The thought did not leave Raven's mind.
Since the moment he saw the mark carved into the tree trunk, the stone in his pocket no longer felt like an ordinary stone. He did not know exactly why, but he had begun to feel that there was a hidden connection between the two curved lines on the surface of the stone and the mark he had seen on the tree.
Yet he told no one.
There was no one to tell.
On a quiet morning, Raven walked into the forest as he often did. The air was slightly cold, and a thin layer of mist drifted between the tall trees. Light slowly filtered through the branches, casting narrow golden lines across the damp ground.
He walked slowly.
But this time he looked at the trees more than usual.
Not at the branches or leaves…
But at the trunks.
He was searching.
He did not know exactly what he was searching for, but he felt that something important might be missed if he did not pay close attention.
Time passed as he walked between the trees.
Several times he stopped and examined the bark of different trunks, but he found nothing similar to the mark he had seen before.
For a moment he began to think that perhaps he had imagined it.
But when he reached a deeper part of the forest, where the trees grew closer together and the light became dimmer, he noticed something.
A line.
He stopped instantly.
Then slowly stepped closer to the tree.
The line was extremely faint.
Carved lightly into the bark.
He leaned closer.
The same cold feeling passed through his body again.
The line was not random.
It resembled one of the lines carved on the stone.
Raven crouched near the trunk and took the stone from his pocket.
He held it next to the mark.
Nothing happened.
The forest remained quiet.
But the similarity was clear.
He stayed there for several minutes observing the line.
Then he stood and continued walking.
Now he was certain.
There was not only one mark in the forest.
Time passed as he moved slowly through the trees.
Then he noticed another mark.
This one looked slightly different.
It was not a single line.
Two small lines met at an angle.
He stopped again.
Stepped closer.
Studied it in silence.
He turned the stone in his hand.
The lines on its surface…
Looked as if they could belong to the same pattern.
But what pattern?
He did not know.
He continued walking.
As time passed he began noticing something strange.
The marks were not close to each other.
Each one appeared after a long distance.
Almost as if someone had placed them carefully in specific locations.
But why?
And who could have done it?
Raven had no answers.
As evening approached, he returned toward the stream.
He sat on his usual rock beside the water.
He took the stone from his pocket and placed it in front of him.
Then he began drawing in the dirt every mark he had seen that day.
A line.
Two lines meeting.
A curved line.
He stared at the drawing.
For several minutes.
Then he began to notice something.
If these lines were placed together…
They might form part of a larger symbol.
But the symbol was incomplete.
Many pieces were still missing.
Slowly he erased the drawing with his hand.
Then he looked toward the forest in front of him.
The wind moved gently through the branches.
Leaves fell quietly to the ground.
Everything appeared normal.
But now…
The forest no longer felt the same.
Because Raven now knew one small truth.
Hidden symbols existed among the trees.
Symbols no one seemed to notice.
And no one knew why they were there.
But Raven felt certain of one thing.
This was not a coincidence.
And this mystery…
Had only just begun.