Lucy Jupiter and the Forest of Secrets (Part II)
If you missed Part I, you can read it here.
Introduction
Last week, we introduced Lucy Jupiter and the Forest of Secrets. Lucy Jupiter is a quiet girl who blends into the background at school but holds a powerful secret: she can command the forest. Her only true confidant is her shaggy dog, Millie, who, unknown to everyone, can communicate with her. Together, they are the trusted protectors of the Miglets, tiny, leaf-draped beings who live hidden among the ancient tree roots. This peaceful, magical world is shattered when an urgent warning arrives from a Miglet elder named Thimble: the terrifying, exiled spirit Puglim has returned, bringing with him the destructive, poison-clawed invaders known as the Rotham.
Driven by a desperate call for help, Lucy and Millie race to save trapped Miglet families at Willow Vale. Lucy uses her unique power to bind the Rotham with roots and vines while Millie bravely creates a distraction, allowing the innocents to escape. Their victory is short-lived, however, as Puglim appears, forcing a revelation: Millie dramatically transforms from a simple mutt into a powerful, silver-furred Guardian—sent long ago to protect Lucy, who she insists is “more than she realizes.” The true danger deepens as they discover a betrayal within their own ranks, revealing that the jealous Miglet Sporock has been secretly dealing with Puglim, exposing their strengths in a quest for dark power and setting the stage for a final, intense conflict.
Let’s continue now with Part II of the story of…
Lucy Jupiter and the Forest of Secrets: Part II
Chapter 7: The Final Stand
Puglim gathered his forces. The Rotham multiplied. The forest darkened.
Lucy knew it was time.
She stood at the heart of the forest, Millie beside her, the Miglets behind her.
Puglim arrived, towering and furious.
“You cannot win,” he roared.
Lucy raised her hands. The forest came alive. Vines, roots, leaves—all surged forward.
Millie howled, unleashing a wave of light.
The Rotham faltered. Puglim screamed.
Lucy stepped forward. “You don’t belong here.”
With a final burst of power, she banished him—binding him in a tree carved with ancient runes.
Peace returned.
Chapter 8: The Root of the Curse
The forest was quiet again—but not for long.
Lucy sat cross-legged in the clearing, her fingers brushing the moss. Millie, back in her golden dog form, lay beside her, ears twitching.
“I don’t trust the silence,” Millie murmured.
Lucy nodded. “Puglim’s gone, but the Rotham didn’t vanish. They’re hiding.”
That night, Lucy dreamed of a tree with a hollow heart. Inside it pulsed a red light, and a voice whispered, “The curse began here.”
She woke with a start.
“The Hollow Tree,” she whispered. “Millie, we need to find it.”
Chapter 9: The Hollow Tree
The Hollow Tree stood in the oldest part of the forest, where even the Miglets feared to tread. Its bark was blackened, its branches bare. As Lucy approached, the air grew colder.
Inside the hollow, she found carvings—ancient Miglet runes. Millie sniffed the ground.
“This was once a sanctuary,” she said. “Before Puglim twisted it.”
Lucy touched the carvings. A vision flashed: a Miglet elder casting a spell, binding Puglim’s spirit—but something went wrong. A shard of his essence remained, buried in the roots.
“That’s how he came back,” Lucy said. “The curse was never fully broken.”
Suddenly, the ground shook. A Rotham burst from the shadows.
Lucy raised her hand—but her powers faltered.
“Millie!” she cried.
Millie lunged, but the Rotham was fast. It knocked her aside.
Lucy’s eyes glowed. She whispered to the roots—and they obeyed. The tree itself came alive, trapping the Rotham in a cage of bark.
But Lucy was pale. “Something’s wrong. My powers… they’re weakening.”
Chapter 10: The Mirror of Miglenor
Back at the Miglet village, Thimble brought news.
“There’s a relic,” he said. “The Mirror of Miglenor. It shows the truth of your power.”
Lucy and Millie journeyed to the Crystal Caverns, where the mirror lay hidden. Inside, Lucy saw herself—not as a girl, but as a flame, flickering and bright.
Then the flame dimmed.
“She’s fading,” Millie said. “Because the curse is feeding on her.”
The mirror whispered, “To restore your strength, you must find the Heartroot.”
“What’s that?” Lucy asked.
“The first tree,” Millie said. “The source of all forest life. But it’s guarded.”
“By what?”
Millie’s ears flattened. “By the Forgotten.”
Chapter 11: The Forgotten
The Forgotten were creatures of bark and bone, once protectors of the forest, now lost to time. They wandered the misty glades, silent and sorrowful.
Lucy approached them with care. “I seek the Heartroot.”
One of them turned. Its face was cracked wood, its eyes hollow.
“You are the flame,” it rasped. “But the flame must pay.”
They tested her—visions of fear, of loneliness, of failure. Lucy stood firm.
“I’m not perfect,” she said. “But I won’t give up.”
The Forgotten bowed. “Then you may pass.”
They led her to the Heartroot—a tree of silver bark and golden leaves.
Lucy touched it. Light surged through her.
Her powers returned.
Chapter 12: The Return of Puglim
But it was too late.
Puglim had found a new host—Sporock.
The Miglet traitor, twisted by dark magic, now led the Rotham. He attacked the village, burning homes, capturing elders.
Lucy arrived just in time.
“Sporock, stop!” she cried.
He sneered. “I’m not Sporock anymore. I am Puglim reborn.”
They fought—Lucy with vines and light, Puglim with poison shadows and fire.
Millie battled the Rotham, her silver form blazing.
But Puglim was strong.
He struck Lucy down.
“You are nothing,” he hissed.
Lucy smiled. “I’m not alone.”
The Miglets rose. The forest rose. Even the Forgotten came.
Together, they banished Puglim—this time for good.
—–
To be continued next week….