As the three continued their pursuit of the wounded magical boar, they reached the far end of the ruined camp where they had just finished fighting the draugrs.
In front of them stood several tall stone columns, arranged as if to block the path deeper into the forest.
Zelos took a moment to inspect them, then raised his hand slightly. With a thought, the columns lifted into the air through telekinesis, the sound of stone grinding faintly echoing around the clearing.
Beneath the lifted columns, a narrow pathway revealed itself, leading into the misty forest beyond.
The three entered, moving cautiously along the newly uncovered trail. The air grew still again, only the soft rustling of leaves filling the silence.
Then, not far ahead, they spotted the boar standing quietly between the trees, its body glowing faintly with faint runic markings across its hide.
Atreus prepared his second shot, drawing an arrow and raising his bow, while Kratos stood behind him, watching closely.
"Relax your shoulders," Kratos instructed firmly. "Accuracy over speed."
Atreus nodded, trying to steady his breathing, but before Kratos could say anything more, the boy spoke up.
"I got it. Elbow up. Steady hand. Relax… accuracy over speed," Atreus whispered to himself as he aimed carefully. The forest seemed to hold its breath with him.
His fingers loosened, and the arrow shot forward with much greater force than before. It struck the boar squarely in the side, finally piercing its thick hide.
The boar shrieked in pain, its voice echoing through the woods. Atreus's eyes lit up, and he leapt in joy, pumping his fist in the air.
"Yes!" he exclaimed, smiling proudly.
"Go. Do not lose your prey," Kratos said, giving his son a small nudge forward.
Realizing the wounded boar was now running, Atreus sprinted after it immediately, vanishing into the dense trees.
In his excitement, he didn't notice that the small knife his mother Faye had given him slipped from his belt and fell to the ground.
Kratos saw it fall and picked it up silently. He and Zelos exchanged a knowing look, both understanding how easily Atreus could get lost if they delayed. Without a word, they followed.
As they went deeper, the forest began to change. The air thickened, and fog rolled in from every direction, growing denser with each step.
Soon, the two could barely see the ground beneath their feet. The white mist swallowed the trees and the path alike until even each other's outlines began to fade.
Zelos frowned and raised his palm, summoning a strong gust of wind that rushed outward.
The wind tore through the fog, parting it for a moment and revealing faint shapes of trees and rocks ahead.
"Atreus! Where are you?" Kratos shouted, his voice echoing into the fog.
"Here, Father! Zelos, hurry, I found it!" Atreus called back from somewhere deeper inside the forest.
Both Kratos and Zelos began moving toward his voice, but the fog seemed to distort the sound, making it hard to tell which direction it came from.
Atreus called again, his voice shifting slightly as if carried by the wind.
'One day, I really need to put a tracker spell on him,' Zelos thought with a sigh as he and Kratos pressed forward.
Suddenly, another voice rang out—this one female, filled with anger and fear.
"What did you do!" the woman shouted, her tone sharp and accusing.
Kratos and Zelos immediately increased their pace. They followed the sound through a narrow passage wedged between two large rock formations.
Zelos extended his hand again, shattering part of the rock wall with controlled force, creating a wider path for them to move through.
After a few moments of running, they emerged into a wide, open glade.
The trees here were different—their bark shimmered faintly, and their leaves bore colors not found in the outer forest.
At the center of the clearing, Atreus knelt beside the injured boar, while a woman knelt opposite him, her hands pressed gently against the creature's side.
"I'm sorry," Atreus said quickly, his voice trembling. "We didn't know it belonged to anyone."
"He doesn't belong to anyone," the woman replied sharply, her tone softening slightly as she continued tending to the animal. "He's my friend."
Zelos and Kratos approached. The woman's hands glowed faintly as she pressed against the boar's wound, but the bleeding didn't stop.
"The boy was following my command," Kratos said, lowering himself slightly as if offering an apology.
He extended his hand toward her, but before he could speak further, she grabbed his wrist and placed it firmly over the wound.
"Then help me fix it," she said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Before Kratos could act, Zelos stepped forward and extended his own hand. A magic circle appeared above the boar, spinning with intricate symbols.
"Reverse Heal," he muttered. A green light poured from the circle, cascading over the creature like gentle rain.
The woman's expression shifted from anger to shock as she watched the magic work. The wound on the boar began to seal, the blood fading as if time itself was turning backward.
Within moments, the injury vanished completely, leaving only smooth, unbroken skin. The boar twitched, then stood up shakily before letting out a soft grunt and running off into the trees, healthy once again.
"There," Zelos said, lowering his hand. "It's fixed."
The woman stared at him, astonishment written all over her face. She had seen many kinds of magic in her lifetime, but this was something entirely different.
"What was that?" she asked, turning her gaze directly on him.
Zelos said nothing at first, simply meeting her eyes. Kratos placed a hand on Zelos's shoulder, giving him a small nod that silently said it was fine to explain.
"It's a type of healing magic I created myself," Zelos replied. "It combines restoration magic with a time-based principle. It returns the target's body to an earlier, uninjured state. However, it cannot revive the dead. Once life is gone, this spell has no effect."
The woman listened closely, her eyes widening in curiosity and awe. "How fascinating," she said softly. "In all my years, I have never seen such a thing. Your magic is truly remarkable."
Zelos simply smiled. "Thank you. It's something I've refined for a long time."
The woman tilted her head, looking at him more closely. There was something in his face—something that reminded her of someone she had once known. For a brief moment, her expression softened.
"Thank you for saving my friend," she said gently. "That act deserves a gesture of gratitude." She stepped forward and placed a hand on Zelos's shoulder, her touch warm and calm.
"There's no need," Kratos interrupted, his tone firm. "We caused the harm. It is not our place to receive payment."
The woman smiled faintly but shook her head. "Please, I insist. I have little with me here, but if you follow me to my home, I can offer proper thanks."
She turned and began walking down a small, moss-covered path leading deeper into the forest.
Zelos and Atreus exchanged glances before both looked at Kratos, who regarded the woman silently. After a long pause, he nodded once.
"Very well," he said quietly.
And with that, the three followed her deeper into the enchanted woods.