"Where do we start? The forest is so huge," Mist turned to Neo. The forest spanned several kilometers. It was dark; the gray fog covered the entire sky, and below, it was very difficult to see far ahead.

"Yuni said they can't go out of the forest. Do you have any idea?" Mist was curious.

"Not sure, but it might be related to a curse," Neo said after some thought. Amarok's eyes flashed. "Many curses exist. They are all very complex and difficult to understand. Some might even be victims of one but are unaware until something happens."

"Master Calder once told me about that. It's something very frightening. According to him, cursed people always carry with them the shadow of the dead," Mist explained, noticing Amarok's strange expression. "Yuni is obviously different. Even if they are cursed, they helped us and have nothing evil," she quickly added, afraid they might have misunderstood her.

"Let's go," Neo continued forward. The forest was dense and covered in roots. They had to cut their way through the fog and the roots. Sometimes they tripped on curved grounds and had to fight their way up.

Their progression was slow and arduous. After several hours of searching, still, no clues could be found. Finally, they arrived before a strange cave entrance. "We will rest here for now," Neo moved ahead. The cave was empty, and its exterior was dark. The walls nonetheless had a very light purple luminescence on some stones.

Amarok was amazed; he gripped one, and it looked alive as it jumped, trying to flee off his arm. "What is that?" Mist's eyes brightened. "No idea. I have never seen something like this," Neo said, his eyes scanning the whole area.

"Try to rest; I will stay on guard," Neo added, taking out a little object from his robe. Suddenly, it floated to the sky, and a Rune was drawn. Bright flames burst out, illuminating the area. The purple stones started shaking, retreating deeper into the darkness.

"A portable Rune lamp, one of the essentials for travelers," Neo said, closing his eyes while standing. Amarok had more questions but decided not to ask.

Everyone was resting, but for an unknown reason, he could not. His eyes flashed open. Walking deep into the cave, his footsteps echoed all over. The ground was cold and rocky, stones grinding and colliding from time to time. The area was dark, and he could barely see ahead of him. His breathing was loud, and his heart beat accelerated. A cold breeze caressed his back. He turned in a hurry but saw no one. Soon enough, two pairs of eyes appeared in front of him.

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Amarok stumbled back as he lifted his head to look at the figure. It had a human form, but its entire body seemed unreal. "Who are you?" The voice asked.

"Amarok. I didn't intend to disturb. I will be going now," he said, turning to flee, but to his greatest dismay, he was back in the same spot. Several minutes and several failed attempts later, he returned to the figure, more frustrated than scared. "Finished warming up? You can try however you want; there is no way of leaving this place," he said with a bitter smile, his figure drawing itself with more clarity. It was a man in his thirties, with a strong physique and eyes that commanded respect. His aura was imposing and powerful.

"If you entered here, that means you are as unlucky as me," he said, sitting to face Amarok. "Pity for you, young boy. Looking at your face, you haven't experienced anything yet," he said with a sly smile.

Amarok lifted his eyes. "You should not throw your ill luck on people like that."

"How do we leave this place?" he asked, not caring to be polite anymore. The other party was clearly enjoying being stuck here with him. "If I knew the way, I wouldn't be here, laughing at you," he said, not hiding his joy. Finally, he wasn't the only one locked in this place.

"I can't stay here. My friends are waiting for me."

"Don't be so tensed. We are going to stick together for some time; you will age very fast," the figure spoke, tapping his shoulder. Amarok wondered when he got so close.

"Get out. Has solitude also taken your sanity?"

"We could say that. Can you guess for how long I have been here?" he asked with a wide grin. Amarok was speechless; was this guy even normal?

"I am the great Gram Freud. Shocked, right?" he said, tapping his chest as he stared at Amarok.

"Graham who?? Never heard of that," Amarok answered nonchalantly. He was cursing even more in his heart; he definitely could not stay here.

"Wait a second. You don't know me; it's impossible. I was very famous; even the King had to show me some respect, little brat," Graham said with a little frown. "You know me, right? I created the Rune dominance. I was renowned among the greatest Runemasters of the era. Tell me you know me?" he said, his face literally hanging before Amarok.

Amarok pushed his face away as he shook his head. He had a satisfied smile at Graham's pitiful face. Good for you, wanted to keep me here.

"You, the greatest Runemaster of the era?" Amarok couldn't help but laugh. Looking at Graham, he looked very ordinary, nothing special came out of him. Impossible, Amarok shook his head. "The greatest Runemaster of the era is Elara Wizeldof Grimgar. Undefeated among her peers. Some legends even say she slayed a dragon and created a Rune out of it," Amarok said, his eyes shining. Elara was the role model of all Runemasters in the whole world. Even Rune Warriors respected and had to bow.

Although it was said that she was related to the destruction of his clan, that was just legends; he had no way to be certain if she indeed participated. No matter the answer, he still respected her like every person living in Elysium. Even the King had to salute whenever he met her statue.

"How that... Wizeldof Grimgar, that troublesome girl? Has she really become more famous than me?" Graham held his chin in deep thought.

Amarok blinked an eye. Troublesome girl? That was the strongest woman that ever existed, yet he dared to call her that way. Amarok's curiosity was piqued; who was this guy, Graham Freud?