Maria walked silently in the town closest to the Eldergrove town.
Her steps remained light while her body remained draped in a black robe covering her face.
She finally reached a normal-looking house as she walked inside.
Removing her robe, she moved further until she reached a room.
Knocking twice, she whispered as she took a step back.
A voice echoed from the inside, prompting her to open the door.
In a chair, a lady sat while holding a book in her hand.
She was tall, her posture exuding dominance, her crimson eyes on the book.
Her silver hair fell behind her like waves as she turned to look at Maria.
"How did it go?" Princess Inara asked, her voice calm.
Maria shook her head in response. "He refused to move away."
Inara nodded in response. "Why is that?"
Maria whispered as something dawned upon her.
Inara quietly closed her book as she fully turned towards her.
"So you didn't even ask what he is doing in the middle of nowhere?" Inara asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I-I forgot." Maria whispered, lowering her head.
Inara frowned. "How can you forget something so important?"
Maria didn't have any reply.
She couldn't just say she was intimidated by that boy.
Everyone knows how weak Asher is, and saying something like that would only sound like an excuse.
Finally, Inara sighed, setting the book aside with a soft thud.
"My lady..." Maria hesitated. "Is he truly that important? Can't we just—"
"It's fine," she said, though her tone carried a sharp edge. "I did my part by warning him, and if he wants to die, then let him."
Maria just nodded in response. "What should we do next?"
Inara stood up from her chair, her silver hair cascading down like a river of moonlight as she walked toward the window.
She pushed the curtain aside slightly, looking out into the fading light of the afternoon.
"For now..." she said slowly, "we wait."
Maria stayed silent, knowing better than to interrupt when Inara was deep in thought.
"It all depends on the Lythanis kingdom now," Inara murmured, almost to herself. "If they survive the Forest of Death, then we will act."
Maria bit her lips. "Is this the only way? Asking the help of another kingdom for support to ascend to the throne."
"It's either this or death." Inara replied, smiling softly. "And I would rather not die after coming so far."
Maria lowered her gaze, unable to look at her.
"Anyway, I don't trust Vyavan Dukedom a single bit." Inara replied, walking towards Maria. "If it means getting away from their control, so be it."
Maria stepped back instinctively as Inara closed the distance between them, her presence pressing down.
"Get someone to keep a watch on the boy." Inara replied, walking past her. "I don't want him to be a hindrance."
Maria bowed. "Yes, my lady."
"Keep the carriage ready." Inara ordered, walking out of the room. "I will inspect the town tomorrow, by myself."
A silence lingered as she remained alone in the room.
Maria sighed as she looked out of the window.
The forest felt unbearably cold.
Tens of creatures now encircled him from all directions.
A thought flashed in Akamir's mind.
'I wonder if they are edible.'
Akamir tightened the grip on his sword, letting the mana flow naturally through his limbs.
'It's different from how chi is channeled.'
The creatures twisted, mutated versions of forest animals crept closer, saliva dripping from their unnatural mouths.
One of them, a monstrous fox with antlers sprouting from its head, charged first.
Akamir didn't move until the last moment.
Then, in a blur, he sidestepped and slashed once in a swift movement.
The fox's head rolled onto the mossy ground, and its body collapsed without a sound.
Before the monsters could ready themselves, Akamir moved.
He leaped up, letting mana flow into his legs, and landed on top of a reptilian beast with three mouths.
Before the beast could even make a sound, its head was already cleanly separated from its body, and he was onto the next beast.
But the creatures weren't mindless.
As Akamir landed, another beast a twisted boar with blackened tusks and eyes like smoldering coal — lunged at his side.
He barely twisted out of the way, the tusk grazing his waist and ripping the fabric of his coat.
'They're smarter than they look.'
Akamir slashed downward, carving a deep line into the boar's side.
It shrieked, but instead of collapsing, it kept fighting, thrashing wildly until he pierced his sword into its throat.
Akamir steadied his breath, letting mana seep deeper into his muscles, his heartbeat slowly increasing.
They moved together now — three at once, forcing him onto the defensive.
One clawed at his legs, another aimed for his neck, and a third tried to bite into his side.
'I can't just overpower them. I need to break their formation.'
He feinted a retreat, leaping back lightly—and the beasts, sensing weakness, surged forward.
That was what he wanted.
Akamir flipped his sword into a reverse grip and drove it straight into the charging claw-beast's skull.
Without missing a beat, he yanked it free and spun, using the corpse as a shield against the next attacker.
The second beast crashed into the dead body. Akamir thrust forward again, piercing it through the throat.
The remaining creatures grew cautious, circling him like vultures sensing exhaustion.
Akamir wiped the blood off his cheek with his sleeve.
Taking in a deep breath, he readied to finish the rest.
A blood-curdling scream echoed within the palace, making every beast halt in place.
Akamir looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, but nothing came into view.
The others ran away as if afraid of whatever that was.
"Well. That was weird." Akamir mumbled, sheathing his sword back.
Taking in a deep breath, he started to move once again.
But this time he was more cautious than before.
'What are those things anyway?'
Akamir wasn't sure if they were even beasts.
'And the prayer I saw on the statue.'
"Fairy consume the faithless."
For some reason, Akamir felt that it might be an important clue.
After a few minutes of weaving through the dense undergrowth, he came upon a clearing.
An ancient tree stood at the center of the place with a big hole in the center that looked like a cave.
At its side stood a statue.
It was ancient, covered in thick moss, yet still recognizable — a depiction of a woman with butterfly wings, her mouth twisted into a cruel smile.
At her feet, tiny figures — humans, elves, and some unrecognizable — cowered in terror.
Akamir narrowed his eyes.
There, on the stone pedestal, was the same inscription he'd seen before:
"Fairy consume the faithless."
But this time, something was different.
Blood... fresh blood was splattered across the base of the statue, dripping down into strange, spiraling patterns carved into the earth.
Akamir crouched low, inspecting the marks.
'So, this is how a cursed place looks like, huh?'
Akamir wondered, touching the blood in the marking.
It was a new experience for him, one that he hadn't quite had before.
'It's quite exciting.'
Suppressing his feelings, he moved closer to the enormous tree.
Taking out a lamp from his bag, he lit it up as he walked inside the tree.
A blinding light made him squint his eyes as he looked forward.
'How is light coming from the inside of a tree?'
Akamir wondered as the light dimmed down, making him look around.
A startled voice escaped from his lips as he found himself in a completely different place.
An ancient palace stood in front of him.