The prince decides to go forward along the second path.

"This all looks kind of creepy... But my father's power will protect me..." Jason thinks, reflexively squeezing his fingers on the shimmering amulet on a silver chain that is worn around his neck.

The amulet continues to pulse weakly with strange orange energy.

The prince goes forward, trying to look away from the small spider-like figurine that is hanging on a curved tree branch.

The thicket of plants becomes denser.

The path is narrow and the prince's feet often stumble over tree roots.

More and more fog...

The forest is getting darker...

Strange sounds and rustling of tree leaves...

Small insects, similar to fireflies, emitting a mysterious dark purple light...

Jason's gaze notices on many trees winding pulsating crimson lines, which look like veins in the flesh of some living body.

"This is a very strange place... I have never gone so far into these forests before... How long have I been walking forward? Probably about an hour..." - Jason thinks anxiously.

With each step, the prince finds it more and more difficult to walk along the narrow path.

The tree branches seem to be trying to grab the body of the young traveler.

Jason is **** to cover his face with his hand so that the sharp tree branches do not damage his eyes.

Finally, the prince sees something strange ahead...

The path led him to a small clearing near a huge ash tree.

The path itself goes further into the forest past this clearing...

But now it is extremely risky to continue the path - after all, it is getting very dark in the forest.

The tree is very large - about ten meters thick, and about thirty meters high (due to the approaching darkness it is difficult to see the crown of the tree).

Between the roots of this tree you can see... a door!

A door leading into the tree itself...

As if it were someone's home.

A frightening hissing comes from the bushes on both sides of the path.

Jason sees that his shimmering amulet on a silver chain emits only a weak glow.

"The amulet's magical power probably needs time to regenerate... I should wait out the darkness in some safe place... It looks like I'll have to go inside this strange tree-house..." - the intention is dubious, but the prince is **** to act.

The prince comes closer to the huge tree.

A knock on the door...

No reaction.

Jason touches the door handle...

The door is not closed.

The prince quickly goes inside and closes the door behind him, separating himself from the darkness of this frightening strange forest.

Jason breathes heavily, looking around.

A small room connected by a corridor with several other rooms.

Faint candlelight on the table.

Many herbs are drying on a rope suspended near the ceiling. The black cat meowed indignantly and quickly ran between the prince's legs.

"It seemed to me that the cat had some kind of snake tail with a sting on the end... Damn... It seems I imagined it... It seems my head is starting to hurt..." - the sensations of Jason may indicate his fatigue. Or something else...

The prince slowly walks into the next room.

"A bed! It's good that there is a bed here..." - Jason sits down on a warm woolen blanket that is covered with a small bed.

The prince's gaze becomes slightly clouded...

His eyes stick together from fatigue that overwhelms his consciousness like a wave.

The prince strains his will as much as possible not to fall asleep instantly...

He feels something strange... something "unnatural"...

As if some invisible influence from the outside is pushing Jason's consciousness into the abyss of oblivion...

"What irony! A traveler who has visited two worlds… A traveler who has fallen into the arms of sleep in each of the worlds… But is awakening guaranteed? Heh… Heh…" - the thoughts in the prince's head pulsate like something… alien and foreign.

These are not his thoughts!

As if someone has penetrated the prince's mind…

A belated glance allows the prince to notice a small accessory above the doorway in this room (which is attached to the wall). It is a figurine woven from vines and small flexible tree branches. This figurine is much more detailed and impressive than the one the prince saw on one of the trees.

An image of a spider…

Six spider legs.

It's strange...

Ordinary spiders have eight legs.

But if you look closely, you can see that this spider has the face of an old woman with long gray hair.

And a pair of female hands with claws.

The prince has almost fallen head first onto the blanket...

When suddenly he feels a pleasant touch on his left cheek...

The prince blinks in bewilderment.

"Is this... Am I imagining it?!" Jason thinks.

His dim vision catches how a woman in an elegant dark blue robe and a wide-brimmed hat appears from some fog right in front.

Her gentle fingers stroke the prince's left cheek.

Her beautiful chestnut-colored hair is braided.

Her dark gray eyes seem to "laugh".

Her plump and bright lips curve into a encouraging smile.

The woman sits down on the bed next to the prince and her hands stroking at the body of the young prince with increasing determination.