The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 5 by Bella Forrest (book series for 10 year olds .TXT) 📕

trunk of a shedding cherry tree, relieved not to hear the nerve-wracking buzz, he pressed on, undeterred by his near misses. The beetle was going insane now, and his only thoughts were of his friends, and making it safely to them.

Beyond the cherry trees, the beautiful scenery gave way to a more cramped section of the forest, where the trees loomed inwards, their trunks gnarled and twisted, like something from a Grimm tale. He was about to set his foot down when an image popped into his mind, freezing him in mid-motion. It was a picture of a golden leaf, and, as he looked down to the spot where he had been about to stand, he saw the exact same leaf, lying on the ground. It looked more golden than any leaf Alex had ever seen, but it was so small he had nearly missed it. A short distance from it crouched a mouse, though it could only be seen if someone was really looking for it, and Alex knew his concentration must have slipped for a moment.

Another vivid image appeared in his mind, zooming in on the ground where the leaf and the mouse lay. It wasn’t exactly a sensation that sat well with him, and each one caused a ripple of confusion in his brain, knowing they definitely weren’t pinging in from his own mind. Alex didn’t like it one bit, but he was painfully aware that he was stuck with this new slideshow of visions. He frowned, trying to figure out what this fresh image meant. The mouse seemed so out of place. He paused, not knowing how to proceed.

Suddenly, the mouse darted forwards, stepping across the golden leaf. Alex stepped backwards hurriedly, ducking behind a tree as a blinding flash of light shot up from the ground. He peered around the trunk, and in the fading luminescence, he saw the mouse curled up on the grass, dead.

Looking up at the spot where the flash had risen from, his face morphed into a mask of horror as he watched a great, golden beast, looking distinctly bear-like, spring from the tiny leaf. It paused for a moment, its sharp teeth gnashing as it sniffed the air for intruders, but it didn’t seem as if the creature could smell Alex. It turned its head this way and that, its nostrils flaring. Alex pressed himself flat against the trunk, listening as the beast sniffed a while longer. He peered out just in time to see the golden bear disappearing back into the leaf, apparently satisfied there was nobody untoward in the immediate area.

It seemed the images being fed into his mind needed closer examination than he’d realized, with this particular one. The danger wasn’t always the most obvious aspect in the picture. He exhaled deeply, knowing he’d had a very close call. Though he had managed to dodge the golden bear, the sight of it retreating did nothing to allay Alex’s fears for his friends. They were in real danger here, and he knew he had to find them before anything bad happened—if it hadn’t already.

He pressed on, picking up the pace, though he began to worry when the beetle’s flashing started to slow. He wasn’t sure if that meant he was heading in the wrong direction, or if the owner of the magic within was starting to weaken. Not knowing which way to turn, he kept walking, heading farther and farther into the forest.

Without warning, the forest gave way to a large clearing. It made Alex anxious, knowing he should probably avoid clearings, in case somebody caught sight of him, but this one was different, he could tell. In the very center of it was an imposing, artfully crafted pagoda with six tiers, the golden top that had shown him the way curving upward in the shape of a bird. From the central pagoda, various connecting buildings branched off, running into the darkness of the trees beyond, built like elaborately carved treehouses, their roofs painted red and green, following the same aesthetic as the pagoda. Alex peered toward the trees on the far side, certain he could see people moving along suspended walkways hidden among the boughs.

He had reached Falleaf House, by the looks of it, and it was impossible to escape the Japanese flavor of the place. Around the base of the pagoda lay a glorious water garden, with a multitude of exquisite bridges crisscrossing the streams and pools that rippled in the gentle breeze, nudging the lilies that floated on the surface. There were waterfalls too, the sound of running water soothing to Alex’s ears as he watched the twist and turn of koi carp in striking colors he had never seen before.

There were blossoming cherry trees around the pools too, though these ones were undeniably real, their blushing petals falling like pink snow into the water, sinking slowly to the bottom. In any other circumstance, Alex knew this place would have been the epitome of serenity and calm, but it wasn’t. Instead of pilgrims and visitors, there were soldiers wandering everywhere—and a lot of them to boot, marching in small gangs. They were dressed in a uniform of gold and white, with what looked like a crest emblazoned on the pocket, in the shape of a horse’s head with two crossed swords beneath it. Alex wondered if this was the royal crest, what with these being royal guards.

No matter where they came from, Alex couldn’t get over just how many there were, and wondered how he had managed to avoid them thus far. Maybe they had simply become too reliant on the efficiency of the forest traps, checking them every so often instead of patrolling, as they probably ought to have been doing.

Soldiers becoming lazy out of wartime—wouldn’t be the first time, Alex mused.

He ducked back, staying perfectly still in the shadow of the tree-line, as two walked past, right in front of where he stood. His heart thundered, and though they hadn’t seen him, Alex