THE LOST AMULET

 In a land of magic and fairytales where the young ruled and old withered, there lived a girl named Candice. Candice was a precious gem, loved by everyone with a heart full of wonder and curiosity. She was a fair skinned teenager who lived with her parents, adored fantasy stories and believed in all things magical. She loved visiting the library where she spent most of her days reading books on magical stories and fantasy novels.

One day she visited the library as she always does and decided to look through the section filled with old books and scrolls, while browsing she stumbled upon an old parchment and due to her curiosity she opened it.

To her surprise, the parchment paper revealed an ancient map to a lost amulet, she had read a story about this amulet that has been lost for centuries and how many have gone in search of it but have all failed. It was said that the amulet protects the wearer from harm. She also read that the amulet gave the power of immortality to whoever wears it, so it would be very dangerous in wrong hands.

Candice, being a believer of fairytales made up her mind to follow that map and find the lost amulet. So, she embarked on her journey unaware of what she might encounter on her way and she didn’t give it a thought cause finding the amulet was only what was running through her mind.

She takes a deep breath, feeling a thrill of anticipation. With the map in hand, she begins to decipher the cryptic symbols and markings. She notices that the map appears to be hand-drawn and is worn, suggesting it’s been on quite a journey itself.

She starts by identifying the location where she is currently, then follows the map’s path, tracing the route with her finger. The map leads her through the dense forest, across a rickety bridge, and over a rolling hill.

As she embarks on her adventure, she feels a sense of wonder and trepidation. She’s not sure what lies ahead, but she’s determined to find the lost amulet.

With each step, she follows the map’s guidance, using her wits and intuition to navigate obstacles and challenges. The journey is just beginning, and she’s eager to see where the map will lead her.

As the sun began to set, she arrived at an enchanted garden where she decided to rest and recuperate before continuing her adventure. Candice soon fell asleep under the shade of a full blooming tree, while she was asleep, the garden transformed into a dark and foreboding orchard, with twisted, dead trees that seemed to reach out like skeletal fingers.

The air grew thick with malevolent energy, and the sweet scent of blooming flowers turned to a noxious, choking stench. The full-blooming tree under which Candice slept now loomed over her, its branches like grasping fingers, trapping her in the heart of the transformed garden.

Candice awakens to find herself trapped in this dark, sinister landscape. She must now use her wits and courage to survive and escape the garden’s clutches!

She knew of a magical word to change the garden back to how it was before, cause she had read about this kind of traps in many fantasy stories.

Knowing what to do and with courage in her heart, she said the word out loud…“Reversio!” her voice firm and clear.

As soon as the word left her lips, the garden began to shudder and tremble. The dark, twisted hedges recoiled, the air cleared of the noxious stench, replaced by the sweet scent of blooming flowers once more.

The full-blooming tree under which she slept now transformed back to its original state, its branches relaxing, no longer grasping. The garden's dark magic dissipated, and the landscape transformed back to its serene, enchanting state.

Candice breathed a sigh of relief, proud of herself for remembering the magical word and using it to escape the trap. She realized that her love of fantasy stories had unexpectedly prepared her for this moment!

With renewed confidence, she continued her journey, wondering what other challenges and wonders lay ahead.

She gets to a very big ocean which she has to cross cause it was very impossible to go around it. She knew that there had to be a bridge somewhere, but she had to do something to get it out. Then she remembered what she had read, that at situations like this the bridge would be invisible. The only thing she has to do is to find where it is.

Candice was very scared because she knew that any wrong step, she would fall into a very deep pit with no way of escape. She knew what she wanted and followed her heart to make the first step. She puts her leg forward and as luck would have it, she doesn’t fall, she takes the second step and it feels as if she’s walking on air. She keeps on going until she reaches the other side. This was the second obstacle, once again she thanks her love for fantasy stories.

Meanwhile, at home, Candice’s parents were very worried, she had been away for three full moons. Everyone was scared anything bad had happened to her. Some doubted she would find the amulet, while some said even if she did find it, she wouldn’t be able to get back home. Her parents had faith in their daughter and knew that she would come back and would make them proud.

Candice knew it wouldn’t be easy to get the amulet but she was ready to do anything possible to find it. So she followed the directions of the map towards the ancient city, brave as ever.

The Temple of the Lost amulet was at the heart of the city. She navigated a grand hall with a high, vaulted ceiling, surrounded by intricate carvings and mysterious symbols etched into the walls. The air was thick with the scent of old dust and forgotten history.

Ahead of her, a corridor stretched into the darkness, lined with cobweb-covered stone statues of long-forgotten guardians. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the faint whisper of unknown whispers.

Candice felt a shiver run down her spine as she ventured deeper into the temple, her footsteps echoing off the walls. She could sense that she was getting closer to her goal, but the temple seemed to be watching her, waiting to see if she was worthy of uncovering its secrets.

She knew what she wanted and was determined to get it, so she began searching for a clue, something that would help her in finding the amulet.

Suddenly, a goblin appears out of the blue and presented her with a riddle which only the purest in heart would know the answer.

Here goes the riddle, he said ;

“What can be broken, but never held? What can be given, but never sold?” the goblin cackled, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Candice thought deeply, considering the possibilities. She knew that the answer had to be something that resonated with the purest of hearts.

As she pondered, the goblin began to chant in a voice that sent shivers down her spine:

“Answer correctly, and the path unfolds.

Answer wrongly, and forever grow old” .

Candice thought and thought, and after a lot of thinking she said, ‘The heart’, It can be broken but never held, given, but never sold’.

The goblin’s grin faltered for a moment, and he looked at Candice with a hint of surprise and admiration. Then, he let out a cackling laugh and exclaimed:

“Very good! Very good indeed! You have passed the test, mortal! Your heart is indeed pure, and your wisdom is beyond your years!”

With a wave of his hand, the goblin vanished, leaving behind a shower of sparkling dust. The dust settled, revealing a hidden door that slid open with a soft creak.

Beyond the doorway lay a radiant chamber filled with a warm, golden light. In the center of the room, on a pedestal of black marble, lay the Lost Amulet, shining with an otherworldly glow.

Candice approached the pedestal, feeling an overwhelming sense of wonder and gratitude. She reached out a trembling hand to claim the amulet…

But, as she did, a voice whispered in her ear:

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility…”

Candice knew she was ready and with a steady hand, she took the amulet. She felt power seethe through her veins, it was unlike anything she’s ever felt before.

With the Lost amulet in hand, Candice returned home, praised as a brave and wise heroine. Her journey had changed her, and her life never remained the same.