Emma sighed and rolled over, watching shadows dance along her bedroom wall as tree branches swayed in the night breeze. Sleep refused to come, as her mind buzzed with unanswered questions. She'd always felt curious about lore of the unexplained, yet lately that curiosity had morphed into something more restless.
As midnight approached, her eyelids grew heavy at last. Slumber pulled her under into dreams that weren't like normal. She found herself walking through mist-shrouded woods, an unseen force guiding her footsteps. An ancient aura clung to the winding trails, whispering of mysteries long buried.
The trees suddenly gave way to a small clearing. In its center stood a gnarled stump bigger than any tree she'd seen. Strange etchings covered its weathered bark, patterns that seemed to stir something deep in her soul. As she traced their swirling lines, a realization struck—these were the same markings she'd seen in her history books, belonging to the indigenous tribe that once roamed these lands.