Jack sat in his study, the three seats in front of him were empty. Silas had just gone to sleep, needing time to process everything he had learned.

It was no secret that Silas had been found two years ago with no recollection of his life prior to that moment. All the kids knew about his lack of childhood memories, and it was a sensitive subject that weighed heavily on Silas's mind.

Over the past two years, however, as he got to know the other children and found a home, he had started to push that matter to the back of his head and focus on moving forward.

Now, being told about his mysterious discovery, it surely wasn't easy for Silas. He would undoubtedly ask himself the same questions he had asked in the past: Who am I? Where did I come from? Additionally, a new question would arise in his mind, and Jack was certain of it: What am I?

Sadly, Jack couldn't satisfy the boy's curiosity. Even the king, who held the most knowledge about the forest and the kingdoms, wasn't sure about Silas's true origins. But Jack held onto the belief that every riddle could be solved with time. Someday, clarity would come to them, but that time had not yet arrived.

Standing up, Jack closed the casket of pills that lay on the table. They were precious medicines that he shouldn't take too often due to the side effects they had on the mind. Taking them frequently would only deteriorate his already tattered soul faster. However, he had already made up his mind to use them for the children. It would be his final duty, and he was determined to carry it out perfectly.

"My soul has paid too heavy a price," he said to himself, chuckling. "This feels like nothing but a curse."

If someone from the Church of Life heard him utter those words, they would consider it blasphemy and try to hang him. Jack put the casket away and turned his attention to the three armbands on his table. He wasn't sure if bringing the children into contact with the forest was the right decision or not. However, his curiosity about Silas and his growing insanity drove him to follow his impulses.

"Was it really the right thing to put him under my care, Urtemis?" Jack asked, addressing someone who wasn't present. It was too late to ask such a question anyway; he would simply have to deal with the consequences.

Silas had confided in Jack about the dark emotions he experienced when trying to recall how he was killed, and a similar feeling that emerged during their fights. The teenager would lose control and suddenly find himself attacking Jack.

Jack speculated that Silas might have also lost control in the forest, and whatever state he was in, he would not remember his actions afterward. He had told Silas that it was only a guess, as death itself could be a potential cause for his memory loss.

Lifting his shirt, a livid imprint on his upper abdomen where Silas had struck him was revealed. It was a testament to the power behind Silas's fist. The blue-ranked armbands were not suitable for Silas, Jes, and Kyle. When compared to other explorers, the three of them were at an average, green-ranked adventurer level. With some training and experience, they had the potential to excel.

Jack had already considered how to train them, but Silas's loss of control made him hesitate. Whatever caused Silas to lose control while gaining a power boost, Jack believed he should try to harness it as his own strength as quickly as possible.

And then, when these three matured and became strong enough, I could finally have my revenge.

The mere thought of it brought him immense joy.

As he approached the mirror in the corner of his room, the candlelight revealed his face, twisted in a malevolent grin. A single tear rolled down Jack's cheek, but it was not a tear of remorse or sadness. No, it was a tear of delight, a twisted pleasure in the pain he was about to inflict on his victims. His heart pounded with a sickening excitement, and he relished in the prospect of their suffering.

But then, a sudden realization shook him from his reverie.

"Damn, you're losing yourself again. Stop indulging in your own desires. This is not about you anymore," he spoke to his reflection.

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The effects of the pills he had taken to suppress his madness had worn off, and now he was lost in the depths of his own depravity.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Jack!"

But try as he might, he was not able to. It was as if an unseen force held his lips in place, unwilling to release him from the clutches of his own wickedness.

His eyes, reflected in the mirror, painted a picture of profound grief, sorrow... and insanity.

...

Silas struggled to find sleep that night, his mind abuzz with countless theories and ideas. It felt reminiscent of the spinning relic-finder, which was actually a sensor, leaving him disoriented and unsure of which path to follow. Questions flooded his thoughts: Was he intertwined with the forest? Was he fully human, or perhaps a blend of both – a human monster? How did he end up with his soul crystal still in his chest when he was discovered? Did his parents play a role, assuming he had parents at all?

