Liza smiled gently. “We have the antidote here.”

“I need it now—please, help me! My husband doesn’t have much time left,” Hazel pleaded, her voice cracking. “I need to get back home. And my maid—she’s outside the cavern. Your men shot her. Please, save her, too. I can’t let her die,” Hazel pleaded, gripping her mother’s hands tightly.

Liza turned to the guards, her expression firm. “Bring the maid in for treatment,” she ordered.

The guards nodded and hurried out.

Once they were gone, Liza sighed deeply, concern etched on her face. “But there’s a problem. Your maid isn’t one of us. She can’t eat or drink anything from here, and I’m afraid she won’t recover without nourishment. Food and water will be essential for her treatment.” Liza’s eyes softened as they met Hazel’s. “And you—look at yourself. Exhausted, sore, hungry. Are you sure you have the strength to make it back to your kingdom?”

Hazel frowned, her thoughts racing. “Is that why I’m still alive?” she murmured, almost in a trance. “I ate the apple. I drank the water. And yet, I survived.” Her hand instinctively clutched the pendant around her neck.

“The ghost… Is it because of this?”

Liza’s gentle smile returned, her eyes filled with understanding. “Yes, Hazel. Those things couldn’t harm you because you are one of us.”

Hazel’s gaze sharpened. “And the snake in the forest?”

“The snake only appears when someone who doesn’t belong to the Forest Land rests beneath the trees,” Liza explained patiently.

Hazel gasped, her chest tightening as the pieces fell into place. “Raymond rested on a tree… and Joseph…” Her voice faltered, trembling as the weight of realization struck her. “None of this would have happened if we’d only known the rules of the Forest Land.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but Liza placed a firm, comforting hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to blame yourself, my dear Hazel.”

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“But—”

“No,” Liza interrupted gently but firmly, wagging a finger. “Regret is a destructive emotion. Don’t let it take root in your heart.” She pulled Hazel into a warm embrace, stroking her hair softly. “It’s not your fault, my dear.”

Hazel sniffled, drawing strength from her mother’s words. She pulled back, her face resolute. “I have to go. I need to save Lailack and my husband. Please give me the antidote. I’ll send someone from my kingdom to provide Lailack with food and water.”

Liza crouched to speak to a young girl nearby. “Go to Gina and tell her to give you the antidote for Bich Poison. Be very careful with it, okay?”

The girl nodded obediently and sprinted off.

Liza stood and turned back to Hazel, her tone full of care. “Take care of yourself. And make sure whoever you send knows the rules: they must not eat or drink anything from the Forest Land, and they must not rest beneath any tree here. That will summon the snakes.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pendant, pressing it into Hazel’s hand. “Make sure he wears this. It will protect him from the ghost. If he follows these rules, he will be safe.”

Hazel nodded, her resolve firm. “I’ll remember. Thank you, Mother.”

The young girl returned, holding a small vial. Liza took it and handed it to Hazel. “Be careful with this,” she said, her voice soft yet firm.

“I will. Thank you,” Hazel said, her voice thick with emotion.

Liza escorted Hazel to the cavern’s entrance, where a guard led a magnificent horse toward them. Its snow-white coat glistened in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, and its mane, long and silky, rippled like flowing water with each step. The horse’s deep, intelligent eyes met Hazel’s, and it nickered softly, nudging her hand.

“She’s beautiful,” Hazel breathed, stroking the horse’s head and feeling its warmth beneath her fingers.

“She’s yours now,” Liza said with pride. “Her name is Max.”

“Max,” Hazel repeated with a soft smile. “That’s the same name as my husband’s horse.”

“I know,” Liza replied, her voice tinged with emotion. Hazel looked at her in surprise. “I named this horse Max because I knew how much you loved Robert’s horse and riding it.”

Hazel chuckled softly, shaking her head. “You know so much about me. I’m both grateful and amazed you even know my husband’s name.”

She hugged her mother tightly before mounting Max, the horse steady beneath her. “Take care of Lailack for me, Mother. She’s like a sister to me, and I love her dearly.”

Liza caressed Hazel’s shoulder reassuringly. “I promise, my dear Hazel.”

Hazel nodded, stroking Max’s mane. The horse reared onto its hind legs before galloping off into the forest, its hooves barely making a sound on the soft earth.

Liza stood at the cavern’s entrance, a bittersweet smile on her face. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she watched Hazel and Max disappear into the distance, their figures fading into the lush greenery of the forest until they were gone.