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Part 2
The Hollow Oak
In the twilight, the trees grew stranger. Their trunks bent like old bones, and the wind carried a whisper that made Gertrude fluff up her feathers. "Are we close?" she asked, eyeing a squirrel that had frozen mid-stride, as if it had turned to stone. Remy looked ahead. The path led to a clearing, and in its center stood the Hollow Oak. It towered over the rest of the forest—blackened bark, gnarled branches, and a hollow so wide that even a full-grown wild boar could walk through it upright. Remy pushed his cap back. "There it is. Isn't it beautiful?" "Beautiful?" Gertrude murmured. "It looks cursed." As they drew closer, a faint hoot echoed from within. Out stepped an owl. Not just any owl—he wore spectacles on his beak, a tattered academic robe, and carried a walking stick carved from birch. "Tell us your business," intoned the owl, "with rhythm and rhyme, or you risk wasting time." Remy gave a curt bow. "A pleasure, Mr. Owl. We seek the hidden—perhaps a treasure revealed by fate." The owl blinked slowly. "Very well. Three riddles must be solved to pass. If you fail even one... this forest will be your final resting place." Gertrude swallowed. "Enchanting." The owl lifted a wing theatrically. "First riddle: I have no legs, but I always walk. I have no lungs, but I fill the sun. I plummet down, from top to bottom—What am I? Quick! Tell me what you know." Remy didn't flinch. "A river." The owl nodded. "Clever fox. Riddle two: I fly eternally, yet remain in one place. I cast no shadow and leave no trace. You cannot touch me, though I am near—What am I now? Speak clearly, speak clearly." Gertrude's eyes lit up. "The wind!" "Indeed," said the owl, clearly impressed. "The last... the most difficult: I speak without mouth or tongue, words echo when songs are sung. I have no one, yet all can hear—What am I now? Speak without fear." Remy paused. Gertrude leaned forward. Together they said softly, "An echo." The owl stared at them in silence... then nodded slowly, approvingly. "You may enter. But beware—what you seek may not be what you find." With a creak and a groan, the tree split open, revealing a dark passage that spiraled downward. Remy grinned. "Ladies first?" Gertrude gave him a firm kiss. "No chance." And they went down—into the Hollow Oak, where something ancient waited in the roots...
To be continued