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墨書 Inktalez
Amy tightly held the compass given to her by Jis, its exquisite metal engravings seemed to record the history of their friendship. However, as she and Nick entered the forest-like maze, an inexplicable force separated them.
"Nick! Nick, where are you?" Amy called out urgently, but only her own echo responded. The walls of the maze were made up of twisted, intertwined tree roots, making it feel as if they had entered a living organism.
Nick tightly grasped the small cross he carried with him, feeling a sudden chill in his heart. He recalled the words spoken to him by Amy, thought of the unpredictable magic of Puppet Mother, and their missing parents.
Suddenly, Nick heard a light laughter, quickly turned his head, and saw retired Broadway actor Alan standing next to a huge vineyard gate.
"Ha, little boy, are you lost?" Alan said as he tapped his old-fashioned wooden cane.
Nick wanted to respond, but he remembered Amy's warning that nothing in this world could be easily trusted. He tightly gripped his cross and quickly turned and walked away.
At the same time, Amy felt the compass tremble slightly, as if Jis was trying to guide her in some way. She followed the compass's direction and arrived at a small square surrounded by dense vines. In the center was an ancient fountain, but the water was a dark red color, sending shivers down her spine.
"Have you found it, miss? Or do you need to put on puppet eyes so you won't feel scared and fearful." Retired clergyman Francis suddenly appeared, wearing his outdated ceremonial robe and holding an ancient scroll.
Amy was at a loss for how to respond for a moment. She thought of Nick, thought of their missing parents, and the unknown dangers they faced.
"We don't have much time. We need to find the exit and our parents quickly," Amy thought to herself, and began to follow the compass's instructions, bypassing Francis and continuing deeper into the maze.
I don't know how long has passed, Amy and Nick finally reunited under an arch illuminated by candlelight. Nick looked a bit haggard, but his gaze was more determined than before.
"Amy, are you okay?" Nick asked anxiously.
"I'm fine, I have the compass Jis gave me. How about you?"
"The cross blessed me, I met Alan, but I didn't speak to him, I just walked away."
"Okay, then let's quickly leave here." Amy tightly grabs Nick's hand, realizing that this might be the last time they leave.
"Did you find anything?" Nick asks curiously.
"Jis gave me a compass, saying it can point to the center of the puppet world. I think that's where the heart of this world might be hidden."
"Heart? What exactly is this place?" Nick felt puzzled.
"I'm not sure, but I feel... our family is trapped here, with a thousand connections to the heart of the old tree," Amy trembled as she spoke.
Nick nodded in understanding, feeling a chill run down his spine. This world was more complex and dangerous than they had imagined.
"Should we go check out that heart place?" Nick asked.
"Yes, but we need to find our parents first. Everything here makes me feel uneasy."
The two of them walked hand in hand, passing through the candlelit archway and winding passages, finally arriving at a grand hall. In the center of the hall hung a massive bell, next to which was a chilling painting. The puppet in the painting had a sly expression, sending shivers down their spines.
"Is this the place...?" Nick spoke, unable to find the right words to describe the scene before him.
"We need to find our parents, please guide us in the right direction," Amy tightly held the compass and began commanding it. The compass needle started to spin and finally stopped in a secluded corner of the hall.
Amy and Nick walked over and found a small door that looked like a closet. Amy pushed the door open with force, and a cold air rushed out. They discovered that the closet actually led to a tunnel.
"Where does this tunnel lead to?" Nick's voice sounded a bit hoarse.
"I don't know, but we must go and see," Amy said firmly.
The two walked into the tunnel, feeling a cold, eerie air swirling around them. The tunnel gradually narrowed, but Amy's compass still pointed steadfastly ahead.
At that moment, they heard a low chanting and the laughter of puppets coming from the end of the tunnel.
"What is that?" Nick asked nervously.
"I don't want to know, but we must continue forward." Amy's face turned serious, she knew that the truth was about to be revealed, and they might face unprecedented danger.
The compass needle began to spin wildly, like a fan out of control. Suddenly, the needle stopped and pointed precisely in the direction of a tunnel deep inside. The flashing metallic glow of the needle seemed to be telling them: the destination is right there.
"Are you ready?" Amy turned her head and locked eyes with Nick, her gaze determined and unwavering.
Nick glanced at the compass in his hand, then at his sister's confident expression. He tightly held her hand and said, "I've never been more ready."
At this moment, the two of them cast aside all their unease and hesitation. Amy forcefully pushed open the ancient door hidden in the shadows. In an instant, a strong beam of light pierced through, as if breaking through the darkness and illuminating everything.
