The Tree of Lost Time🔊

In the heart of the mysterious Everwood forest, there flourished a tree unlike any other. This was no ordinary tree; it had a name bestowed upon it by the forest folk that whispered its legend - the Tree of Lost Time. Time, they said, danced to a different rhythm around this tree. Here is a tale spun around it, which is still passed on as a treasured lore amongst the Everwood denizens.

Once, there was a young woman named Mirel. Mirel was an intrepid adventurer, drawn to the mystery and allure that the Everwood forest offered. The lure of the Tree of Lost Time was irresistible for her, possessing an insatiable curiosity, she was determined to uncover the truth behind the legend. Before embarking on her journey, Mirel decided to visit the elderly sole sage of the forest, Vincent, hoping for advice.

Vincent, with his wisdom, warned her, 'Time, dear one,' he had said, 'is a volatile element. It is to be respected, not trifiddled with!' But his words fell on deaf ears. Mirel thanked him and went ahead, resolute and headstrong.

Deep into the Everwood, Mirel trudged, days and nights blending into one another. Until finally, the grand silhouette of the Tree of Lost Time beckoned her. It stood majestic and magnificent, as time itself seemed to slow near it. She felt her heart reverberating with an inexplicable pull towards the tree.

Upon approaching the tree, Mirel found an intricately carved sundial, nestled at the base of its trunk. The gnomon pointed towards a Latin engraving, 'Tempus fugit, sed Memoriae manent,' which she deciphered as 'Time flies, but memories remain.'

As Mirel touched the sundial, her world tilted. Suddenly she was seeing her childhood days, memories she had long forgotten. She saw herself laughing, weeping, and growing alongside her long departed brother. The joyous and melancholy moments were so vivid, so real that they overwhelmed her, causing tears to flow down her cheek. Caught within the temporal anomaly, she was lost in the past, trapped in her memories.

Days rolled on, Mirel, lost to the world, was a captive of her memories. Concerned, the forest folk approached Vincent. Vincent, with a long face, journeyed to the tree. Upon finding Mirel, he called upon the ancient spirits of the forest, pleading for their help. The spirits, acknowledging the wisdom of the sage, intervened and pulled Mirel back through the folds of time.

Mirel awoke in her present, feeling exhausted yet enlightened. Memories, she realised, were enduring, but they were no substitute for the current moments. She thanked Vincent and promised to respect the fluidity of time.

The tale of Mirel and the Tree of Lost Time is still told as a reminder amongst the forest folk that time is a river - it must flow. The past should be cherished and remembered, but not at the cost of the present. To live every moment is the greatest respect we can pay to time, for as time flies, memories indeed remain.