Chaos consumed his thoughts as he lay in bed, driving him slowly toward madness. Unable to bear it any longer, he decided to get up, get dressed, and step out into the dark night. There was still some time before dawn.

The moon cast a soft glow, while a gentle breeze filled his lungs, offering a soothing balm for his restless thoughts. He found solace as he embarked on a quiet stroll.

The three kingdoms formed a circular shape, with each kingdom ruling one-third of its circumference. Consequently, each kingdom bordered the other two. The orphanage where Silas resided was located near the corner shared by the Kingdoms of Sylphrena and Kael, under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Sylphrena.

Silas found himself contemplating the appearance of the kingdoms, realizing that he had never been to the capital and had only made a few trips to neighboring villages for essentials. It struck him as amusing that he had encountered the forest before setting foot in a bustling city.

Exploring the capital was on his bucket list of things to do, and the idea of joining the others on a sightseeing tour brought a smile to his face.

They would probably throw Jack out immediately.

He chuckled, imagining the mischief his teacher would inevitably cause in the city. That man truly needed to be isolated from society.

However, his laughter subsided as thoughts of his teacher reminded him of recent events. It felt like ages had passed since he embarked on the mission assigned by Jack.

Would he ever be able to live a normal life from now on? Could someone without a clear origin have a defined destination?

He pondered these existential questions, his mind clouded with uncertainty.

Silas' thoughts were interrupted when he found himself gazing at the towering wall of trees that marked the beginning of the forest. Without realizing it, he had already moved quite a distance from home. The forest's boundary seemed to stretch endlessly, swallowing him in its ominous embrace.

From this distance, the trees already appeared monumental, but when he had stood beneath them at the start of his mission, their true grandeur had become apparent. Walking beneath them gave the impression that they were pillars supporting the sky, and without them, the heavens would come crashing down to earth.

It felt like stepping into another world.

Enthralled by the majestic trees, Silas continued his walk toward the forest. After a while, he noticed a peculiar phenomenon. He felt drawn to the trees, though he couldn't quite describe the sensation. It was as if the forest was calling out to him, tugging at the strings of his soul. He had never experienced anything like it before, and he found himself compelled to keep moving forward, unable to resist.

He hadn't felt this pull when he was inside the forest, so why was it surfacing now? Was it because he knew the truth, that the forest was beckoning him to return, like a mother calling her children back home after they had their fun outside? Had his time "outside" reached its limit, and was he now meant to return to his original home? Was someone waiting for him at the forest's border?

He didn't have the answers, and a part of him suspected that these questions were merely fabrications of his mind, distractions he shouldn't dwell on. Nevertheless, he couldn't bring himself to stop walking. The pull on his soul was too strong, and strangely, it wasn't an unpleasant sensation.

Silas continued walking, his feet carrying him forward relentlessly. As he kept moving towards the forest, he couldn't help but notice the gradual expansion of the trees. They grew from mere towering plants to magnificent earthbound formations reaching for the sky. What was their purpose up there? Why were they present in such vast numbers? Silas felt compelled to unravel these mysteries.

"What do you want from me?" he found himself asking the trees standing not too far ahead.

Yet, the forest offered no answer, only a haunting silence that seemed to mock his curiosity. Instead, it seemed to draw him in even further, a few more steps and Silas would be inside the maze of trees.

A sense of dread crept up Silas' spine, urging him to flee from the darkness that lurked within the forest. But despite the unease, an inexplicable pull on his soul forced him to continue forward, far stronger than his sense of horror and fear.

"I'll just take a small look around," he reassured himself, trying to convince himself that he had control over the situation. "Just to see if there's anything at the forest border. I won't go far inside."

"Maybe just a bit."

"One step at a time."

"Silas!" a familiar voice called out his name.