They left the crystal stream, continuing their journey deeper into the eerie, misty forest. From the dark depths of the ancient woods, savage roars suddenly erupted, tearing through the air and causing the group to tighten their grip on their weapons, increasing their vigilance.
Amidst this unsettling atmosphere, Miha couldn't help but shiver, her shoulders trembling slightly. But seeing her teammates steadfastly moving forward without wavering, she pursed her lips, swallowing her rising fear to continue fighting alongside them.
Kiki, with her innate sensitivity, immediately sensed this wavering. The girl broke the tense silence with her voice:
– "Don't let those savage roars shake you. They are merely auditory hallucinations, designed to sow panic, distract you, and cause you to flee in fear, losing your comrades. Once you've bravely stepped into this world…"
Kiki paused for a moment. She slowly turned her head, looking directly into Miha's eyes with a look of unwavering determination and compassion:
– "…You are already incredibly strong. Continue to believe in that strength within yourself."
Miha was deeply moved by those warm words. Her hands tightened their grip on the chains on her clothing, and her steps became more steady and resolute. Witnessing her friend's transformation, Keijy, standing beside her, simply smiled faintly in relief.
However, the peaceful atmosphere didn't last long. Haruto began to feel uneasy when he realized that the surrounding fog not only hadn't dissipated, but was also turning a gloomy, ominous gray. Kiki reminded him in a low voice:
– "We're about to enter the buffer zone. There, Matrewer won't be as 'gentle' as it is by this stream."
– "It seems you know this forest very well, don't you?" – Fushima narrowed his eyes, his voice tinged with scrutiny.
Kiki continued to lead the way, not even glancing back:
– "Simply because I belong to this world."
Her cold reply put an end to the conversation. No one spoke another word; the surrounding space suddenly fell silent, suffocating.
Immediately afterward, the situation changed abruptly. The fog no longer drifted harmlessly; They began to thicken and contort, writhing like grotesque, gray arms, reaching out to wrap tightly around the group's ankles. The savage roars from before suddenly transformed, from meaningless screams into a vague, mournful cry echoing in the air:
"Help... me... it's so cold..."
That bizarre cry came from all directions, reverberating from deep within the cold earth, seeping through the gaps in the dry leaves, completely disorienting them. Then, suddenly, those savage screams erupted violently like sharp knives, piercing deep into each person's soul.
Miha couldn't bear the terrible pressure and collapsed to the ground. She covered her ears with both hands, but the eerie sounds seemed to have a physical form, still penetrating her brain, tearing at her mind.
"What the hell is happening?" – Fushima growled angrily, struggling to stand firm against the overwhelming pressure.
Amidst the chaotic and terrifying sounds, Keijy suddenly froze. Somewhere in the wailing screams of resentment, she heard her own desperate cry from the day her beloved grandfather died. Her eyes blazed with intense anger, her chest heaving with choked sobs, yet she could do nothing against the ghost of the past.
Beside her, Miha was also stunned to hear the sobbing cries of her own past abandonment. Her body stiffened completely, turning into a silent, solitary statue in the forest filled with painful illusions.
The screams around them suddenly subsided—but it wasn't the end. From the dark void, a piercing sound of a violin string snapping rang out.
"Keijy... play one more piece for me, my child..."
The hoarse, trembling voice of her deceased grandfather suddenly echoed right behind her. But when Keijy spun around in surprise, there was no one behind her, only a swirling, gray mist like a sinister, mocking smile.
In the suffocating silence, a strangely gentle, warm laugh suddenly came from another direction. Fushima spun around. Through the hazy mist, he saw a couple standing silently among moss-covered trees. However, their faces were completely blank—they had no eyes.
Fushima was startled, but the familiar figure urged him on. He tightened his grip on his sword, intending to rush towards them. But before he could take a second step, his whole body froze, his eyes wide, staring at the two figures before him. They were smiling at him, a gentle smile that chilled him to the bone.
"Fushima, i'm your mother."
The sweet voice suddenly echoed deep within his mind. It was a savage urge, suffocating his reason. Fushima collapsed to the ground, his trembling hands no longer strong enough to lift the heavy sword, his eyes wide with shock and bewilderment as he watched the image that had just appeared before him.
"Mother…" Fushima whispered, his voice choked with emotion.
Keijy turned to look at him, startled and worried. Those grotesque illusions seemed like a personal punishment, for only Fushima could see the image of the blind couple.
"Fushima!" Haruto shouted, his powerful voice tearing through the illusory mist.
Haruto's shout was like a bucket of cold water thrown into Fushima's mind, making him jump and look up in bewilderment. And at that moment, the figures of the two of them completely vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
– "Just an illusion?" – Fushima whispered to himself, his eyes still reflecting a bitter shock.
