Welcome to Echoes of Serenity.
You are about to listen to a sleep story for adults.
It is designed to help you relax,
So you can fall asleep more easily.
Please listen to this story,
Accompanied by soft music and ambient sounds,
In a safe and quiet environment.
I wish you restful,
Magical dreams.
In this story,
You are a student at Amberfall Academy.
After a day full of classes,
You and your friends Laura and Oliver go exploring the castle in search of a mysterious secret room you've heard about.
But instead,
You encounter a friendly creature that invites you to an undiscovered part of the castle.
And remember,
If you enjoy this tale about the world of Amberfall,
Feel free to listen to my other stories,
Set in and around the Academy,
Such as the Magical Spa and the discovery of the unending Ethereal Archives.
Let us now immerse ourselves in this new story.
You hoist your book bag onto your shoulder and stretch.
Finally,
The lesson is over,
And so is this entire day of classes.
Although magic is incredibly interesting to learn.
For today,
It was quite enough.
You spend your time brewing magical elixirs,
Practicing levitation and conjuring illusions.
Together with your friends Laura and Oliver,
You walk out of the classroom.
You've known them since you all started at Amberfall Academy as small,
Inexperienced mages.
You clicked instantly,
And from the very beginning,
The three of you have been inseparable.
You trust your friends,
And always feel completely at ease with them.
Laura is a curious student,
Always asking questions and studying faithfully.
You and Oliver share a mysterious library,
Though perhaps not as fervently as she does.
Additionally,
Oliver loves to experiment,
Always searching for new spells and ways to apply magic.
This sometimes leads to hilarious situations,
Though the professors at Amberfall Academy aren't always amused.
You also love delving into the study of magic,
But you enjoy exploring the castle just as much.
That is exactly the plan for tonight.
After dinner,
You and your friends want to search for a secret room.
After dinner,
You and your friends want to search for a secret room,
Said to be located somewhere in the east wing of the building.
It might contain a mysterious library,
Or perhaps a storage room for magical maps,
Ethereal energy devices,
Or even a portal to another dimension.
You had heard whispers about it from older students.
Laura and Oliver were immediately enthusiastic when you told them.
But for now,
It's dinner time,
And you head towards the enormous dining hall of Amberfall Academy.
Everyone who works,
Teaches,
Or studies at the Academy comes here to eat.
The meals are prepared in the grand kitchen and placed upon the tables using magical spells.
Rows of floating plates drift in as soon as everyone is seated.
That is also why you must be at the table on time,
Otherwise you risk a plate pumping into your head,
Which,
As you know from experience,
Is no fun at all.
A delicious smelling plate of vegetables lands on the table before you.
Moments later,
A platter with meat,
Fish,
And vegetarian snacks floats to the center of the table for you to choose from.
You,
Laura,
And Oliver fill your plates with whatever you fancy and begin to eat.
Do you have the map with you?
Laura asks softly.
She means the map you drew,
Based on the information you received from an older student.
You tap your pocket.
Yes,
I put it in my pocket,
First thing this morning.
The map shows all the known corridors of Amberfall Castle,
But also potential locations where secret rooms and passages might be hidden.
But even with this tool,
Finding the location of the potential mysterious room would be quite a challenge.
Amberfall Academy is no ordinary castle.
The ancient building teems with magic.
There are even those who claim that it is alive.
You aren't sure if that's true,
But it is a fact that strange things happen within these walls.
Some corridors change direction on their own,
And rooms can simply vanish or swap places without warning.
That's good,
Laura responds to you.
I'm bringing a bag of snacks and some water.
And you were going to bring a flashlight,
Oliver.
Do you have it?
I have it with me.
But who needs a flashlight when you can create light yourself,
He asks with a laugh.
Waving his wand.
You just never know what might happen,
Laura says seriously.
We have everything we need,
You say,
Trying to reassure her.
And it'll all be fine.
We'll probably only see some dusty hallways and faded paintings.
Or we'll walk in a circle and end up right back at the castle entrance,
Oliver says with a grin.
The three of you laugh at the idea.
That was certainly a possibility.
You continue eating and a little later everyone is finished.
All people remain seated until all those present have finished their meal.
