I Silkeborgs skove, hvor efterårets farver strålede i den svage sol, gik Nikolaj og Freja side om side på en smal sti.

In Silkeborgs forests, where the autumn colors shone in the faint sun, Nikolaj and Freja walked side by side on a narrow path.

Bladene knitrede under deres fødder, og de snakkede om skolen, som de plejede.

The leaves crackled under their feet, and they talked about school, as they usually did.

Men denne aften var anderledes.

But this evening was different.

Det var Halloween, og skoven føltes mystisk.

It was Halloween, and the forest felt mysterious.

"Tror du, der er spøgelser her?"

"Do you think there are ghosts here?"

Freja kiggede op på sin storebror med lysende øjne.

Freja looked up at her older brother with bright eyes.

Hun elskede mysterier og eventyr, især nu hvor hjemmefronten føltes tung.

She loved mysteries and adventures, especially now when things at home felt heavy.

"Jeg ved det ikke," svarede Nikolaj og prøvede at lyde modig, "men vi må være forsigtige."

"I don't know," replied Nikolaj, trying to sound brave, "but we must be careful."

Nikolaj stirrede ud i skoven og følte ansvarets vægt på sine skuldre.

Nikolaj stared out into the forest and felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

Han tænkte på Freja.

He thought about Freja.

Han ville beskytte hende mod alting, især mod smerten fra deres forældres adskillelse.

He wanted to protect her from everything, especially from the pain of their parents' separation.

Freja trak Nikolaj ned ad en ny sti, som de aldrig havde gået før.

Freja pulled Nikolaj down a new path they had never walked before.

"Kom, lad os undersøge derovre!"

"Come, let's explore over there!"

sagde hun glædestrålende.

she said gleefully.

Nikolaj tøvede, men Frejas glæde var smittende, og til sidst gav han efter.

Nikolaj hesitated, but Freja's joy was contagious, and he eventually gave in.

Skoven blev tættere og mørkere.

The forest grew denser and darker.

Træernes skygger strakte sig lange og uhyggelige.

The shadows of the trees stretched long and eerie.

Nikolaj mærkede sit hjerte banke hurtigere, men han holdt Frejas hånd fast.

Nikolaj felt his heart beating faster, but he held Freja's hand tightly.

De gik, indtil de stødte på et gammelt egetræ.

They walked until they came across an old oak tree.

Træet var enormt, med en hulning i midten.

The tree was enormous, with a hollow in the middle.

Indeni var der et skær.

Inside, there was a glow.

Lysende svampe strålede med et blødt, grønt lys, som oplyste deres ansigter.

Luminous mushrooms shone with a soft, green light, which illuminated their faces.

Freja gispede af betagelse.

Freja gasped in awe.

"Det er som magi!"

"It's like magic!"

sagde hun og strakte hånden ud mod svampene.

she said, reaching out towards the mushrooms.

Nikolaj så på sin søster og følte en bølge af glæde.

Nikolaj looked at his sister and felt a wave of happiness.

På trods af mørket og frygten åbenbarede de mystiske svampe noget vidunderligt.

Despite the darkness and the fear, the mystical mushrooms revealed something wonderful.

Nikolaij forstod nu, at nogle gange var det vigtigt at give slip på bekymringer og bare nyde øjeblikket.

Nikolaj now understood that sometimes it's important to let go of worries and just enjoy the moment.

Efter et stykke tid gik de tilbage gennem skoven, denne gang hånd i hånd og med lettere hjerter.

After a while, they walked back through the forest, this time hand in hand and with lighter hearts.

Nikolaj havde fundet ro i at dele eventyrets glæde med Freja.

Nikolaj had found peace in sharing the joy of the adventure with Freja.

Han indså, at selvom det var godt at beskytte sin søster, var det lige så vigtigt at give hende plads til at udforske og drømme.

He realized that while it was good to protect his sister, it was just as important to give her space to explore and dream.

Da de nåede hjem, sænkede roen sig over dem begge.

When they reached home, calmness settled over both of them.

Nikolaj havde lært en værdifuld lektie: At være i nuet betød også at finde små øjeblikke af lykke midt i usikkerheden.

Nikolaj had learned a valuable lesson: Being in the moment also means finding small moments of happiness amid uncertainty.