“Isn’t that the name of your fake father?!” Casildo interjected, his face full of surprise. “Didn’t you kill him? You told me yourself.”

“Maybe he rose from the grave.”

“But didn’t you cremate him instead of burying him in the ground? You turned him into ashes with your cursed magic hundreds of years ago,” Casildo said, but the nameless young man shot him a sharp glare in response.

Arkana quickly patted the nameless young man’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s talk about this later. We need to focus on the problem right in front of us,” he said, stepping in before another argument could break out.

The young man turned to the Danyang. “Do you know how to free the Banyan tree spirit from the influence of black magic?”

“Yes,” she replied confidently. “You have to replace the black magic in her soul with pure energy from nature. We Danyang are always connected to nature, as it gives us energy and keeps our souls pure.”

With the answer he was looking for, Arkana quickly instructed the tree spirit to return to her ‘home.’ “Alright, I understand. Thank you. Now, go back and continue protecting this forest.”

The Danyang bowed her head in respect.

Everyone began to move away from the beautiful garden after Arkana’s interruption. “Let’s go back to where we started and come up with a plan,” he said.

However, their footsteps abruptly stopped when they heard the Danyang’s voice behind them. The soft call made them all turn around. “Master,” the tree spirit said gently, addressing someone.

Everyone stared at her as she slowly approached the nameless young man.

She spoke, “Master, every flame has its own time to die out. And what I see now is that your flame is nearly out as well, for the fire that has sustained you is almost ash ...”

“I know,” the nameless young man answered flatly, his expression emotionless.

He turned and continued walking, but her next words made him pause again.

“You waited for the flower to bloom, and you picked it yourself. You brought it back, and one day you will have to return it. It is eternal and will never wilt. One day, it will shine with heavenly light to reignite your flame ....”

The nameless young man stood still, falling into a grim silence. Everyone watched him closely, including Gavin, who leaned over to whisper to Kairav. “I read in an article that Danyang can see a person’s future. Do you think she’s telling the nameless young man his future?”

“I don’t know...”

***

Outside, the night was still in full control. Only the faint light of the full moon crept in through the cracks in the roots that shielded them as they spent the long night under the cold, lonely ground.

The orange glow of dawn was still far from rising in the east, a sign that they needed more patience. It wasn’t time yet to carry out the plan they’d made not long ago.

Some of the group chose to remain silent, using the time to rest their weary bodies from the long and tiring journey, warming themselves against the cold night with the Fireball the nameless young man had conjured to replace a campfire.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

But the place was unfamiliar. Though their eyes wanted to close from exhaustion, their minds stayed alert, aware of the dangers that could come from any direction. As a result, several of them simply sat in quiet contemplation, lost in their heavy thoughts.

The silence lingered until someone broke it. “What’s on your mind?” Prince Arkana nudged Kairav’s arm, hoping to pull his friend out of his long reverie.

Kairav shifted his gaze from the Fireball to Arkana. “Now that I think about it, both the inscription and the pine tree Danyang are indirect clues deliberately left for us.”

Everyone who heard his comment looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?” Casildo asked immediately.

“You saw the inscription stone in the blood pool, right?” Kairav asked, and Casildo nodded. “Its presence is odd,” Kairav said seriously.

“Because inscription stones usually contain important information. Most of them record significant historical events like victories in war, royal decrees, or the construction of important buildings,” he explained.

“And let’s assume that the stepped pyramid mentioned by the pine tree Danyang is one of those important structures worth recording. But instead of noting its existence, the person who wrote the inscription gave a description leading travelers to the Forest of Lost Souls.”

“Don’t you see?” Kairav’s words caught everyone’s attention. “A silent cave is the door. Fireflies fluttering show the way, the descending mist, and the vanishing souls... It’s a depiction of what someone might experience in the Forest of Lost Souls. And an inscription like that is unusual.”

Gavin chimed in, “Maybe the inscription wasn’t meant as a description or a clue, but as a warning, to make people think twice before going there, after being given a glimpse of the consequences they’d face.”

Kairav shook his head, disagreeing. “No,” he said firmly.

“Think about it. You go to all the trouble of turning the Dwarapala and Danyang into evil creatures to prey on people. But at the same time, you also create an inscription warning those same people to stay away from your hunting grounds. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous?”

Everyone fell silent, considering his point.

“Maybe the inscription was made after they turned the Danyang into evil creatures, so they only wanted to record what happened after,” Baron suggested.

He continued, “Did you notice the condition of the inscription stone? It’s in remarkably good shape, with no signs of erosion like you’d expect from a stone left in a cave for a long time. That means the stone isn’t hundreds of years old and wasn’t made when the stepped pyramid was first built. Even the carvings on its surface are still clear.”

Kairav nodded in agreement. “I’ve noticed that from the start. I estimate the stone is about ten years old. It even mentions the mist, which is produced by the life-sucking banyan trees. So logically, the inscription was made after the Danyang became evil.”

“If you knew that from the start, why are you still going on about the inscription not mentioning the stepped pyramid’s history?” Casildo asked, annoyed and puzzled.

Kairav turned to him with an exasperated click of his tongue. “Tsk! Think with your cow brain! There are two Danyang here, but why did they only turn one into an evil creature? And why leave the other as an informant who could give information to anyone who freed her?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Failed Product! Stop speaking in monkey talk!” Casildo snapped, which only made Kairav growl in frustration.

He was about to throw out some choice words when the nameless young man suddenly spoke up from where he sat in the corner, his voice calm. “If we hadn’t met, freed, and spoken with the pine tree Danyang, we might never have learned what happened in the past. And we might never have known how to free the banyan tree Danyang from black magic,” he said.

“So, in short, both the inscription and the pine tree Danyang are clues left by someone to help us on our journey,” the nameless young man continued. “The inscription guides us to the Forest of Lost Souls, while the pine tree Danyang tells us how to free the banyan tree Danyang and reveals the existence of the stepped pyramid buried in this mountain.”

“Oh, so you do get it...” Kairav said, a little awkwardly.

“I’m not a cow brain like him,” the nameless young man replied with his usual flat expression.

Casildo clicked his tongue in irritation. “Tsk! I’m not stupid. I just have trouble processing the ramblings of this Failed Product!” he snapped.

“Just admit your brainpower is limited,” Kairav retorted.

Fuming, Casildo rolled up his sleeves. “Failed product, you must really want me to shut your filthy mouth with a slap!”