The director of the school,
Mrs.
De Lavio,
Stands up to address the students.
She explains that all students have some time for themselves before it is time for bed.
They are expected to tidy up their common rooms,
But otherwise they can play games or go outside for a while.
At nine o'clock tonight,
She says,
As always it should be quiet everywhere.
And all students are expected to retreat to their sleeping quarters.
Have a lovely evening everyone,
She concludes.
But tidying up,
Going outside or playing games is not on your agenda.
Laura hoists her backpack onto her shoulders.
Oliver tucks his flashlight into his belt.
And you briefly touch the map in your pocket.
You are ready.
Chatting away together,
You and your friends leave the dining hall.
Moments later,
You are standing in the central hall.
The space echoes with voices and footsteps on the marble floor.
In the center,
You see the large logo of Amberfall Academy.
The circle,
About 10 meters in diameter,
Features the image of a magnificent oak tree,
Formed by a mosaic of gemstones.
Beneath the white trunk,
Roots spread out,
Curling inward to encircle a large orange glowing crystal.
That is the glowing amber crystal,
Which legends say fell from the sky and sank into the ground here.
It is believed to be the source of the powerful magical currents in this place.
That is why the first stones of the castle were laid here,
And Amberfall Academy was born.
The emblem glimmers softly,
And as you walk across the amber,
Your footsteps leave orange-red sparking footprints on the marble.
Many students purposefully walk over it for that very reason.
But you have no interest in that now.
From the hall,
A vast number of corridors branch off into the building.
Your goal is the eastern wing.
Shall we take the Merlin corridor?
It is the longest one,
Heading in the right direction,
Laura suggests.
You all agree it's the best option,
And the expedition begins.
The hallways here are still busy,
With students,
Teachers,
And magical creatures on their way somewhere.
But as you venture further,
It becomes quieter.
Only the occasional broom,
Moved by magic,
Is at work,
Or a researcher on their way to the library.
You press on,
Turning into another corridor,
And taking a left at the next junction.
Magical lamps provide plenty of light,
Now that it's getting dark outside.
I've never been here before,
Oliver remarks,
All in his voice.
The corridor is wide,
You can easily walk side by side,
And the floor is a bit dusty.
The walls are clearly ancient,
Made of weathered stone blocks,
Without any decorations,
Paintings,
Or tapestries.
It still looks somewhat familiar to me,
But that won't last long,
Laura says.
You remain silent.
This is unknown territory for you as well.
The castle is enormous,
And there is always something new to discover.
Once,
You and your friends climbed all the stairs,
And explored the attic.
That too was vast,
Divided into smaller rooms,
Filled with boxes,
Crates,
Sacks,
And cabinets.
You found cobwebs and dust,
But also chests containing old magic books,
Figurines,
And magical objects.
The Amberfall Forest is also a wonderful place to explore,
Where you and your friends have already found many extraordinary creatures and locations.
You walk further down the corridor,
Which seems endless.
There are doors along the way,
But they seem to lead to empty classrooms,
Storage rooms with a few crates,
And old bedrooms.
The journey continues.
The corridor curves,
Winding a bit to the left,
And then to the right,
Before opening onto an intersection of hallways.
This intersection shouldn't be here,
According to the map,
You say,
Showing it to your friends.
This entire hallway shouldn't stretch this far.
I have no idea where we are,
Or which way is east anymore,
You admit.
You stand still,
Impressed by the immensity of Amberfall Castle.
It is silent here,
Not a single sound penetrates the thick walls.
Laura doesn't answer either,
And you see her scanning each of the corridors with wide eyes.
Let's just keep going the same way we were headed,
She says,
With a shrug.
In the meantime,
You've made notes on the map,
So you can find your way back later.
You continue your way in silence with your friends.
There isn't much to see here.
You begin to wonder if this entire trip will lead to anything at all,
When suddenly you hear a sound.
You stop your friends and listen.
It sounds like a door opening.
Look there,
Oliver whispers.
He points,
And indeed,
One of the doors begins to swing open.
You stand still,
Curious and surprised.
You hadn't expected to encounter anyone here.
From behind the door,
A striking sound.
A moving creature appears.
It is small,
Reaching only to about hip height.
