As the group advanced through the forest, a rocky formation with a dark, moss-covered entrance caught Towan's attention.

"What’s that? A cave?" Towan asked, stopping and pointing toward the hole.

Elliot squinted, evaluating the entrance. "It looks more structured than just a cave... maybe it’s ruins."

The master observed the area in silence for a few seconds before nodding. "It could be dangerous, but it’s also an opportunity to learn. Let’s proceed with caution."

Inside, the walls were covered with strange engravings and marks that seemed to have been made by someone, not nature. The atmosphere felt heavy, as if the air were charged with a strange Essentia.

"What’s this feeling?" Towan asked, feeling a slight chill run down his back.

"It’s not common Essentia," Elliot replied. "It’s... cold."

They moved deeper into the ruins until they reached a large chamber, where their lantern lights flickered, and figures began to take shape.

"Watch out!" the master exclaimed.

From the shadows emerged humanoid figures, their translucent bodies glowing with a faint, reddish energy—clearly different from common Essentia. They moved erratically, as if disconnected from the world around them.

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Towan reacted first, rushing toward the nearest one with an Essentia-powered punch. The impact disintegrated the creature almost instantly, but two others quickly approached.

"They’re not very tough!" Towan shouted. "We can take them!"

Elliot, ever calculating, observed how the beings seemed to slowly reform if they weren't completely destroyed. Using concentrated Essentia in his palms, he launched a quick blast, destroying two of them in one strike.

"Hit fast and precisely," he said, maintaining his defensive stance.

After a few minutes of combat, they managed to eliminate the remaining humanoids, leaving the chamber in an unsettling silence.

"What were those...?" Towan murmured, still panting from the effort.

"They were fragments of corrupted Essentia, that’s clear," Elliot replied, inspecting the remains that dissolved into the air. "But I don’t understand how they could exist."

The master said nothing. His eyes were fixed on one of the walls, where a mural with strange letters and human figures seemed to tell an ancient story. The central image showed a man surrounded by a black aura, facing a glowing figure.

"Master? What’s this?" Towan asked, approaching.

The master took a few seconds to respond. "I have no idea," he said finally, his indifferent tone contrasting with the intensity with which he had been observing the mural. "Probably just an artistic representation."

"Representation of what?" Elliot pressed, but the master had already begun walking toward the exit. "Let’s not get distracted. Let’s get back on the path."

As the boys exchanged confused looks, the master took one last glance at the mural, his expression completely serious, before leaving the ruins.