Sebastian cautiously walked forward, his bow strung and pulled back in his arms. His eyes were set straight ahead towards a group of tangled spinach-coloured vines. Arya, his spirited golden shepherd whimpered softly beside him, her eyes wide with fright.

“Sssh… it’s alright girl- you’re safe,” Sebastian whispered soothingly to her.

Suddenly, something twitched in the underbrush near the vines. Sebastian froze, and a deep growl sprang from Arya’s throat. Gathering all the courage he had, Sebastian darted forward towards the vines, flinging them aside with all of his might. He was on edge, expecting something menacing to jump out at him. He anxiously looked down at the ground, searching for any sign of hazard. However, what he saw was an innocent-looking bunny darting away, his fur the color of pure white crystals glinting in the sunlight. Entranced by the sight, Sebastian lifted his head, suddenly noticing and taking in the vast amount of beauty surrounding him.

He stepped into the lush green land. It was a meadow enriched with vivid colors and harmonic sounds. His eyes were wide, as they devoured every exquisite thing they could lay their sights on. What lay in front of Sebastian was land and beauty that stretched out endlessly, accompanied by graceful moving animals roaming around, co-existing in peace, and perfectly shaped blossoming flowers. Tall trees branched out infinitely into the sky, as glistening leaves prospered on the branches. Exotic-looking birds hummed along to splendid harmonies in every crook and cranny, melodies that uplift ones soul into happiness. A river the color of deep pure gold rushed past, separating two sections of the land. As Sebastian peered closer, he realized that the water itself was an aquamarinic colour, but the sun was shining so brightly upon it, that he was deceived into thinking that it was golden. The atmosphere was filled with a peaceful and gentle breeze of wind that swayed the plants together in a balletic motion, causing them to appear as if they were dancing.

Sebastian was captivated by the sights, feeling as if he were in a precious dream, a dream that seemed so fragile it would shatter at any moment. So it’s true, he thought, it’s really true. He had been searching for weeks for the ancient land of Festhornia, a long lost myth that he heard held many alluring treasures and unsolved mysteries. Addicted to the imagination of what this majestic land would behold, he had set out in order to find it, following clues that had been gathered over the years by other anonymous enigmatic adventurers who had never completed the journey. And now, after endless attempts, where Sebastian refused to give up, his determination taking the best of him, he had finally arrived.

It seemed as if Arya was entranced by the sights laying upon them as well, for she wagged her tail excitedly and bounded forwards, sniffing at every single flower in her path. Sebastian followed her, letting his fingers graze over new nature yet to be discovered by the outside world.

Then he abruptly stopped.

For he heard a sound so mesmerizing it stole his breath away; his head whipped around, searching for the magical music. As if somebody was pulling him with a hard-bound rope, he found his feet shuffling to his left. He maneuvered around diamond rocks and vivid scented flowers until he spotted something radiant and golden up ahead, artistically placed on a carved rock alongside the river. His eyes squinted, trying to figure out what the object was. It was a grand item, finely shaped in its curves, and delicately built. Bright cream-colored strings ran up through the opening hole in the middle, gently moving in a precise pattern. Harmonic music poured out of the object, music that made Sebastian close his eyes and sway slightly on his feet. The music had a melodic tune; it was an alluring lullaby with an intention to make you forget every comprehensible thought and dance gently in the middle of the ancient meadow. With his barely coherent thoughts, Sebastian groggily realized that it was a hard, an enchanting reincarnation of beauty and grace.

However, as much as Sebastian wanted to let go and let the rhythm and breeze of the wind guide him through a dance, he shook off the entrancement; feeling a rush of curiosity wash over him like a tidal wave. Forcing his eyes to open and his feet to steady, he started to pick his way over to the astonishing harp. As he stood upon it, he gazed inquisitively at the remarkable strings. They were moving in a gentle pattern, creating melodies far beyond imagination, with emotions and feelings woven into the sounds. How the harp could create music without a player bewildered him. Sebastian tenderly reached out with his right hand to stroke the object and its strings.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a pleasant voice suddenly spoke, coming from a direction near him.

Sebastian whipped around, searching for the voice that had spoken.

The mysterious voice giggled, “Down here!”

The voice had, surprisingly, come from the river, near the crystal rock where the harp was carefully placed. Warily, Sebastian peered behind the rock into the river. His eyes searched until they found a creature wondrous beyond any measures he had yet seen.

It was a female who had spoken. Her long silky auburn hair gleamed in the brightness of the sun, blowing tenderly in the soft breeze of the wind. Her eyes, the color of sparkling amethyst gemstones were heavily lashed, sparkling with hidden secrets. She was sitting, appearing very blasé and tranquil, in a strange position in the slow-moving river, something that rather confused Sebastian.

He shuffled a few feet backwards, feeling a strange sense of fear dawn on him. “Hello,” he began warily, after a long moment of silence passed between them. “… Who are you?”

The strange female traced his every move with her penetrating eyes. Finally, she grinned and threw her head back in delighted laughter that echoed across the vast land of Festhornia.

“You’re asking all the wrong questions,” she simply replied.

Feeling rather confused, Sebastian gulped and mumbled, “I’m Sebastian…”

The young woman smiled, shaking her silky hair back from her face. “Alexia. Pleasure meeting you, Sebastian. But you really shouldn’t touch that harp.” She said suddenly, inclining her head towards the harp. “It would be a terrible and regretful action. Festhornia is not what it appears to be. If something happens to that harp, and the music stops, then the true side of this ancient land will appear. And trust me when I say that it’s not welcoming to trespassers.”

“What will happen to Festhornia if that harp stops its music?” He cautiously demanded.

Alexia gravely looked at him, her eyes piercing him as if having the ability to peer into his soul. “Question, questions,” she tsked. “Yet not the right ones. If you keep on asking useless questions, they won’t help you in the end.”

Sighing, she stretched out her arms and looked him straight in the eye. “Festhornia is an enchanted land, full of evil succumbing creatures that have no mercy or signs of life in their souls. This river? You may not see them, young adventurer, but this river is occupied with many of those menacing creatures. Those trees? They’ll turn into the deepest shade of black imaginable; a colour so haunting it will follow you in your dreams and twist them into nightmares. Teeming with poison, their branches will snake out towards you and lock you in a deadly embrace. All these magnificent animals? They’ll instantly drop dead, with only their bones left in their place to mark that they were ever once existent. So, tell me dear adventurer, do you still wish to touch that harp?”

Sebastian’s eyes were wide, and he gulped, struggling to take deep breaths. Sweat broke off in tiny beads along his foreline, and he felt his body shaking in fright. Slowly, he shook his head rapidly from side to side, mouthing a silent no.

“I’m sure you’ve wondered,” began Alexia, “why no adventurer has ever come out of Festhornia alive. You see, nobody has ever lived to tell their tale. It’s rare, but every few often, some bold explorer just like you comes wandering into this land. They’re continuously drawn by the immense amount of beauty, and predictably, they always end up touching the harp. And then… well you can use your imagination for what happens next. Pretty gruesome.”

Sebastian backed away from Alexia, slowly shaking his head in disbelief. Suddenly, he felt himself backing up into something curvy and grande.

The harp.

It was as if time slowed, and everything was in slow motion. The smooth melody coming from the harp abruptly stopped, and for a moment, only silence filled the land. And then screams filled the tense air. Instinct seized him and Sebastian turned around and ran, not knowing that it was too late to hide.