Realizing the group couldn't continue moving forward in such a demoralized state, Kiki shouted to bring all four back to reality:
– "Don't believe what this forest is trying to tell you! It's all just a deceptive illusion created to distract you and cause your self-destruction! If you willingly drown in the shadow of the past, following me will be useless!"
Kiki's sharp, cold rebuke was like a powerful blow, instantly waking all four from their dreamlike state. They all turned to look at her. Kiki stood there motionless and silent amidst the gray mist, like a small but steadfast statue. It seemed that the sounds of resentment or the ghostly illusions of the forest couldn't even slightly disturb her mind.
– "Don't let this beginning consume your minds," Kiki said calmly, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
– "Understood!" Miha replied in a firm voice, more determined than before.
After regaining their composure, the group regrouped and continued walking through the silent, misty forest. However, after a long time, Haruto suddenly realized something was wrong. He abruptly stopped. Everyone was surprised by his sudden action.
– "What's wrong, Haruto?" Fushima asked softly, his hand still resting lightly on the hilt of his sword.
Haruto squinted, carefully observing the surrounding terrain, then pointed ahead:
– "We're trapped. Look at that tree over there; we've walked back and forth past its base nearly ten times already."
The group was stunned. They immediately scanned their surroundings—as Haruto had said, the landscape remained exactly the same, the same place where they had been enveloped by those strange sounds earlier.
– "So what do we do now?" Miha began to panic, her voice trembling slightly.
In their moment of helplessness, Keijy noticed a strange object lying beneath the soil. She bent down and picked it up. It was a rather old-looking compass—evidence that someone had been here before them.
– "Someone has been here before," Keijy said, turning to ask Kiki, "Which direction do we need to go to get through this forest?"
– "East," Kiki replied.
Keijy held up the old compass in front of everyone. Its needle wasn't still; it spun wildly and erratically, without stopping.
"The needle on this compass is spinning erratically. It's completely impossible to determine direction."
To check if the compass was malfunctioning, Miha placed her metal hairpin close to the needle. However, the needle continued to spin aimlessly.
Fushima stepped forward, gently taking the compass from Keijy's hand to examine it carefully. He pondered for a moment before concluding:
"It seems the previous owner of this compass also encountered the exact same situation as us, and ultimately they chose a different path."
"So... there's still a way out?" Haruto asked hastily.
Fushima nodded slightly. He gently pushed the magnetic needle, turning it around once:
"There definitely is. But unfortunately, we have no way of knowing where the exit is."
Kiki sighed softly. Her small hands still clutched the cloth doll to her chest as she silently looked up at the gray sky above.
"Now we can't turn the other way, and turning back is even more impossible."
Miha glanced around, searching for clues. Suddenly, she spotted a bright red thread tied tightly to a nearby tree trunk. Looking a little further, a few tree lengths away, she saw another red thread with a similar knot. She exclaimed in surprise:
– "There it is! That's the guide!"
The group immediately focused their attention on the ancient tree trunk. Kiki slowly approached to examine it, her sharp eyes scanning in all directions to ensure it wasn't a sophisticated trap.
Suddenly, a soft "rustling" sound came from the dense bushes nearby. Haruto instantly became alert, quietly approaching with silent footsteps. With a decisive movement, he swung his sharp sword, cleaving through the bushes. However, hidden behind the foliage was only a small snow fox. Upon encountering Haruto's glowing sword, the creature recoiled in fear, leaping up and quickly disappearing into the mist.
Still curious about the mysterious red thread, Miha cautiously approached the ancient tree and gently touched it with her finger. The moment her fingertip touched the thread, the compass needle on Fushima's old hand stopped spinning wildly, vibrated slightly, and pointed directly at the red thread. The group couldn't hide their surprise. Kiki frowned thoughtfully:
"It's as if this thread is magnetic, or perhaps contains the soul of the guide."
After ensuring everything was safe, the group followed the red thread.
But just as hope began to flicker, a thick mass of fog suddenly surged out, blocking their path. The fog had no definite shape, swirling like a living creature. Knowing it was an obstacle in his way, Haruto immediately swung his sword, slashing forcefully at the mist to break its structure. However, strangely, each slash only made the mist thicker. The mist split in two, then immediately merged back together, becoming darker and denser than before, clinging tightly to Haruto's sword as if trying to swallow him whole. The more he slashed, the more the surrounding space was squeezed, shrinking terrifyingly, making the group feel as if they were suffocating in a bizarre, holographic darkness.
