LITMIR.BIZ

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one contains a piece of knowledge that will help you understand what happened here many centuries ago and why you ended up in this world.”

      The children studied the map carefully. Each point on it was surrounded by symbols they had seen earlier in the castle.

      “This is our path,” Vera whispered, realizing that their adventure was only beginning.

      The guardian slowly rose from the throne and approached them. He handed the map to Vera and said:

      “Be prepared. This path will not be easy. You will face many dangers and puzzles. But only by completing it can you find your way home.”

      With these words, he disappeared, leaving behind only a faint scent of incense and the feeling that they had received an important message.

      The children stood in the hall, realizing what lay ahead. The map in Vera’s hands had become their guide, and now they had a mission – to find the artifacts and unravel the mystery of this world.

      “We must do this together,” Kostya said, looking at his friends. “Nothing will stop us.”

      They gripped the map and the book tightly, understanding that a new journey full of trials and discoveries awaited them. But they were ready for anything because they knew it was their only chance to return home.

      Chapter 7: The Mystery of the First Artifact

      With the map in hand and determination in their hearts, the children left the throne room and found themselves once again in the dark corridors of the castle. The flickering light from the torches that lit their way swayed with each of their steps, casting long shadows on the ancient walls. This time, they moved with more confidence – they knew that another trial awaited them ahead, and they were determined to overcome it.

      “There are several points marked on the map,” Andrei said, studying it closely. “But one of them is the closest. I think we should start there.”

      “Yes,” Vera agreed, carefully examining the symbols on the map. “It looks like this place is near the castle, in the forest beyond the gorge.”

      “But how do we get there?” Lena wondered. “The castle is locked, and we need to find a way out.”

      They moved forward, trying to stay on the designated path. Each step echoed through the silent corridors, and it seemed as if the castle itself was watching them, studying their movements. After some time, they reached massive doors adorned with ancient reliefs depicting scenes from the past.

      “This looks like the exit,” Kostya said, approaching the doors and placing his hand on them. They gave way surprisingly easily, swinging open with a soft creak.

      Outside, they were greeted by fresh air and bright sunlight, which was unexpectedly warm after the darkness of the castle. They found themselves on a wide terrace overlooking the forest and the gorge. In the distance, among the trees, a tall hill was visible, with something shimmering at its peak, catching their attention.

      “There it is!” Lena exclaimed, pointing to the hill. “Do you see it? Something is shining on the top.”

      “It might be the artifact,” Andrei said, comparing it to the map. “Or something that will help us find it.”

      They hurried down the stone steps leading from the terrace to a narrow path winding through tall trees. The forest around them was quiet and peaceful, but the children felt that this calm was deceptive. Every tree seemed alive, watching them, and a light breeze carried strange, barely perceptible sounds.

      The path gradually ascended, leading them closer to the hill. Soon the trees began to thin out, and a grassy clearing opened up before them, swaying in the wind like a green sea.

      In the center of this clearing stood the hill, and on its summit, something was indeed shimmering, as if glowing from within.

      “We’re almost there,” Kostya said, quickening his pace. “But stay alert. We don’t know what’s waiting for us.”

      When they reached the foot of the hill, they saw an old staircase leading up. The steps were carved directly into the rock, covered with moss and entwined with ivy, making the climb difficult.

      “It seems this is the only way up,” Lena noted, carefully stepping onto the first step. “Be careful, it’s slippery.”

      The children began to climb, staying close to each other. The staircase was longer than it had seemed at first, and each step became increasingly difficult. But at last, they reached the top, where they were met with an unusual sight.

      At the very summit of the hill stood an ancient altar, covered with mysterious runes and adorned with symbols the children had seen before. On the altar lay a small but brightly glowing object – the first artifact they were searching for.

      “There it is,” Vera said, approaching it. The light from the artifact was warm and soft, filling her with a sense of peace and confidence. “But how do we take it?”

      “Be careful,” Andrei warned, watching her closely. “It might be protected by some kind of spell.”

      Vera carefully reached out to the artifact, feeling a gentle warmth emanating from it. As soon as her fingers touched the glowing object, she felt a light vibration passing through her body. The artifact was a small crystal, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, but it seemed to contain immense power.

      At that moment, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, and the children realized that something had awakened. The forest seemed to come alive – the trees began to move, their branches reaching out toward the children like giant hands.

      “Run!” Kostya shouted, grabbing Vera by the hand and pulling her away from the altar.

      They ran down the hill, trying to avoid the branches that were trying to grab them. The staircase they had climbed now seemed even more dangerous – the moss and ivy had grown thicker, and every step was on the verge of a fall.

      When they finally reached the foot of the hill, the forest around them calmed down again, as if nothing had happened. The children, breathing heavily, stopped to catch their breath and make sense of what had just occurred.

      “We did it,” Lena gasped, glancing back at the hill, which now seemed as quiet as before.

      “But what was that?” Andrei asked, still holding Vera’s hand. “Why did the forest try to stop us?”

      “I don’t know,” Vera replied, clutching the artifact tightly. “But now we have the first artifact. It might hold the key to unlocking the secrets of this world.”

      “And we have to be ready for anything,” Kostya added. “This place is full of mysteries and dangers, and it won’t let us go so easily.”

      With these words, they headed back to the castle, where new trials and secrets awaited them. Now, with the artifact in hand, they were one step closer to unraveling the great mystery hidden in this enigmatic world.

      Chapter 8: The Call of the Ancient Lake

      After the tense return to the castle with the first artifact in hand, the children felt both relief and anxiety. Their journey had only just begun, and they knew that many more trials lay ahead. The crystal found on the hilltop now quietly glowed in Vera’s hands, emitting a faint, calming light.

      “We’ve taken the first step,” Andrei said as they once again found themselves in the castle hall. “But what’s next?”

      “The map shows the next location,” Vera replied, spreading the map on the ancient table in the center of the room. Her fingers traced the points until they stopped at one deep in the forest, near a large lake. “It should be here.”

      “A lake… But for some reason, I feel it will be just as dangerous as the hill,” Kostya noted, carefully examining the map. “There are too many strange symbols around this point.”

      “We

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