Sleep Story For Adults: The Unending Ethereal Archives

In this sleep story, you're an adventurer who journeys through the Emberfall forest. Surrounded by wild nature, meeting mysterious creatures on the way, you finally reach the Unending Ethereal Archives. And when you find this magical place, it turns out to be a beautiful, ancient library where you have all the time in the world to discover the magical tomes it contains. This guided visualisation includes soft music and sounds of nature.

Music & Sound Attributions:
Relaxation music #61 by ZHRØ
Fantasy, Dunes, and Ambient, Pad - Ionosphere by Andrewkn
Ethereal Music Loop Aurora Polaris by NightWolfCFM
Celestial temple by jobro (CC BY 3.0)
Estate Manteling 96-24 NL 190527_0008 by klankbeeld
Kirjosieppo, laulu / Pied flycatcher, song… by YleArkisto
A small brook in a forest #2 by avakas

Source: All music and sounds obtained via Freesound
Licensing: Music and sounds licensed under CC BY 4.0, unless otherwise noted.

Transcript

Welcome to Echoes of Serenity.

You are about to listen to a sleep story for adults.

It is meant to help you relax,

So that you can fall asleep more easily.

Make sure you listen to this story in a safe and quiet environment.

I wish you pleasant,

Magical dreams.

Amberfall Academy and its surroundings are a truly magical place.

Not only because wizards and witches live and work there,

But because a castle and its environment are steeped in magic.

For centuries,

The small village and the surrounding woods have been known for their magical aura,

Where streams of magic can change reality and attract the most wonderful creatures.

You are an adventurer,

An explorer,

Always seeking out the most unique locations,

Places where the world is different from the norm.

You are fascinated by ancient ruins,

Magical artifacts and strange beings.

You have travelled all over the world,

From Shangri-La to Atlantis,

And now your gaze has fallen upon Amberfall Academy.

The old castle and its surrounding forests have long been on your bucket list.

The area around Amberfall beckons,

As the castle is surrounded by a dense forest with ancient wood giants,

And it's home to creatures like elves,

Goblins,

Dryads,

Gnomes,

Unicorns and griffins.

The unending ethereal archives are also said to be found somewhere in the endless woods.

These have been lost for centuries and never recovered.

Many mysteries were to be found in the hills of Amberfall,

And you were ready to begin your journey.

You spent the night at the Starlight Sanctuary,

Amberfall's best-known inn.

You slept wonderfully in the cozy room and just had a hearty breakfast.

The sun has only just risen,

But you have packed your bag and are eager to set off.

You quickly greet the innkeeper and then step out the door.

The air is already pleasantly warm and you pause to take in the charming shopping street.

No one else is on the street yet,

But the wooden buildings tell their magical stories through their signboards.

A shop with flying broomsticks,

A vendor of magic wands and an exotic shop full of potions and herbs.

You would love to stay here longer,

To admire every corner of this enchanting village.

But the mystical forest beckons.

You set off down the cobblestone path that winds through the village and then turn towards the forest.

Once you are out of the village,

All you hear are the sounds of nature.

The gentle wind through the leaves,

Early birds singing to their heart's content and your footsteps on the path.

You walk briskly,

Wanting to make good use of the day and be deep into the woods before setting up camp.

Who knows where you will end up,

What you will encounter and the things you will discover.

Not much later you take your first steps beneath the trees.

It is as if you are entering a serene green temple.

The trees shelter you with their branches and the shrubs stand around you like faithful guardians.

A feeling of peace and tranquility comes over you.

Your feet follow a path full of moss and grass that winds beneath the trees.

It is important to keep track of your direction.

There are few reliable maps of the area,

So you will have to rely on your sense of direction.

You navigate by the sun and try to maintain a course further into the mysterious forest.

Birds sing and you hear all kinds of animals rustling in the bushes.

Sometimes you see a swift deer dart away.

Other times a badger or a rabbit flashes across the path.

The forest is teeming with life and you enjoy being a part of it.

The sun filters through the leaves,

Casting a shifting tapestry of shadows and sunny spots on the ground.

There is little wind that penetrates between the trees and the air is warm and full of scents.

The walking was easy to manage until now,

But you quickly see that this is about to change.

The path now ascends and winds over hills and through valleys.

The surroundings are beautiful and a little climbing doesn't stop you.