The light gradually faded, allowing Amy and Nick's eyes to adjust. This was no ordinary light - it had an unusual brightness, seemingly filled with an unknown energy. As their eyes adapted to this sudden brightness, an incredible sight unfolded before them: they saw their long-lost parents - Jack and Laura.
The parents' faces looked extremely relaxed, as if they had just discovered the last piece of paradise hidden in this world.
"Mom! Dad!" Amy and Nick rushed up almost at the same time, warmly embracing their parents tightly.
"Kids, don't worry, we're doing great," Laura said with a smile, her voice filled with an indescribable warmth, like the warm sun shining on a snowy winter day.
Jack also smiled and added, "Actually, it's really wonderful here. There's all kinds of delicious food, like frosted cookies, chocolate mousse, and your favorite blueberry scones. We don't even have to work, we can just enjoy everything. Not to mention, it's like time has stopped here, and we won't age."
"Work is not necessary? And we won't age?" Nick couldn't help but ask, while recalling everything they had experienced in this incredible place.
"Yes, you heard right. This is a paradise," Jack's joyful expression made Amy and Nick exchange a look of doubt and unease.
Amy felt a sudden tension in her heart, sensing that her parents were acting strangely, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. At that moment, Nick suddenly spoke up, using a humorous remark to break the tense atmosphere.
"Wow, not only is there free food here, but also the secret to eternal youth. This is even cooler than finding an invisibility cloak!"
Laura smiled, but there seemed to be something hidden in her smile. "Yes, this is a magical place. But you need to know, every choice comes with a price."
"A price?" Amy asked tensely, her eyes briefly meeting Laura's gaze.
"Oh, the price is that you must consider this place your eternal home and never leave." Laura immediately suppressed her smile and a contemptuous smirk appeared on her lips.
At that moment, Puppet Mother appeared, she looked calmly at Amy and Nick, and said, "I need your help. If you can help me put on these eyes, I will let you and your parents stay here forever, enjoying this endless happiness."
Nick looked at the eyes, then at Amy, and asked quietly, "What do you think? This place seems like a perfect world, but I can't shake the feeling that something is off."
Amy looked at the wooden face of Puppet Mother, and her intuition told her that there must be some unknown secret behind this seemingly harmless puppet mother.
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to heed the warning given to her by her Jis.
"No, we can't stay. No matter how beautiful it is here, it's not where we should be," Amy answered firmly.
Puppet Mother's expression suddenly turned dark, and her eyes seemed to release a cold light. But Amy knew she had made the right choice.
At this moment, the compass suddenly stabilized and the needle pointed firmly in one direction. Amy tightly grasped the compass, feeling a glimmer of hope.
"What if you find your parents? So what?" Puppet Mother laughed, her laughter sounding particularly jarring in this silent puppet world.
"In another ten hours, if you can't find the small door back, won't you have to put on your eyes and become part of this world?"
With that, the Puppet Mother's figure suddenly became blurry, as if blown away by a gust of wind, and ultimately disappeared completely.
"We can't let her succeed, Nick," Amy said, looking at her brother.
Nick nodded, determined. "I know, sister. We need to bring our parents back and find our way home."
AmyTwisting the compass, it still firmly points in that direction. The two sisters tightly hold their bewildered parents' hands and begin to move in the direction indicated by the compass.
The four of them traverse a dream-like forest, with purple tree trunks and golden leaves, as if they have entered a magical world.
However, they all knew that behind this seemingly beautiful forest, countless dangers were hidden.
"Look, there's a small hill over there. Let's go up and take a look. Maybe we can find some clues," Nick pointed ahead.
The siblings quickened their pace, crossed the forest, and arrived at the small hill.
Standing at the top, they overlooked the entire puppet world, everything seemed peaceful and beautiful, but there was a strange atmosphere hanging over it.
Amy took out the compass and found that the needle was still pointing in the same direction.
"Let's continue forward, we don't have much time," Amy said.
Nick nodded, and the siblings grabbed their parents and set off again in the direction indicated by the compass, holding onto hope tightly. Their hearts were filled with tension and unease, but at the same time, there was also a hint of resilience and determination.
They knew that the journey ahead would be full of unknowns and dangers, but regardless, they had to move forward bravely because only in this way could they find the door to the real world.
In a distant and unknown corner, Puppet Mother sneered as she watched the siblings walk away, her smile filled with schemes and plots.
"Go ahead, little ones, go and seek your so-called hope and freedom, but no matter what you find, the outcome will be the same. Because everything in this world is under my control."
She muttered to herself mockingly, and then disappeared into the darkness.
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