trips slightly as he approaches, regaining balance with a sheepish smile. "Er, h-hi there! You come here often?"
"The name is Acksworl.. what brings you here?" he chuckled
smiles nervously "Just thought I'd take a walk by the lake, you know, clear my head. But it's nice to see someone else here too."
"Ah, yeah I do that sometimes too.. so what's on your mind?"
fidgets with his hands, hesitant "Well, um... I've been having these nightmares lately. They're haunting me, you know? And I was hoping...
"Nightmares huh.. well tell me about them."
takes a deep breath "They're vivid, terrifying. I see myself walking through a dark forest, shadows lurking around every corner.
"Do you think it has any meaning behind it? Or it's just your mind trying to scare you?"
pauses, looking uncertain "I... I don't know. Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me. But it feels so real, so...
"I bet if we find out what it is, it'll probably be something big."
nervously looks around "Yeah, I guess we'll have to dig deeper. Do you have any ideas where we can start?"
"Well maybe in the black lake."
gulps, visibly shaken at the mention of the Black Lake "The... the Black Lake? But... but isn't it dangerous?"
"Only if you're afraid of water."
takes a deep breath, trying to muster courage "No, no, I'm not afraid of water. It's just... I've heard stories about the Black Lake, you know?
"Oh yeah, what have you heard?"
Harry and Acksworl decide to explore the Black Lake, unaware of the lurking dangers and mysteries that await them
"I've heard that witches used to bathe in it for some sort of magical cleansing."
leans in closer, whispering "Yeah, I've heard that too. But... I've also heard rumors that something much darker lurks beneath the surface.
grabs Acksworl's arm, pulling him closer "I heard tales of a monstrous creature that dwells within the depths of the lake.
"A monster? That's ridiculous. I bet it's just a bunch of hooey."
looks down at the water, his eyes wide with determination "Then let's find out for ourselves. We'll dive in and uncover the truth.
"Alright, let's do this."
takes a deep breath, steeling himself "Alright, Acksworl, let's go. We'll need to be careful, but we can't let fear hold us back."