A squirrel sits on a branch and looks at you curiously.

The animals are not afraid of you.

They know they are safe in this forest,

Where not many people come.

Everyone respects all that lives in this wood.

It is now afternoon and you are ready for a break,

Just as you start looking for a picnic spot.

You notice a beautiful clearing between the trees.

A waterfall cascades over the rocks,

Sheltered between cliffs and trees.

On the bank of the water is a flat area where you can spread out your picnic blanket.

You put your backpack on the ground and pull out a soft wooden blanket.

Once it is lying on the sand,

You sit down,

Leaning against a boulder.

It feels wonderful to rest for a moment.

The sun shines warmly on your face and you feel relaxation spreading through your body.

The singing of the birds sounds enchanting.

The humming of the insects is restful and peaceful.

And the splashing of the waterfall is cooling and soothing.

Suddenly you hear leaves rustling and soft footsteps.

Who is coming to visit you?

The dense thicket parts and a unicorn emerges on the other side of the clearing.

The majestic creature takes a few steps forward and then stops.

You have never encountered a unicorn before.

These creatures are incredibly shy and only reside in the most impenetrable wild places in nature.

The unicorn looks at you and you calmly look back.

Its gaze is curious,

But also watchful and attentive.

You try to take in every detail of the unicorn.

Its shimmering white coat,

The sturdy grey hooves,

The long tail and mane that are thick and wavy,

The beautiful dark eyes that seem to look deep into your soul,

The magnificent horn that is a mother of pearl sheen and is long and twisted and seems to possess a certain magical aura.

You adopt a humble and open stance,

Ready for any contact the unicorn desires.

You let go of all your thoughts and simply try to be.

A deep sense of peace comes over you and a smile plays on your lips.

You continue to look at each other.

You don't know how long,

But time is irrelevant.

As far as you are concerned,

The moment can stretch out endlessly.

Then the unicorn bows its head and you do the same.

It is a greeting,

You realize,

And a sign of respect.

The unicorn casts one look at you and then turns around.

You sigh deeply,

Realizing this was a profound encounter that might continue to resonate in your heart and soul for days.

The birds chirp,

The wind rustles,

But you seem to feel everything more deeply now.

You want to savor this special experience for a little while longer.

A moment later,

You stand up and pack your backpack.

You greet the beautiful clearing that gave you so much and then set off again.

Your journey continues through the forest of Emberfall.

The trees are growing increasingly ancient,

Gnarled and densely leafed.

It is becoming harder to see the sun as little light penetrates the canopy.

Deep shadows reside beneath the trees.

Despite this,

The atmosphere is one of peacefulness,

Harmony and sanctuary.

The trees are protectors of life.

You walk a little slower now,

Respectfully and cautiously finding your way through the sacred forest.

Where could the ethereal archives be?

Could you be close already?

It occurs to you to stop for a moment and extend your magical feelers.

Your strength is that you can feel magic.

You can perceive it from a distance and also analyze it.

Even as a child,

You always knew what kind of magic an object contained and what its possibilities were.

That is why you are here.

If anyone has a chance of finding the ethereal archives,

It is you.

But it won't be easy.

Especially if the archives are being consciously kept hidden.

With the aid of magic.

You pause briefly and focus.

You stand close to an old forest giant and lean against its robust trunk.

The moss on the trunk feels soft against your hand and you rest your head against it.

Are there ancient,

Magic-infused buildings here,

You ask?

To the animals,

The plants and the trees.

Do you feel magic flowing through the ground and where does that current go?

Do you feel a concentration of magical beings nearby?

The forest itself also teems with magic.

It is not easy to pick up something different within that wondrous,

Natural,

Magical current.

Something that distinguishes itself because it was made by people.

But old buildings,

And especially a magical library,

Have a very different magical signature,

So to speak,

Than a forest.

Suddenly you see it.

A feeling,

A color,

A sensation of magic.

A powerful current,

Completely unlike the smooth and gentle magic of the amberful trees.

It lures you,

It calls to you.

This ancient magic.

You now know which direction you must go.

You quickly set off again,

Your intuition sharp,

Continuing to sense where you need to go.

The forest is growing denser and denser,

As if its purpose is to protect the unending ethereal archives.

And that may very well be the case.

The shrubs,

Vines and roots seem to want to stop you.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to wrestle your way through.