Seeing the situation worsening, Keijy calmly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her mind had cleared of all chaos, reaching a state of intense concentration. Keijy resolutely moved forward. Seeing this, Miha panicked and grabbed her friend's sleeve:
"Keijy! We're surrounded by fog! What if something attacks us while we're lost like this?!"
Keijy sighed softly, her eyes still intently focused on the hazy road ahead:
"Then, to avoid being attacked, you'd better concentrate."
With that, Keijy brushed past her friend and continued walking with unwavering determination. Seeing her resolute back, the group silently followed. Miha quickened her pace to walk alongside Keijy, playfully breaking the tense atmosphere with an admiring remark:
"Keijy, you're so smart. I really admire your survival skills and quick thinking."
Keijy remained silent, continuing onward without offering any comment. Seeing her friend still maintaining a sullen and indifferent expression, Miha frowned slightly and pouted:
"Didn't you hear what I said?"
Keijy remained silent for a moment, then suddenly—Tap!—a light but dry tap on the forehead echoed through the quiet forest. Miha winced, squeezed her eyes shut, and clutched her forehead, yelping:
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"Concentrate," Keijy replied coldly, casually withdrawing the finger that had just tapped Miha's forehead.
After walking a long, tense stretch, they unexpectedly encountered the small snow fox from earlier. Seeing the group approaching the next ancient tree with the red thread, the fox pricked up its ears to listen, then immediately darted forward to lead the way. Fushima exclaimed in surprise:
"The fox...!"
The fox's reappearance was like a lifeline, and the group quickened their pace. At the next tree, they found the little fox waiting at the base. Noticing the fog around them had begun to thin out, they quickly followed the white figure of the fox. Each time they reached the next tree with a red thread tied around it, the snow fox nimbly hopped and waited for them. Kiki let out a thoughtful "hmm":
"It seems this fox is the guide sent to help us."
"But whose could it be?" Miha asked curiously, her breath coming in short gasps from running.
"I don't know yet," Kiki shook her head thoughtfully.
But their joy at the clearing fog was short-lived as a new event occurred. Suddenly, the white fog receded, but a thick, dark cloud of black energy, seemingly from nowhere, surged and enveloped the path they had just traveled. From the dark depths of the earth, grotesque black shadows suddenly emerged. They were pitch black and slimy like moving piles of asphalt, with long, grotesque limbs, frantically lunging to tear and collect the red guiding threads on the tree trunks.
Just then, Haruto saw the little snow fox fleeing in panic from afar, but the terrifying black shadows quickly formed a tight circle around it. He immediately drew his sword from its sheath, shouting a warning:
– "The fox is being surrounded by those monstrous entities! We must protect it immediately!"
Hearing Haruto's urgent warning, Keijy acted instantly. A luminous arrow from her silver bow shot out, aimed directly at the gray creatures closing in. The moment the glowing arrowhead touched the dark aura of the first black shadow, its slimy body turned into black smoke and vanished.
However, their attack did not stop so easily. Taking advantage of their eerie ability to appear and disappear in the gray mist, the disintegrating black shadows suddenly reformed right behind the group. While no one was paying attention, they unexpectedly launched brutal attacks, attempting to split the group apart.
Seeing the danger lurking around its friends, the little snow fox let out a series of urgent, shrill cries. The fox's cries immediately drew the attention of the asphalt monsters. Abandoning their original target, they frantically charged towards the little fox. Despite being repeatedly grazed by their grotesque long claws, the snow fox used its agility to both evade and hold back the attackers, while bravely guiding the group towards safety.
Miha realized the fox's audacious intentions and shrieked in panic:
"Quick, chase after the fox! Run and deal with them at the same time, or they'll tear the fox to shreds!"
The entire team sped up, closely following the white, undulating figure of the snow fox amidst the foggy night. The struggle of running for their lives while simultaneously attacking made aiming incredibly difficult for Keijy. A moment of imbalance caused her arrow to veer off course, narrowly missing and piercing the fox's small arm. The fox recoiled in pain, drops of bright red blood staining its pristine white fur, but it stubbornly gritted its teeth and charged forward.
At the end of the trail, a deep abyss suddenly appeared, blocking their path. The snow fox stopped at the edge of the rock, turned its head to look at them with a glint in its eyes as if entrusting them with a final hope, then without hesitation, plunged straight down into the boundless void.
At the same time, the thick fog surrounding them began to thin out. The slimy, dark shadows, now free from the fog's protection, shrieked mournfully before quickly dissolving into harmless dark clouds.
Fushima approached the edge of the abyss, his brow furrowed as he gazed down into the bottomless abyss. He bent down, picked up a small stone, and dropped it straight into the void. About four seconds later, a faint "click" echoed from the bottom of the ravine as the stone struck the surface of the river. Sensing the terrifying height, Fushima shook his head slightly in concern:
– "At this height, if we jump down, it will be difficult to land safely."
