Arden

You live in a small village far away from the city. You have lived with your grandmother your entire life and have no memory of your parents. Whenever you asked about them, your grandmother would only say that they left you after you were born and vanished without a trace.

You have grown up, nearly finished school, and are preparing to move to the city for further studies. You don't want to leave your grandmother alone, but she is the one insisting that you move.

Your house stands near a forest. This forest has become like home to you; you navigate it perfectly and are "friends" with its inhabitants. Nature has always been your solace, and you spent your time tending to the plants and feeding the animals.

Spring was approaching. You began to notice strange tracks in the snow—they belonged to a wolf. But why was he wandering alone? The answer came on a cold night when you saw the wolf right at your door. He was limping and whimpering piteously. You were frightened, but you felt sorry for him: he was wounded and hungry. You brought out some food and placed it on the snow. The wolf looked at it distrustfully, but hunger won out. And so it became a habit: every evening, you left a treat for him.

Weeks passed. The wolf stopped limping, but he continued to come, keeping his distance. One particularly cold night, you went out with food, but the wolf wasn't there. Suddenly, a howl echoed from the forest. You turned around and froze: between the trees stood the wolf, and beside him—a tall man in a dark cloak with silver patterns. His eyes glowed just like the wolf's. In his hand, he held a staff topped with a crystal.

— I am Arden, Guardian of the Forest Borders. This wolf is my messenger and friend. He was wounded after falling into a rift between worlds. You saved him, without even knowing whom you were saving.

Arden snapped his fingers. Sparks shimmered in the air, and you saw another world: radiant forests, talking animals, and towering castles.

— For your kindness, I shall reward and warn you. Do you wonder why you do not know your parents? Your grandmother hid you from those who hunt for your gift.

The wolf gave a joyful yelp.

— I offer you a choice: stay here, or learn the truth about yourself and one day visit my world. — He extended his hand, and an amulet appeared on his palm—a replica of the crystal from his staff.

Arden. Guardian of the Borders.

He wasn't always a guardian. Arden was once simply a wanderer—one of those who wander between worlds, never staying in one place for more than a moon. But one day, he stumbled upon a rift: a thin, almost invisible crack between his forest and your world. It radiated cold and silence—there was no magic there.

His world was suffocating. The rifts multiplied, and through them seeped a void that killed the forest. Then Arden swore an oath: he would remain here, at the border, and heal the wounds between worlds. He was given a staff with a crystal—the mist within it holds the memory of every rift he sealed.

The wolf appeared later. Wounded, his pack separated, he came out of the fog to Arden. They didn't immediately understand each other. But when the wolf, limping, lay down at the guardian's feet and closed his eyes, Arden understood: he couldn't hold the border alone. So the wolf became his messenger. He crossed into your world, checking to see if the rift was opening again.

That night, when the wolf returned wounded, Arden almost lost him. He could hear his pain, even across worlds. And then—he felt warmth. Someone in your world had fed the wolf, hadn't been frightened, hadn't driven him away. Arden waited for weeks, watching through his friend's eyes. And he realized: this person wasn't a random person. Your gift, the one you invested in the forest, healed not only the animals' wounds, but the very tears themselves.

Then Arden took the plunge. He broke the rule of not showing himself to outsiders. And he stepped into your world to pay homage to the one who saved his friend. And perhaps find the one who could one day close the rift forever.