It quickly becomes clear that this is not the way to get through.

Thorny branches scratch the skin of your arms and vines tangle your feet.

You stand still and tune in to the life around you.

The feeling of peace and harmony.

You communicate with the trees of Amberfall,

Letting them know that you mean no harm,

Only discovery.

It is not your goal to steal and sell magical artifacts,

Books or rare manuscripts from the archives.

You only seek to gain knowledge about magic,

The archives themselves and history.

A moment later you step back onto the narrow path,

Remaining attuned to the harmony around you.

Walking is easier now.

The branches and leaves no longer try to slow you down.

You walk slowly onward,

Surrounded by the deep,

Magical life of the Amberfall woods.

You cannot help but feel respect for this wise,

Ancient life around you.

A pervasive atmosphere of serenity and wisdom seems to hang here,

Which you try to feel a part of.

Then you suddenly see something shimmering between the trees.

An entrance gate,

An old stone arch spanning a cobblestone road.

A feeling of curiosity and excitement spreads through your chest.

You step onto the cobblestone road and take a minute to fully savor this moment.

You are approaching the unending,

Ethereal archives.

Your feet carry you along the cobblestone road,

Which winds between the forest giants.

The greenery here is still overwhelmingly present,

But between the trees you see a gigantic building.

And as you get closer,

You see more structures.

A large fountain,

Narrow paths that once wound through an ornamental garden,

A wooden bench rotting beside the path.

Yet the large building itself is still intact.

It looks like a castle or a grand manor.

Slender towers pierce the sky,

But the walls are robust and sturdy,

Even though they are covered with moss and vines.

And the tall,

Thick trees grow close and spread their branches over the roofs.

The road leads to a small plaza,

Where you soon see an entrance door.

You slowly approach the door,

Made of wood with copper fittings and a sturdy doorknob.

On the door you see a plaque with a logo,

An open book with a quill and a magic wand.

And beneath it,

In graceful letters,

Welcome to the unending,

Ethereal archives.

Will the door simply open?

Would a spell or something else be required?

So that the magical library would only open for authorized mages?

There is only one way to find out.

You place your hand on the doorknob,

Which feels warm and soft,

Almost as if it is shaking your hand.

You feel a tingling,

Magical current pass through you.

You immediately know that the ethereal archives want to get to know you and see if you are someone they want to let in.

Fortunately,

This appears to be the case.

The handle moves downward on its own.

A mechanism clicks and the door swings smoothly open.

You see a hall with old stone walls.

A wooden floor that creaks softly as you take your first steps.

It smells fresh of polish and the hint of earth,

Like damp soil,

But also citrus fruit and green grass.

Warm light streams in through the windows high up.

It is pleasantly warm.

To your left are large doors,

Already slightly ajar,

As if to welcome you in advance.

Your curiosity quickly overcomes caution and you push gently against the doors.

A massive hall spreads out before you,

So large that the end is lost in a misty distance.

Despite this building being thousands of years old,

There are no signs of decay,

Dirt or mold.

Lights flick on,

Magical lamps on the wall and the ceiling.

There are high cabinets along the walls,

Lower cabinets in the middle,

Tables piled with books and spiral staircases winding upwards at regular intervals to the other floors.

The knowledge stored here must be quite literally infinite.

With no particular goal,

You begin to wander through the space.

Your fingers brush along the spines of books.

Beneath your fingers you feel smooth,

Rough spines,

Thick books,

Thin books,

But also folders,

Maps and letters.

You occasionally pull a book from the shelf and see unfamiliar titles and authors.

You read them aloud.

The History of the Orcs of Tentelbach by the mage Han Defelion.

Or How to Survive Attacks of Magical Creatures by the warlock Stefan Senterfel.

But you also see titles in unfamiliar ancient languages and even unfamiliar scripts.

You wonder whether you should just take some books,

Sit down with these fascinating sources of knowledge and delve into everything they contain.

Or should you walk further,

See what else there is to discover.

It strikes you that the library initially looked like any other magical library.

There were some patches of moss on the walls and occasional vine near a window here and there.

But here,

Where you are now,

You have seen small patches of grass on the floor.

A little plant is even growing on top of a bookshelf and a liana coils its way up a spiral staircase.

As you let your gaze sweep across the infinitely large space,

It seems that the greenery is increasingly permeating the archives.

