The narrow path twisted and turned, leading Maren and Alaric deeper into the forest. The fog grew thicker, curling around them like ghostly tendrils. Maren kept her eyes on the compass, which now seemed to pulse faintly in her hand.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Alaric muttered, glancing nervously at the dark shapes of the trees.
“Just a little further,” Maren said, though her voice wavered. She wasn’t sure if she was reassuring Alaric or herself.
After what felt like hours, the path opened into a small clearing. In the center stood a stone altar, weathered by time and covered in moss. The whispers, now almost deafening, seemed to emanate from the altar itself.
“Is this it?” Alaric asked, his voice barely audible over the noise.
Maren stepped closer, the compass in her hand glowing brighter with each step. “I think so,” she said.
She reached out and brushed the moss from the surface of the altar, revealing strange carvings: spirals, stars, and symbols she didn’t recognize. In the center was a shallow depression shaped like a heart.
“It’s asking for something,” Maren murmured.
“What does it want?” Alaric asked, his eyes darting around the clearing.
Before Maren could answer, a soft glow appeared in the depression, and the whispers stopped abruptly. The silence was so sudden it felt oppressive.
“I think it wants the compass,” Maren said, her voice trembling.
Alaric grabbed her arm. “Wait! Are you sure? What if it’s a trap?”
“I have to try,” she said, gently pulling away. She placed the compass into the heart-shaped indentation.
The moment the compass touched the stone, the forest erupted with light. The carvings on the altar glowed, and a low hum filled the air. Maren and Alaric stumbled back as the clearing transformed, the trees bending and shifting as though the forest itself was coming alive.
Then, as suddenly as it started, the light faded, and the clearing was still.
But the altar was gone.
Key Words:
tendrils - 卷须
pulse - 脉动
clearing - 空地
altar - 祭坛
weathered - 风化的
emanate - 发出
depression - 凹陷
oppressive - 压抑的
tremble - 颤抖
erupted - 爆发
中文全文翻译：
小路蜿蜒曲折，将玛伦和阿拉里克带到森林更深处。浓雾愈发浓厚，如幽灵般的卷须缠绕着他们。玛伦盯着指南针，而指南针似乎在她手中微微脉动。
“这个地方让我毛骨悚然，”阿拉里克嘟囔着，紧张地看着黑暗中的树影。
“快到了，”玛伦说，但她的声音有些颤抖。她也不知道自己是在安慰阿拉里克还是安慰自己。
经过仿佛数小时的行走，小路终于开阔成一个小空地。空地中央矗立着一座石头祭坛，风化严重，布满了青苔。低语声几乎震耳欲聋，似乎是从祭坛中传出来的。
“就是这里吗？”阿拉里克问道，他的声音几乎被噪音掩盖。
玛伦走近一步，手中的指南针随着每一步变得更亮。“我想是的，”她说道。
她伸手擦去祭坛表面的青苔，露出了奇怪的雕刻：螺旋、星星和一些她不认识的符号。祭坛中心是一个浅浅的心形凹陷。
“它在索求什么，”玛伦低声说道。
“它想要什么？”阿拉里克问，眼神警惕地扫视空地四周。
玛伦还未回答，凹陷中出现了一抹柔光，低语声戛然而止。突然的寂静压得人喘不过气来。
“我想它想要指南针，”玛伦颤抖着说道。
阿拉里克抓住了她的手臂。“等等！你确定吗？万一是陷阱呢？”
“我必须试试，”她轻轻挣脱出来。她将指南针放入心形凹陷中。
指南针触碰到石头的那一刻，森林爆发出耀眼的光芒。祭坛上的雕刻发出光芒，低沉的嗡嗡声充满了空气。玛伦和阿拉里克踉跄后退，只见空地开始变化，树木弯曲扭动，仿佛森林本身活了过来。
然后，光芒骤然消失，空地恢复了平静。
但祭坛不见了。
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原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter One 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter Two 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter Three: A New Challenge 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter Four: A Betrayal 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter Six: The Rescue Mission 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter Seven: A New Strategy 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter 8: A Difficult Decision 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter 9: A New Era 原创小说 |《玉刃》The Jade Blade Chapter 10: Li Mei's Legacy Book 2 原创小说 | Chapter 1: The Mysterious Letter 原创小说 | Chapter 2: The First Clue 原创小说 | Chapter 3: The Ancient Oak Tree 原创小说 | Chapter 4: The Flowery Path 原创小说 | Chapter 5: The Hidden Treasure Book 3 原创小说 | Chapter 1: The Enchanted Garden 原创小说 | Chapter 2: The Hidden Door 原创小说 | Chapter 3: The Guardian of the Garden 原创小说 | Chapter 4: The Trials of the Garden 原创小说 | Chapter 5: The Return Home Book 4 原创小说 | Chapter 5: The True Treasure
Book 5
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: The Return Home
Book 6
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: The Return of the King
Book 7
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: Love in Full Bloom
Book 8
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A New Chapter
Book 9
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: Finding Her Place
Book 10
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: Back in the Game
Book 11
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: The Secret of Room 207
Book 12
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: More Than Friends
Book 13
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A New Chapter
Book 14
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A New Member
Book 15
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A Timeless Memory
Book 16
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: The Choice
Book 17
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: The Moonlit Path
Book 18
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A New Horizon
Book 19
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: A Legacy of Love
Book 20
读英文微小说，习得英语词汇 | Chapter 5: Unlocking the Mystery
Book 21
