It was now almost pitch black. They had put enough distance between themselves and the torn village, its remnants swallowed by the darkness. For the last hour, Ailee had relied entirely on Izak to keep moving. At first, the change in his vision had startled him—when night fell, the world shifted into a deep red hue, untouched by the shadows. He could see as if it were daylight, every shape outlined in crimson.
Still, they had to stop. He was exhausted, and Ailee was close to passing out, her legs trembling as Izak half-carried her.
With no better shelter, they settled beside a wide tree trunk. Ailee, too drained to care about comfort, leaned against the bark as Izak gathered tall grass, forming a rough makeshift mattress next to her. He worked quickly, weaving together sticks and leaves into a crude shelter—barely more than a patchwork of foliage, even worse than the scavengers' camp. But it was enough. Within minutes, exhaustion took over, and they fell asleep faster than they thought possible.
The scene played on an endless loop in Izak’s dreams.
He was a spectator, watching himself cut through the soldiers in the village. It was hard to recognize the creature in front of him. Red eyes. Pale skin. Horns protruding from his forehead. The thing moved so fast that, at first, the scenes blurred together. But the longer they repeated, the clearer they became. His eyes adjusted to the unnatural speed of the beast’s movements.
By the time he awoke, stirred by Ailee shifting beside him, he had memorized every step, every strike. He was confident he could reproduce the moves. In fact, training should become his priority if he wanted to survive long enough to find Elsa. It had only been four days since he woke up in the forest, and between the soldiers, scavengers, and deserters, it was becoming a habit to have his life hanging by the edge of a blade. He needed to get stronger. Azelia had also warned him: he had to control his power, or next time, it might consume him entirely.
The morning air was crisp. Dawn had barely begun to break, and the forest remained shrouded in darkness. Despite the cold that had seeped through their rough shelter, exhaustion had allowed them to sleep soundly. Water dripped through the poorly woven ceiling, landing on their faces in cold, persistent drops.
Izak craved a warm bath.
Outside, the soft patter of rain mixed with distant thunder rolling across the sky.
“Looks like we’ll be walking in the rain today,” Izak muttered.
“Yes...” Ailee’s voice was quiet, tinged with something unreadable. Waking up next to a stranger in the middle of the forest—after witnessing a massacre and nearly dying—weighed heavily on her. Who could blame her? It was a miracle she hadn't fled in the night. Or maybe she simply hadn’t been able to.
Izak, never the most sociable person and already lost in his own thoughts, didn’t know how to reassure her. Instead, he asked, “Do you know of any settlements nearby? We can't stay here indefinitely, and I need answers.”
“Hmm...” Ailee hesitated. “By caravan, the nearest town is about seven days west. We won’t make it walking. The road is dangerous, and with no supplies... forget it.”
“Any other options?” Izak pressed. “Like I told you yesterday, I woke up in the forest a few days ago with no memories except my name. My head is going to explode if I can't get at least some answers.”
It was a lie, but the easiest one.
“No,” Ailee shook her head. “I don’t know of anything closer. Just the forest to the east, mountains to the north, and the sea to the south.”
Izak frowned, deep in thought. The scavengers' map.
“Wait.” He rummaged through his bag and pulled it out. “I found this in a scavenger’s camp. It might help.”
Ailee eyed him suspiciously. “A scavenger camp? So... are you one of them?”
“No,” Izak replied firmly. “I can assure you, I’m no scavenger.”
Spreading the map out, he examined its details. It was surprisingly well-drawn, filled with landmarks and terrain features. The forest stretched endlessly across most of it, cliffs marked at the top, and their now-destroyed village labeled. Thanks to it, they had a rough idea of where they were.
But one thing stood out.
A marked settlement, deep within the eastern forest.
Izak tapped the inked drawing. “Do you know what this is?”
Ailee leaned closer, her brows furrowing. “No... I’ve never heard of a village inside the forest. We avoid going too deep; people have disappeared there.”
Izak exhaled, considering their options. Risk the forest... or face certain death on the road trying to cross the plains?
“Well, I guess that’s our best shot. Let’s just hope it’s not another scavenger camp.”
They walked for hours under the cover of rain, weaving through ancient trees and thick undergrowth. Despite the dreary weather, the forest pulsed with life. Glowing mushrooms sprouted from gnarled roots, clusters of bugs drifted lazily through the mist, and rustling in the bushes hinted at unseen creatures watching their passage. They walked beneath a protective dome Ailee had summoned. It shielded them from the rain, though the wet vegetation still soaked them with every step. Still, it was better than nothing, and Izak marveled at the magic.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Despite everything, it was still incredible to see real magic in action.
Ailee seemed a bit more at ease now. She had begun talking, filling the silence with bits of knowledge about the land. She explained the geography of Vandorath—the Frozen Mountains to the north, their jagged cliffs looming in the distance; the Red Sea to the south, where no ship dared sail and no town stood near its coastline; and the Black Forest, where they now traveled.
Izak listened attentively, absorbing every bit of information. Once again, he couldn't stop thinking about all the LitRPGs and video games he had played.
If only a blue screen would pop up right now...
But reality had no such conveniences.