Hearing Fushima's serious assessment, Miha trembled in shock:
– "So… so we'll be trapped here forever?"
– "Of course not. There must be a way down." – Kiki said calmly, her face showing no change in expression.
Before Kiki could offer a detailed explanation, Haruto's eyes suddenly flashed with a strange, brilliant, and mystical blue light. He stood frozen, staring down at the deep, swirling river below the cliff. As if connected by an invisible spiritual thread to the cool water, Haruto unconsciously took a step forward, gripping Keijy's trembling hand tightly:
"Trust me, jump down! The water below is calling us."
Keijy frowned slightly, her eyes filled with skepticism at his crazy suggestion. She didn't think jumping from this height into the river was a smart idea, especially since she didn't know how to swim:
"Are you kidding? What if we drown?"
"What basis do you have to prove that jumping down there is safe?" Miha immediately chimed in with a sarcastic and worried tone.
Haruto sighed softly. He knew he had to find solid evidence to convince the team. He stood right at the edge of the sheer cliff, pointing down at the rock face—where the fresh red drops of blood from the snow fox had just fallen. Strangely, the drops of blood didn't fall into the abyss; instead, they began to emit a brilliant red light, flowing in a straight line down the sheer cliff. The light from the drops of blood gradually dispelled the thin mist, revealing the enormous roots of ancient willow trees hidden deep beneath, clinging tightly to the cliff face to form an incredibly sturdy natural rope ladder.
Miha gasped in astonishment at the surreal sight before her, stammering:
"Really! But... but that root system only looks like a short section, how can we climb down to the flat ground below?"
Suddenly, a cry of "Aoao…" echoed from the depths of the abyss. It was the familiar cry of the little snow fox. The sound was like confirmation that the fox had landed safely. Without a moment's hesitation, Haruto immediately grabbed onto the willow roots and quickly climbed down. Seeing his determination, the others followed suit.
However, halfway up, the willow root system suddenly ended, leaving a gap quite far above the water. Haruto paused to think for a moment, then decisively kicked the cliff face with his foot, using the force to propel the vine into the vast open space above the river.
Witnessing this reckless act, Fushima, above, shouted in alarm:
"Haruto! What the hell are you doing?"
"It's alright!" Haruto shouted back, his voice full of confidence.
As soon as the root detached from the cliff, the calm river below suddenly surged violently. A massive column of water, soft as silk, lifted them from the air, gently absorbing the force of the fall and slowly bringing the group safely to the sandy shore.
Keijy stared blankly at the receding water, and asked in surprise:
– "How did you know this would happen, Haruto?"
Haruto was silent for a moment. He looked at Keijy, a faint flicker of emotion appearing in his eyes:
– "Since stepping through the ancient tree trunk door into this Matrewer world, I've always felt strange changes in my body. Every time I get close to a water source, all my senses seem to double. Just now, I actually 'saw' the water in the abyss automatically surging up to receive us, even before we jumped in. It's as if… this river was supposed to obey my commands."
Before Keijy could fully process Haruto's strange words, Miha's loud shout completely drowned them out:
– "Hey! There's someone on the other side of the river!"
The whole group jumped and looked in the direction she pointed. Indeed, on the other side of the misty river, the figure of a woman was diligently washing clothes. Without missing the opportunity, the group quickly ran towards her.
Seeing a group of strangers in strange attire suddenly approaching her, the woman was startled and became wary. Thinking she had encountered criminals, she immediately drew a dagger from her side, pointing it at them with an extremely cautious expression:
– "Who are you? What do you want?"
Kiki—acting as the group's "guide"—calmly stepped forward to speak with her:
– "We are just lost travelers trying to find our way to Agale. Please help us."
– "Agale?" – The woman narrowed her eyes at Kiki, the blade still in place – "What are you doing in that cursed place?"
– "To reclaim an important item that was stolen," – Kiki replied nonchalantly.
Sensing that the young people truly had no ill intentions, the woman slowly retracted the dagger back into her belt. She bent down, picked up the basket full of clothes, turned and walked away:
"Follow me."
The group silently followed the strange woman's back along the riverbank. After a while, Miha leaned close to Kiki's ear, curiously whispering about the unfamiliar name that had just been mentioned:
"Kiki, Agale... what exactly is that place?"
"It's where your violins are kept," Kiki replied casually, her eyes fixed on the path ahead.
The blood-red sunset gradually descended, dyeing the mysterious Matrewer sky a deep red. Five figures walked along the rough dirt path, silently moving forward like the first pieces of a destiny painting slowly unfolding.