You feel a slight concern about the state of the books and the building itself.

Perhaps the magic meant to protect the space is weakening.

Curiosity makes you walk on.

Past,

Where is Atlantis and how to get there?

Further to cabinets full of mysterious maps and drawings of alchemical formulas and along walls that are increasingly covered with plants,

Moss and flowers.

It does look beautiful and despite all the trees and grass growing everywhere,

The air remains fresh and dry.

The books also do not look like they are suffering from the influence of the greenery.

It seems to also actively avoid the books.

You penetrate deeper and deeper into these ethereal archives.

Do you now see a tree growing right through the wall?

Its branches spread along the ceiling and twigs intertwine through a spiral staircase.

Your feet are also increasingly stepping on grass and moss rather than the wooden floors.

You get the idea that the magical forest is pervading the archives.

You frown and wonder if this might be intentional.

More and more trees seem to be growing here.

Their trunks now replace the walls.

But they apparently shelter the books perfectly from the elements.

The archives seem to be becoming part of nature.

It felt strange at first,

But now it seems quite normal to you and you no longer worry.

Roots,

Vines,

Leaves and moss cover the floors.

The spiral staircases form a beautiful base for plants to climb over.

Your wanderings take you even deeper into the archives.

The walls now seem to have vanished.

There are still bookshelves,

But some cabinets resemble hollow tree trunks with organically formed shelves holding books.

You even see a flat rock with books on it.

The ceiling is no longer visible through all the branches and perhaps there is no floor above you anymore.

You are now in a book forest.

The unending archives have merged with the woods and it is impossible to say how far they continue.

Even though roots snake across the ground and leaves lie about,

You can still pass through easily.

You bend down to look inside a hollow tree trunk and see beautiful thick books with richly decorated covers.

A small magical lamp flicks on,

Casting light into the shadowed hollow.

You walk on.

A narrow,

Gently babbling brook flows between the bookshelves.

Fortunately,

You can cross it using a few stepping stones.

You have been wandering through the archives.

You don't really know how long and that doesn't really matter either.

But it is time to rest,

To gather yourself and to take it all in.

You pick some random books from the hollow tree trunks and off a rock.

A few thick books,

A few thin ones and an old scroll.

Then,

Between the trunks,

You see a clearing where a couple of cozy sofas are arranged,

Covered with cushions.

The grass grows lush and green around the sofas,

But they look snug and soft.

A sturdy table stands in the middle,

Also covered with books.

You add your own small collection to the pile.

And with a deep sigh,

You sink onto one of the sofas.

You pick up one of your books.

Philosophical reflections on a life full of magic.

That feels a bit too heavy right now.

The other book is Nature and Magic.

Whispers in wood and plant.

You aren't in the mood for that either.

Perhaps you should just leave the books for a moment.

You lean back on the sofa,

Put your legs up and relax.

Only now do you notice how tired you are.

Mysterious wood giants surround you,

Their trunks wide and concealing.

They are sentinels,

But also like parents,

Watching over their children,

And like a cathedral where fragile and sacred objects are kept.

The branches arch over everything,

Interlocking to form an impenetrable network.

When you look around,

You only see green.

How far do the archives go?

Could they truly be unending?

Just as distance is irrelevant here,

Time is also of no consequence.

You can comfortably remain seated here,

Allowing your body and mind to come to rest.

The wood is quiet,

Yet full of life.

Wise beings reside here.

Dryads,

Fairies,

Goblins and gnomes,

Who study and maintain the books.

They will not disturb you,

Unless necessary.

But who knows?

Maybe you will want to ask them questions later,

Wanting to know more about the books or their lives.

If you focus on the magical currents,

You can feel where they are.

They are close by,

Their alert eyes on you.

But they will leave you alone,

Because you prefer to be by yourself for now,

Alone with the books and the trees.

The mysterious books still call to you.

You would love to delve into their knowledge and stories.

But now you are tired.

The sofa feels like a wonderfully soft mattress,

And the trees protect you.

The soft green light filtering through the leaves makes you sleepy.

Your legs,

Your arms,

Your head,

They all feel heavy.

And you let your body rest on the soft velvet of the sofa,

Your eyes closed.

You know you are safe here,

And can rest as long as you want.

In the unending ethereal archives,

Sleep will refresh you and help you recover,

Until you are ready to continue your exploration.

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