Наталия Елизарова
Luna’s Labyrinth: Luka and Sofi’s Big Adventure

Chapter 1. Opportunity Orange House

“It’s really orange!” Luka pressed his nose to the car window. “Like an orange fruit!”

“Like an orange peel,” Sofi corrected, without looking up from her book. “With the paint peeling off.”

The house did look strange—like someone painted it with bright gouache and then rubbed the color away on one side.

“It’s magical,” Luka said, his backpack bumping against his back. “Someone unusual must live here. Maybe an owl… or a dragon.”

“Grandma Onega lives here,” Mom said with a smile. “And she’s already baking a pie.”

Luka’s eyes went wide.

“Is she a witch?”

“Sometimes it feels like it,” Dad answered. “Especially when she speaks in riddles.”

Grandma Onega stood in the doorway. She wore an apron with daisies and a scarf tied so that she looked like a grandma—and a lady from an old fairy tale. In her hands was a big wooden spoon. Warm steam curled behind her from the kitchen.

“Well, my little explorers,” she said instead of “Hello.” “Ready to find something special in this house?”

“What’s in there?” Luka whispered to Sofi.

“We’ll see,” Sofi said, pretending to be important.

Dad pulled a box of books from the trunk and, as always, said with great enthusiasm,

“Forward! Let’s raise the flag on unknown land!”

Luka jumped out of the car first. He always wanted to be first—first to wake up, first to talk, first to start things—and, sadly, first to make mistakes. He hurried so fast he sometimes forgot to think.

And Sofi… Sofi moved like she was almost grown-up. She wanted people to notice her—even more than she wanted to be right.

But the strangest thing about this place was the house itself. It creaked, sighed, and clicked—like it was trying to figure out who had come.

The next day, while Mom was busy in the kitchen and Dad was fixing wires, something magical happened. First—a soft rustle by the window. Then—a knock.

“Someone’s out there,” Luka whispered.

“Probably the wind,” Sofi shrugged, but still walked to the window. “Or… a dog?”

Outside stood a dog—golden, shiny, with clever eyes. The kind of dog you don’t see on TV. The kind of dog that finds you.

“Can we keep her?” Luka asked.

“No way,” Sofi said quickly. “We don’t even know her.”

But the dog looked only at Sofi. Then she gently pushed her nose into Sofi’s hand. She had chosen her human.

That’s how it all began.

Sofi named her Luna—because her fur glowed like moonlight, and her eyes were deep like stars that never blink.

Soon after, Clever appeared. He looked like he had rolled out of a pillow: gray, round, with ears that glowed when he froze. His ears were green, like new spring leaves.

“That’s a magic rabbit,” Luka said with certainty. “Straight from a fairy tale. Look! His ears are like little lamps!”

And later that day, a cat walked in—like she was offended they had forgotten about her. She marched past them proudly, as if saying, “I’ve lived here all along.”

“Why is she called Mouse if she’s a cat?” Sofi asked.

“Because she’s gray, small, and quick. And because she’s mine,” Luka said, giving her a piece of sausage.

From that moment, there were six of them: Luka, Sofi, Luna, Clever, Mouse… and one orange house that turned out to hold much more than windows and doors.

Chapter 2. One Forgotten Recipe

The next morning, Clever was gone.

“He was right here!” Luka shouted, looking under the couch. “I saw him eating a carrot! Well… almost eating.”

“Maybe he’s just hiding,” Sofi guessed. “Rabbits like cozy corners.”

“What if he fell into another dimension?” Luka said slowly. “Maybe we have a magic portal!”

Sofi rolled her eyes.

“Sure. Especially between a slipper and a broom,” she muttered, peeking behind the door.

Just then, the cat, Mouse, strutted down the hallway like a professor who already knew everything—but wasn’t going to tell.

“Mouse! Did you eat him?!” Luka gasped.

Mouse turned her head, gave Luka a look full of insult, and flicked her tail.

“Luka!” Sofi cried. “She’s a cat, not a dinosaur.”

Mouse leapt onto Grandma’s old chest and swiped a ball of yarn onto the floor. It rolled and hit Luka right on the nose.

