a small dock on a riverside inside the Forres. "Ughh.. where..?" George mumbles to himself. He looks around, and sees a small house just off the path. The house looked to be of oak wood, and was build slightly into a medium-sized hill. Next to the house, a water wheel spun lazily around, pushed by a small stream. The ground all around the house was covered in foliage, making it impossible to see any real trail. George wanders towards the house, taking in all the sights. Soon, he find the house's door, and lightly knocks. The door opens, and an old man is standing in the doorway. "Yes?" he asks patiently. "Umm.. where am I?" George askes. "The Forres. She's taken another one.. come in, come in. Please." says the old man. He walks into his house, and waits for George to follow. George considers his options, then walks into the house. He pulls the coin out of his pocket, and shows it to the man. "Would you happen to know anything about this?" George askes the man. "Ahhh, I know much about that. Sit, and I'll tell you everything.."

...

George walks through the rain, through the forest, and comes across a torch. "Finally.. found it." George says as he takes out the coin and put it back into the light. The coin represented his dreams. Or so the old man told him. The beast represented his regrets, constantly trying to catch him. That was just was the old man said, though, right?

...

"Wha-? Where am I..?" George asks himself. He looks around, and sees he's back on the fishing pond, out of the Forres. George looks inside his pocket. The coin is gone. George sighs in relief, then goes sails down the river to pursue his dreams.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
"Fall back! Fall back!" the Commander yelled to his men. They were lost deep in the Forres, and in an area they called the Glass Region. The Glass Region was called such a name because certain animals, plants, and even minerals were partially, or fully, glass. The Commander and his men were fighting a large panther with a glass leg. Somehow, the glass managed to move with the panther, and no matter how many times the men shot the glass, it didn't even crack. "Sir, there's nowhere to go!" yells a fighter with a heavy gun. "I- just run!" yelled the Commander, already sprinting across the forest floor. A loud scream comes from behind the Commander. The Commander looks back, expecting the worst. The Glass Panter had one of the Commander's men in his mouth, and the man was slowly turning into glass. "Ottman! Get out of there!" the Commander yells, but the shout goes through deaf ears. Or rather, glass ears. The Glass Panther drops the man, whom is now fully glass, and roars, shattering the glass man into a thousand pieces. The Commander stares wide-eyed, looking at what might soon be them: broken shards of colored glass.

A soft wind blows over the trees, over the river, over the memories~
"Now listen. If we don't do this, she'll die."
"But, sir! It's much too risky. What if someone finds it?"
"No-one will. It's buried deep in the Forres."
"That's my point. We never know what's going on in that crazy place."
"Just trust me. It's either this, or she dies."
The voices flowed around me murkily, as if I was hearing them fron the bottom of a river. I had always known something was wrong with me. My parents never told me though. They always changed the subject. Well, I'm not enteirly sure they actually changed the subject. Whenever I asked that question, the question of, "What's wrong with me?", Mom and Dad always looked at each other nervously. They then conversed quietly, and "The Cherished Fountain" always came up. Then Mom changed the subject to something more bright. "How was school?", or "What did you learn today?". Up until now, I always wondered what The Cherished Fountain really was.Now, in the present, I was finally waking up. But to what? I looked all around me. Everything was blurry. I couldn't even see myself, and worst of all, I could barely breath. It was almost as if I was.. underwater? Were they trying to drown me? I struggled with all my might, using a sudden explosion of energy, but I couldn't move at all. Above the murky water, I could hear voices.
"Her heart will be safe in here."
"What if she's already regained consciousness?"
"That wouldn't be possible."
"So, what was wrong with her anyway?"
A soft laugh comes from the direction of the voices, followed by,
"She just never woke up. She never saw what was right in front of her. Now, the fountain's powers will teach her to cherish what she can see."
The colors faded away into blackness. It was as if I had my eyes closed.

I'm floating six feet underwater, the stars shining hope from far away~
The sand dunes seemed larger than normal as I climbed. The stars seemed closer than ever, shining their hopeful light from millions of miles away. The night was clear as glass, the Dunes of Liqe reflecting off the ocean's still surface. I had to stop climbing every once in a while, just to gaze at the sky. The moon was but a small slimmer in the sky, it would soon disappear altogether. I continued climbing, the sand moving beneath me every time I stepped. Finally, I reached the top and sat down. The view was amazing. The sea open up in front of me, while behind me were endless dunes of fine, golden sand. I loved to come here, even if my parents didn't approve. A soothing breeze swept through my hair and into the night. I lay down, staring into the endless array of stars. Who knew that the Forres could be so beautiful? The moon was almost halfway in the sky, and I knew I had to get back soon. I had but one thing left to do. I sat up and took in the view one more time. I then shoved myself down the dune, going faster and faster. The sand vibrated as it fell onto itself, creating a haunting but beautiful melody. This was my favorite thing to do. No-one would be able to stop me from doing this, not even my parents. I slid to the bottom of the dune, and tumbled into the sea. With blurred vision, I swam back up to the surface. I was soaking wet, but I didn't mind. I took a deep breath, and went back under. The sea was full of life, ranging from corals to fish of all sizes, shapes, and colors. I felt my breath running out, and headed back to the glassy surface. The night was as crystal clear as ever, the stars winking at me as I swam back to shore. I plopped myself down onto the beach, my face looking out at the endless night sky. 

---

Author's Note:
In Sanskrit, Itvara means "Traveller". Here, the chapter Itvara is meant to represent finding yourself and what you truely love to do, no matter what people think. You might have to travel far, but once you let go of everyone else's views, the night becomes clear, and you can accomplish your passions. So take a breath, and dive deep down to discover your passions.