It has white fur and resembles a fox walking upright.
Furry,
Pointed ears sit atop its head,
And it has a long nose on which a pair of small,
Round glasses perch.
Greetings,
Students of Emberfall,
The creature says,
Walking toward you.
Laura smiles,
And you,
Too,
Can't help but think that this must be a friendly being.
The white fox wears an old-fashioned costume,
Like those worn by mages of the past.
A long cloak with a clasp on the chest and a long robe beneath it.
Who are you?
Laura asks curiously,
Crouching down.
You and Oliver do the same.
I am Magdalene.
I used to be a teacher here.
Do not be afraid.
I am here to guide you through this part of the castle,
Which is unknown to you.
Oliver introduces the three of you and then continues.
You were a teacher,
But how is it possible that you are still here now?
I am a good spirit.
I have taken this form to be able to connect with you,
Magdalene says with a smile.
You wish to find something special in this old part of the castle,
And I would like to show you something special.
You look at her expectantly.
What is it,
You ask curiously.
If you come with me,
I will show you,
The white fox says.
You don't want to let this opportunity slip through your fingers,
And enthusiastically you begin to follow Magdalene.
She continues the journey through the corridors,
Turns right at the first junction,
And follows that hallway for a little while.
You faithfully make notes on your map.
It isn't much further,
She indicates.
The corridor ends abruptly,
And you find yourselves standing before two large,
Double wooden doors.
You wonder in amazement what might lie behind them.
This part of the castle hasn't been visited by humans for two centuries,
Magdalene explains.
We kept it hidden,
And that is why it could not be found.
You react with surprise.
Really?
Why is that?
Laura asks.
I will explain that shortly.
Let us take a look first.
You all stand there fascinated,
Watching the little fox take out a large bunch of keys,
And insert one into the lock.
It clicks,
And hums,
And vibrates.
And then she presses the door handle down.
The grand doors swing open.
There is darkness beyond,
But soon,
As Magdalene steps inside,
Lamps begin to glow.
Slowly,
It becomes clear what lies behind the large doors.
You walk into a vast space,
Filled with plants,
Shrubs,
And trees.
Above your head,
You see an enormous glass roof,
Supported by metal arches,
With the endless starry sky above it.
Wow,
What is this place,
You ask?
This is the Amberfall Greenhouse,
Where plants,
Trees,
Fruit,
And vegetables are grown.
The work here has never stopped,
But people have forgotten it was here,
Magdalene explains.
She walks slowly ahead of you.
You see all kinds of different plants.
Large,
Small,
Even plants with glowing leaves and flowers.
Slender trees,
Mushrooms,
And moss.
It smells earthy,
Damp,
Spicy,
And sweet from the flowers.
Narrow paths wind between the plants,
And Magdalene leads you along them.
You are impressed by how large the greenhouse is,
And how many different plants and trees grow there.
It teems with life.
Insects hum,
And you even see some birds fluttering through the branches.
But it's beautiful.
Why did it fall into oblivion,
You ask?
I will explain that to you in a moment.
The white fox beckons,
And you follow her,
Weaving between bushes and densely-leaved plants.
You emerge onto a small square,
Tiled with cheerfully colored stones,
Surrounded by a few comfortable benches.
You and your friends sit down.
The amber-full greenhouse is very old,
Magdalene begins.
The mages and witches who inhabited the castle,
Started the greenhouse with the intent to grow,
Protect,
And develop magical plants.
Very special and also rare plants grow here.
While she speaks,
You let your gaze wander over the greenery.
You immediately notice that some plants move on their own.
There isn't a breath of wind,
Yet you see leaves,
Stems,
And flowers,
Gently swaying back and forth.
But there are also creatures at work in the greenhouse.
You see small fairies darting between the leaves,
A gnome crosses the square with a little wheelbarrow,
And small twinkling lights float among the flowers.
If you look closely,
You see dryads,
Forest spirits,
Pixies,
And brownies,
Working among the plants here and there.
These plants are incredibly fragile,
The little fox continues.
They are surrounded here with the best of care.
But a century or two ago,
People's mentality changed.
They focused more on profit,
On efficiency,
And production.
