Chapter 213

Alex was shocked. "Permission from who? I thought this forest was under the Academy and free for students to use. Do you really think I need permission from them to stay here?"

"Not from the Academy," Liora added, her tone serious. "From the spirit of the forest. They are the true owners."

A breeze rustled through the trees, as if the forest itself was trying to join the conversation.

“The forest is alive, and it asks for nothing but respect—each leaf, each stone, is a sentinel of time, older than any human claim.”

Liora Faylover, one of the top student from the second year but in a different class, was famous for her strange ability to contract spirits—from the smallest, most insignificant ones to the wildest and most powerful.

"I'm sorry," Alex replied, feeling unsure. "I can't talk to spirits. Can you help me? Can you tell them I need this place to stay?"

"Okay," Liora answered, her gaze shifting as if speaking to something unseen. The conversation seemed intense, her words becomin