(miniflash story)

Deep within the heart of the ancient forest of Eldara, there lived a young elf named Elwyn. Unlike the other elves of his clan, Elwyn had always felt a deep connection to the light. While others danced under the moon or sang to the stars, Elwyn listened to the quiet hum of glowing leaves and watched how the light bent around the trees.

One day, a terrible shadow began to spread across the land. The Moon Tree, source of the forest’s magic and light, was dying. Its last glowing seed—warm, pulsating with silver light—was entrusted to Elwyn by the Elders. He was given a task no elf had taken in a thousand years: to carry the seed to the top of Crystal Peak before the sun rose on the seventh day. Only then could the light be reborn.

With nothing but a satchel, his forest-green cloak, and a heart full of courage, Elwyn set out alone. He passed through whispering woods, crossed rivers frozen in mid-flow by the creeping shadow, and faced beasts twisted by darkness. Yet the seed’s soft light guided him—its glow flickering brighter when danger was near, dimming when he doubted himself.

On the seventh night, he reached the foot of Crystal Peak. The wind howled, snow swirled, and the sky churned above. His limbs ached, his spirit wavered, but he climbed. Higher and higher, with the seed clutched tightly in his hand, he moved through storm and silence.

Just as the first golden thread of dawn touched the edge of the world, Elwyn reached the summit. With trembling hands, he knelt and pressed the glowing seed into the frozen soil. For a moment—nothing. Then, the earth beneath him pulsed with warmth. Light exploded like fire through the sky, pushing back the shadow. The Moon Tree was reborn.

Elwyn stood, the wind now warm against his cheeks, and watched as the light spread across valleys and forests. He smiled—not as a hero, but as a guardian of hope.