Disagreements arose between the humans and the magical creatures,
The elves,
Fairies,
Dryads,
And such.
It seemed they could not agree on how to care for the greenhouse,
Or what its purpose should be.
You listen breathlessly to Magdalene.
The magical creatures,
Who felt a close connection to the greenhouse,
Decided there was no other solution.
They could not bear to see everything that grew here be lost.
They decided to magically separate the greenhouse from the rest of the castle.
It could no longer be found by humans.
For a moment,
You sit in silence.
But that can't be true,
Can it?
Not all people are so bad,
You ask.
No,
That is true.
Not all people had bad intentions.
But their voices did not carry enough weight among the other mages and witches.
There was a large group that saw the greenhouse as a way to make a profit,
To earn money from it.
And that must never be the goal.
You let the words sink in.
And now?
Is it different now?
We think it is time that the greenhouse can be visited by people.
We hope they can see once more what these plants can mean,
For the world and for all living beings.
Especially for you,
The younger generation.
Yes,
We will certainly take good care of it,
Laura says enthusiastically.
But what kind of plants grow here then?
What are they for,
Oliver asks?
Plants from all over the world grow here.
Of magical origin,
Magdalene explains.
From Atlantis,
The mysterious continent of Mu.
From Shangri-La,
Avalon,
El Dorado and Agartha.
They all need special care,
Not only in terms of nutrition,
But also regarding magical currents and energy.
Moreover,
Many of the plants are very sensitive to emotions,
As these spread along energy pathways.
That is the reason human mages could not care for these plants for years.
They would truly harm them with their negative energies.
You nod solemnly.
These plants have special healing and magical properties,
Magdalene explains.
She stands up and you and your friends follow her.
She walks down one of the narrow paths and almost immediately disappears into the thick foliage.
Small lanterns hang in the shadows,
So you can just about see the path.
A little fairy flies past you and lands on your shoulder.
The leaves of the bushes around you seem to lean towards you.
And a moment later,
You realize that they actually are.
Small twigs brush over your hands.
Flowers bend towards you and seem to focus on you.
As you stand still,
A large pink flower wafts forward.
And stops in front of your face.
The petals wave gently and suddenly begin to glow.
A delicious,
Honey-sweet fragrance spreads.
And a feeling of contentment and intense happiness flows through your body.
The flower lingers for a moment and then springs back.
In wonder,
You walk on,
Following your friends.
You hear Magdalene continue her story.
She stands by a tall plant,
Almost a big bush,
With soft,
White plumes streaked with slender blue lines.
This plant filters stardust.
It stores the energy from this dust in its roots,
Which can be used to create a healing potion.
She turns and points to a large plant,
With thick,
Rubbery leaves and orange veins.
This one,
Its name is unpronounceable for us,
Comes from Atlantis.
It grows both here and in the magical dimension of Aldinera,
Where it absorbs the energy of the blue sun.
We still don't know exactly what properties this plant has.
But our primary task is to protect these plants,
Not to exploit them.
No,
I understand,
Laura says.
It is a lot of information to take in.
I think it's important for you to explore the greenhouse,
To feel the atmosphere and see what grows and blooms here.
Take your time,
Magdalene says.
She looks at each of you in turn,
Through her small glasses.
Above all,
Enjoy yourselves.
When you leave,
The door to the Amberfall Greenhouse will remain open.
Tell your teachers about it.
Bring them here.
Someone will be here to give them more information.
And hopefully.
.
.
Hopefully we can care for these plants together once more.
We hope so too,
You say.
Surely we will,
Laura thinks.
Magdalene smiles,
Which looks adorable on her fox-like face.
Look around at your leisure.
If you are tired,
You will find plenty of places here to rest before you head back.
If you need help,
Just ask.
There will always be someone close by to assist you.
The white fox bows to you and then disappears into the dense foliage.
You and your friends stand in silence for a moment,
Looking at each other.
That's quite something,
Is all you can manage to say.
We wanted to find something new and magnificent.
And we certainly did,
Laura says.
She laughs and twirls around under the branches and leaves.
You decide to explore the greenhouse further and follow the paths.
The greenhouse turns out to be vast.
There are trees with fruit,
There are vegetables and even herbs and spices.
