The girl by the lake gazed at Dobbin for a long moment, as if she could see into his soul. Her eyes held a warm smile, as radiant and captivating as the distant Milky Way. Dobbin smiled back, stepping onto the soft grass with the same feeling as if he were entering a sacred temple. He followed the path the white wolf had taken, slowly approaching the girl. When they reached the lake's edge, she shyly turned away, still smiling, and with her toes, she paddled the water, causing layers of arcs of light to shimmer across the surface. The white wolf's ears twitched slightly, as if he had fallen asleep. Dobbin walked across the grass, unable to discern the flashes. The dense, tender grass surrounded the light, guiding his path. He mustered his courage and continued forward, only to see the girl lift her leg from the water and gently tap the wolf's head with her palm. Her gauze skirt, dripping with water, floated in the air, blending with the drifting mist into a hazy haze. The girl, barefoot, turned, and the wolf followed, seemingly heading deeper into the forest. In the darkness, where no flash of light could reach, the girl silently explored the riddle of the night. From the sky descended an endless black curtain, and the branches of the old trees formed a long, desolate corridor. The light from her body shone stubbornly, pure and clear, dotting the black cloth like a white flower.
Dobbin was about to chase after it when the darkness suddenly changed shape. The girl stopped moving and stood quietly, staring at the changing black shadows. When it got closer, Dobbin saw that it was a big tree. The trunk was as thick as the tall buildings in his hometown, and the height was probably not much less. Even birds probably couldn't fly that high. The girl turned her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with expectation for some reason - in Dobbin's opinion, it was indeed an emotion called expectation. The white wolf squatted in front of the tree, staring at the tall treetops in a trance. Dobbin wanted to speak, but he opened his mouth but no sound came out. His words and his soul seemed to have been sucked away by this miraculous giant tree.
The strength slowly dissipated from his body, and his thoughts also flew away from his body, floating in the unknown sky, staring at the empty shell on the ground. He knelt down, his knees sinking into the rotten leaves, his eyes fixed on the tree and the girl. The trunk in front of the girl slowly cracked, revealing a tree hole, from which a dazzling light shone. It was much brighter than the moonlight, illuminating the woods like daylight. The girl's petite body blocked only a small part of it. Dobbin squinted and looked, and it seemed as if a door had opened on the tree trunk. On the other side of the door was a crowded street, with tall buildings and wide roads, as well as running cars and huge billboards. It said: Welcome home.
He couldn't believe his eyes. The scene inside the tree hollow was identical to the streetscape of his hometown. He clearly remembered it: it was the view he'd seen from the window seat of the café where he'd started. That afternoon, two months ago, he'd sat in that very seat, finishing his last cup of black coffee. The bitter taste sank deep into his heart, just like his crumbling life. A few minutes later, he packed his bags and caught a taxi to the station, ready to escape the bustling city and find a peaceful life in the wild.
Welcome home.
The girl slowly walked into the tree hole, but she was nowhere to be seen in the street scene. The white wolf crouched beside the tree hole, staring intently at Dobbin. His eyes were full of meaning, emitting a magical power like a spell.
We are waiting for you.
The tree's pressure gradually weakened, and Dobbin's strength returned. But he still couldn't stand, his body seemingly reduced to a simple container, making even the slightest movement impossible. He could only watch helplessly as the white wolf wagged its tail in disappointment as it retreated into the tree's hollow. The stream of cars and people in the street scene never stopped, and every second, old scenes faded and new ones entered. Yet, upon closer inspection, nothing seemed to have changed.
You still have a chance.
The light in the tree hole gradually dimmed, and Dobbin's mind was still imprinted with the residual images of the wolf and the girl, which scattered piece by piece like a weathered ancient picture and drifted away into the distance where the end could not be seen.
Dobbin never rose. Some vague, intangible thought drained his spirit, and memories of city life washed over him, leaving him dazed and dull. When he regained consciousness, the glint of light on the grass had vanished, and he was surrounded by pitch-black darkness, the relentless cold wind seeping into his bones.
There were no trees, no white wolves, and no young girls. All Dobbin could see through his tear-blurred eyes was a darkness so thick it seemed it would never dissipate.
It was completely dark outside the tent, the light by the bed doing its best to dispel the darkness. It was becoming difficult to read the words on the book. So I closed the book and left the tent. A cool night breeze blew across my face, and the fire in the center of the camp burned brightly. The clamor of voices reached my ears, but it seemed so distant it seemed unreal. I could make out my father's voice coming from the largest tent, which faced the bridge outside the village.
I suddenly remembered what my father said to me when we set up camp in the afternoon, about this village hidden in the forest and the origins of those villagers.
They are the Aladonians, remnants of the old empire.
The people of this village are all victims of the imperial power transition, unable to be seen. They hide like rats in the dense jungle, eking out a miserable existence in forgotten corners. My father already knew their hiding place, and when the villagers saw our group, they showed no sign of panic, as if they had been discovered by outsiders. I'm afraid my father intended to bring us here from the beginning, but the reason remains elusive. Why did we have to hide in this lost land of the forsaken?
The night sky was ablaze with stars, a dazzling display of strange colors. The moon hung high among the stars, radiating a solitary, bright light. Everything felt like a dream. Even if this was just a small stopover on our long journey, a hidden world unknown to us, this moment seemed to stretch out almost indefinitely. That familiar town suddenly came to mind, occupying most of my thoughts. Even as I lay in bed and closed my eyes, the scenery of the town remained firmly etched in my mind.
I hope that when the sun rises tomorrow, we will all be better. I am not someone like Dobbin, who has no goals. To achieve my goal, I don't care what mysteries and dangers lie ahead. I pursue only one thing with all my heart.
That is returning home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
