In the dappled morning light, Ethan, a young park ranger with a keen eye for the unseen, treaded softly through the whispering pines of Eldridge National Park. His breath misted in the cool air as he patrolled the familiar trails until a glint among the branches caught his eye.
As Ethan approached, the nest loomed larger, an ancient and ornate structure that belonged more to legend than to the world he knew. His heart raced; this was no ordinary bird’s creation. In the heart of the nest, nestled among the twisted twigs, lay a jewel that pulsed with an otherworldly glow, turning his discovery into a mystery that would consume his very soul.