When the conversation turned to history, Ailee described the endless wars between Osthain and Valdris, two kingdoms locked in a struggle for dominance over the continent. She spoke of Osthain’s holy warriors, bound by rigid discipline, and the unforgiving rule of Valdris, where strength alone determined one’s place in the world. Osthain, a human-dominated kingdom, was blessed with fertile lands where crops thrived, yet it viewed elves, dwarves, and gnomes as inferior. Non-humans were either enslaved or killed. Valdris, though also rich in resources, suffered from arid summers that made farming difficult, forcing its people toward war and conquest to sustain themselves. There, other races were not hunted but still faced discrimination.
"Stories say that humans arrived in Vandorath after the other races, yet within a few years, they became the dominant force," Ailee continued. "But no real records remain… and stories are just stories."
Izak, intrigued, asked about Ether. Ailee glanced at him before explaining, “Ether fuels all magic. It exists in everything—from the trees to the stones beneath our feet. Some people are born with more Ether than others, and you need a certain amount to be able to use magic at all. Not everyone can. You can replenish it with rest or Ether potions, but if you run out completely, it can kill you.” She paused before adding, “That’s why mages and healers have to be careful.”
By midday, the rain had faded into a misty drizzle. They came across an abandoned animal den nestled among the roots of a fallen tree and decided to take a short rest inside. Thanks to Ailee's knowledge of plants, mushrooms, and berries, they had gathered a few edible ingredients along the way. Using the small cooking set she had grabbed when they fled her village, she prepared a modest meal. They had also collected water from a nearby stream, making cooking easier. Though simple, the warm food brought much-needed comfort after hours of walking through the damp forest. It was also the first meal Izak had in days… though his stomach had stopped grumbling since his encounter with Azelia.
Looking at the tall mountains, he couldn’t even see the top. Izak ask, “What lies beyond the cliffs?”
Ailee hesitated before answering. “Nobody really knows. The mountains are too steep, the weather too extreme. And then… there are the dragons.”
Izak raised a brow. “Dragons?”
She nodded. “Few have seen them and lived to tell about it.”
His curiosity piqued, Izak pressed for more. He learned that dragons were not the only mythical creatures inhabiting this world—griffons, werewolves, and many others from the old legends truly existed here. For a moment, he felt like he had stepped into an epic fantasy novel but dismissed the ridiculous thought. Still… dragons existed!
After a short rest, they continued their journey. The distant roar of rushing water grew louder until they reached a river cutting across their path. Ailee frowned. “We’ll need to find a way across.”
The river wasn’t particularly wide, but the current was too strong to risk swimming. To their left, a massive waterfall crashed into the river below, sending mist into the air. Their only option was to follow the riverbank in search of a crossing.
Eventually, they came upon a smaller offshoot of the river—more of a narrow stream than anything else. It was shallow enough to jump over. Before crossing, Izak asked Ailee if the water posed any danger. Once satisfied with her answer, he nearly forgot her presence as he undressed completely and stepped into the icy water. A chill shot through his body, but he didn’t care. It felt good—clean.
Ailee's face had turned crimson. She spun around and darted behind a tree. When Izak emerged from the river, completely naked he saw his blood-stained armor and clothes. “I hate putting dirty clothes back on.”
Ailee’s flustered voice came from behind the tree. “I… I can clean them. But go back into the river first… please.”
Izak smirked but did as she asked. After a few moments, he heard her approaching. Without crouching, she stretched out her hands and murmured something under her breath. A soft hum filled the air, and bubbles and foam suddenly engulfed the pile of stained clothes. Within seconds, the grime vanished, leaving his armor and garments spotless.
“Why didn’t you tell me you could do that earlier!” Izak called from the water.
“…Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Thanks, Ailee!” he said, genuinely appreciative.
After drying off and getting dressed, they continued along the riverbank until they found a natural bridge—two massive trees whose trunks had twisted together over time, forming a sturdy crossing. Vines draped along the sides, and small flowers carpeted the path, making it look almost enchanted.
Izak paused, taking in the sight. “Magic had to be involved here.”
Ailee nodded in agreement. “Probably the spirits of the forest.”
Carefully, they stepped onto the bridge. Despite its age, it didn’t sway. Izak walked slowly, avoiding trampling the delicate flowers. Once they reached the other side, Ailee let out a quiet breath of relief.
“Nothing happened,” she muttered.
“Whoever made this… it’s incredible work,” Izak said.
“People from the town used to tell stories about the Spirits from the Forest, how they would build magical structures from nature itself, now I think they weren’t only stories...” Ailee replied as they resumed their journey toward the cliffs.
As the hours passed, night fell, and they found shelter beneath a rocky overhang at the cliff’s base. Using branches, they built a simple windbreak, and Ailee managed to start a small fire.
She sat close to the flames, silent for a long moment before whispering, “I was raised by Jack.”
Izak remained quiet, waiting.
“My parents were merchants. Their caravan was attacked by beasts when I was four. Jack found me buried under the wreckage, barely alive. He took me in. Raised me.”
Izak wasn’t the type to offer comforting words. Instead, he simply listened.
Later, Ailee cooked mushrooms with the ingredients she had salvaged from the village. They ate in silence.
When exhaustion finally claimed them, they slept—another night beneath an unfamiliar sky, with the wind howling through the trees.