“That’s proof!” Luka whispered. “She’s hiding something!”

“We have to find him! Now!”

He was about to run outside, but Sofi grabbed his arm.

“Wait. Let’s decide what we’re really looking for and where.”

“What do you mean? We’re looking for Clever. That’s it!”

“Be more exact,” Sofi said, frowning. “We’re looking for a small rabbit who loves warm, cozy places. Where in the house do we have those?”

“Under the bed… in the closet… and… under the stairs!”

“Exactly. The goal is to check all the secret cozy spots.”

Luka ran like it was a race—upstairs, downstairs, stomping so hard the dishes rattled.

Grandma Onega stepped out of her room in a knitted shawl, holding a cup of tea. Behind her walked Luna, the dog. Though “walked” wasn’t quite right. Luna moved like a spy—watching everyone at once.

“What’s this morning quest?” Grandma asked.

“We’re looking for Clever!” the kids shouted together.

“And we suspect the cat,” Luka added, still rubbing his nose.

Grandma shook her head and gave Luka a stern look.

“Luka, yesterday you promised to find my old recipe. If you leave things half done, everything will keep getting lost.”

“But we really were looking for Clever…” he mumbled.

“Good,” Grandma said softly. “Then you’ll find him. And maybe something else too.”

She sighed and walked away, leaving the smell of chamomile tea—and a hint of mystery.

And then—thump! Something fell.

“It’s Clever!” Luka yelled, ran to the closet, and pulled out… Grandma’s slipper.

“There’s something inside…” he whispered, taking out a folded, yellowed piece of paper.

Sofi spread the paper on the floor.

On it were three drawings: an owl, an acorn, and a key.

“Look, Sofi!” Luka shouted. “I know! Owl means… night? Or maybe a spooky forest!”

“And acorn means… squirrels! Or food! Or—” Luka waved his arms. “It means we should go find a squirrel house!”

Sofi rolled her eyes. “Luka, this is a code. See? Owl… Acorn… Key. The first letters.”

“O… A… K…” Luka’s mouth dropped open. “OAK! It’s a tree! That’s the answer!” “Exactly! Oak!” Sofi said, like she had just invented riddles herself. “It’s a code. Simple, but…”

“That’s genius!” Luka jumped in. “We’re going to our oak in the forest. Remember? The golden one from autumn?”

“Wait!” Sofi said in her bossy voice. “First—flashlight, rope, and… a little patience.”

“What if there’s a portal to a magic world under the oak?” Luka was already pulling on his boots.

“It’s just a rabbit hole,” Sofi rolled her eyes—but she put on her jacket too. “Let’s go. Right now.”

“Can I have a sandwich with jam first?”

“No.”

“Then two—after!”

They tugged on their coats. Luna was already sitting by the door, as if she knew where they were going. Mouse stayed on the windowsill, squinting like she was saying, “Why bother with that rabbit?”

On the path, the wind played with Sofi’s hair. Luka rushed ahead, yelling “There it is!” three times—and being wrong three times.

“Luka,” Sofi said, out of breath. “An oak is not just any tree. It’s our oak. The one with a hollow. The bark looks like a map.”

When they got closer, Luna growled. Quiet, but sure.

“Looks like we’ve found the place,” Sofi whispered.

Chapter 3. An Oak Full of Adventure

The oak was very old. So old it seemed to remember the times when bread came in gray paper and kids played hopscotch and jump rope in the yard without knowing what a phone was.

“It’s definitely magic,” Luka whispered, crouching near the roots. “Look, the bark has a pattern—like a map! See that curve?”

“Or just a crack,” Sofi said. But even she looked at the tree with respect.

They studied the tree carefully. Luka touched the moss. Sofi ran her fingers over the bark as if she could read some secret code hidden in its lines.

“‘Where the arrow sleeps—go that way,’” Sofi read, squinting. “Look, here’s the arrow!”

“Well, if it’s sleeping, that means it’s lying down, right?” Luka flopped onto his stomach and pressed his cheek to the ground. “So it points… there! To the old road?”

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