We arrive to the sight of a weak Sofia attempting to stand with all her remaining strength. She smiles in relief when she catches a glimpse of her father. She falls, unable to support herself anymore...

Sion runs as fast as he can to help Sofia up. "Why all of a sudden my dear? Why are you standing up? You're too weak, please rest. The curse should be disappearing by now."

Sofia shakes her head left and right. "No... Sadly it won't. I can't hold on anymore, father. It is too difficult, I felt my body giving up every second, it seemed that it was my time to go. I waited for you so I could say goodbye. I'm so happy that you could make it in time." She smiles, but not just a weak smile not forced either, it's a genuine smile, one that I thought she could never do in her state.

"No! Please don't say that Sofia! Please... Don't... Don't leave me. I'll do anything to make you feel better so just please." Sion tightly embraces her crying loudly, his cries echoing throughout the forest. "I don't know what I'll do without you..."

Sofia gently pushes her father away so that they face each other only inches away. She puts her hand on Sion's cheek. "Don't be sad anymore... I have to free you from me for I am your curse. You will be stuck in the past, forever haunted by your past and forever reminded that you have me to take care of. I've been a burde-"

"No! You've never been a burden. Your my daughter, youre the only one I have left in this world. What would I do without you?" Sion hangs his head in sadness, not knowing what he should do next. 

Sofia lifts Sion's head by his chin, and she smiles, eyes wide open similar to that of a playful daughter having a laugh with her father and it is as if she never had the curse. "Papa, I can hear them. Mom and big brother are here. They look happy to see you." 

Sion quickly turns around, but does not see anyone there other than Samael and I. He turns his attention back to Sofia. "My dear what do you mean you can see them?"

"Mmm I can hear sounds, they're beautiful. That must mean that we part here papa." She blinks, then slowly closes her eyes as she leans her entire body on Sion's left arm as if she's taking a nap from a tiring day of playing outside. "Never forget that we are looking over you from above. We love you so much." 

And with her last words her arms go limp. She has left this world and all that remains here is his father staring up into the ceiling, silent, mouth open unable to say anything, but he cries, silent but it could be heard by those who watched him weep.

His arms, give up as it supports the body of Sofia. He kneels in pure sadness. Looking down at her, Sion's tears drip down on Sofia, and he hugs her lifeless body softly, and he cries ever so silently. 

~And she travels with the sunrise, she frolics to the heavens like a she would with a bed of flowers. Happy and content with the life she has lived and happy for the people who were there for her until her last breath.~

After what happened, Samael and I stayed outside waiting for Sion. But he comes out of the room, leaving Sofia lying on her bed. 

He picks up his makeshift axe and begins chopping up a tree outside. Samael glances at me and says. "Come Fafnir, let us help a man in his weakest time, not because he needs it, but because he deserves it and he is our friend after all."

I nod back to Samael and we go outside to help Sion.

It took us 2 days without rest to immediately finish the very last bed that Sofia will lay on in her current life. We dug up a resting place beside the house, making a cross out of wood, placing it on the top of the empty mound. 

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And finally on the third day. We lay her on her final bed, closing it and it is carried by Samael and Sion outside where I am waiting by the empty soil with a flower that I found suitable for her. A flower as beautiful as her smile was, and a flower that was said to be her favorite.

We held a small ceremony as Samael and Sion slowly carried the closed coffin from the house to her final resting place. Sion is struggling to hold his tears back the entire way.

We lay the coffin in the empty mound that we dug up earlier and give a silent moment to Sion's loss. He kneels down in front of the coffin and we stayed until Sion was ready to fill the mound with soil once again. He yells heartfelt words into the sky, followed by a silent resolution. "I'll live the remainder of my life for all of you."

And thus the curtains fall on Sion's tragic tale once again. A man who faced misery at every direction, in the end still managing to say strong for the ones he cared for the most. 

Another day passes and morning comes once again signaling our time to go. 

We arrange our belongings and I place them on Sleipnirs saddle. "How've you been Sleipnir? It's been a sad day, not just for our friend, but for us too. I hope he recovers from this." 

Samael meets me in the makeshift barn and we discuss our plans moving forward after we get out of the forest of wonders. "Our objective for now is to travel to Ardrasthrurs enemy kingdom, Vasantria and find as much information as we can there, plus quality equipment, well made swords and blades you name it and don't forget the information that I got from dragons den back in Ardrasthrur  about a mythical being."

"Villagers miles away from Vasantria are being terrorized by a gigantic lion but Vasantria turned them down everytime they went there for help. So they went to Ardrasthrur, quite a long journey for the desperate and needy, but we'll take the job."

Sion enters the barn. "You two are going off somewhere already?" 

(Samael) "the journey to becoming strong has its downsides, but on the good side though are greener pastures when you do manage to become strong. Curious? Why not come with us?"

Sion curtly decline the offer, shaking his head. "For now, I can't. I'll stay here for a while to tend Sofia's grave, then I shall embark on a journey as well. If our paths shall cross again, the I will join you and hopefully I am as strong as both of you someday."

Sion bid us farewell and once again we are on our way. I've already tended to my wounds, but sadly still nothing to fight with and a worn out armor to protect me from something... 

We enter the forest of wonders and Samael advises me on something. "In the forest of wonder where the fabled are said to live, lies danger everywhere, some are beings who have been rejected by the gods, but there lives one with power so immense that it will awaken your true potential. Or so the legend goes. Sadly that is all I know about the story."

"We might just find out soon enough." We are already hours inside the forest of wonders and we can hear tremors from the ground as if footstep of a massive being. 

We venture forth unsure about what lies here.