Every now and then a cloud forms somewhere,
Releasing gentle rain.
A vine curls around a lantern,
And as you pass by,
It winds itself around Oliver's arm.
He is startled for a moment,
But the vine lets go on its own.
Then the path opens onto a grassy clearing,
Surrounded by magnificent plants,
With flowers that shimmer softly,
Like Mother of Pearl.
The colors seem to vibrate.
Your friends want to rest here for a while,
But you want to look a little further.
You promise to return to them later.
You follow a path that leads past trees with red spikes.
Then you pass a small pond,
Beside which grow beautiful mushrooms that glow softly.
You pass shrubs with very long leaves,
Trumpet flowers and plants with leaves that seem to shed tears.
It is all so wondrous.
It is almost overwhelming.
The path continues on,
And just as you are about to head back,
It opens into a clearing where the strangest flowers you have ever seen are blooming.
You stand at the edge and see plants growing among the grass,
From which a transparent,
Golden-glowing membrane swells.
It expands further and further,
Like a small lantern,
And then it detaches from the plant and rises slowly.
You follow one of those globes with your eyes,
Thinking it will hit the glass roof of the greenhouse.
But the top of the greenhouse is open to the sky here.
The little light can rise further,
Into the heavens.
Where is it going,
You wonder aloud.
This plant creates healing energy,
A voice says right beside you.
Surprised,
You look around,
Until you see a small woman standing next to you.
It is a gnome.
The little balloons rise until they reach a certain height,
And then release the energy.
In this way,
They support the health of the earth,
She says with a smile.
My name is Daphne,
By the way.
Thank you for your explanation,
Daphne,
You say.
You tell her your name.
That is beautiful.
You watch as the balloon continues to rise,
Until it suddenly opens and,
Like a small fountain,
Lets its light escape.
In another spot in the grass,
Another balloon forms,
Filling with light,
And it too begins its slow ascent.
You could just stand here and watch this for hours,
But you feel tired.
As if she just knows how you feel,
The small woman says.
Here,
Why don't you lie down for a moment?
She points to a spot in the grass,
Where a cozy,
Thick wool blanket lies.
Is that okay,
Just like that,
Among these fragile plants?
You ask,
Worriedly.
You won't harm them by lying here quietly,
Daphne says kindly.
You mention that you had planned to return to your friends,
But the woman lets you know she will go to them and tell them where you are.
You walk carefully to the blanket and lie down.
There even is an extra blanket,
If you wish to pull it over you.
As you lie on your back,
You see the glass dome,
High above,
Through which you can see the stars.
Birds and insects can enter through the open roof.
You hear them buzzing and crickets chirp softly.
It's so peaceful here,
You say.
You can safely close your eyes and sleep here.
No one will disturb you,
Daphne reassures you.
She briefly places a small hand on your shoulder and then departs.
A harmonious,
Peaceful atmosphere reigns here,
Bringing rest to your soul.
Everything here is centered around care,
Love for plants and care for one another.
Even the plants want you to feel well,
Just like that flower that hung in front of you and spread a lovely scent.
Your eyes follow another golden balloon as it rises peacefully.
It will later spread its healing energy over the earth.
Such a lovely little plant,
With such a beautiful purpose.
You know that you and your friends have found a very special place.
One that will mean a great deal to humanity.
But you also know that the safety of these plants comes first.
You will help protect them.
As you lie there,
You feel your body relax.
Your breathing slows and your muscles feel soft and heavy.
The glowing lights in the air and among the plants are like beacons in the night.
They help you to not feel alone.
It smells green and lush here.
Your eyes follow one more lovely balloon and see it spread its energy like a glowing spark.
You almost feel that energy settling on your body.
As you lie there,
You feel how the earth carries you and how your body becomes heavier and more relaxed.
Your breathing finds a quiet,
Natural rhythm,
Just like the gently swaying of the leaves around you.
The golden lights above you are like distant stars watching over you.
You feel the warm,
Healing energy of the greenhouse,
Like a soft blanket of light.
The peace of the amberful greenhouse surrounds you.
The plants watch over you.
Let your dreams carry you away,
To a world as green,
Peaceful and harmonious as the amberful greenhouse.
