Morning came with a haze that clung tightly to the trees, thick as velvet and cool as breath on glass. The ethereal mist of the forest hadn't lifted since last night, shrouding the world in an unending twilight. Within the swirling gray, twelve elves and one cat beastfolk girl prepared to enter a place known more for vanishing trails than clear roads.
Yuuna tugged the hem of her cloak of blurry from Kyle's hands.
"I'm taking this back," she said, voice flat as ever.
"Aww, but I looked cool wearing it…" Kyle protested. His blue hair rustled as he pouted, already thinking of ways to 'borrow' it again later.
Yuuna silently stuffed her Cloak of Blurr into her magic bag. Her wand tapped once against the side of the bag, a quiet statement that further borrowing was not advised.
Outside, Fuhiken climbed onto the driver's seat of the magic carriage. The Trent wooden six-wheeled beast, Stormrider Supreme Express IV, stood ready, its sides gleaming with the golden crest of a keyblade entwined with a mana tree. Next to him, Viqce hopped up, her black coat fluttering as her tail flicked. She adjusted her bow and perched comfortably as co-driver, ears twitching.
"Viqce, you sure you want to ride up here?" Gabyola asked gently from the cabin door. "It's not too late to sit with the girls."
Viqce gave her a confident smile, flashing a small fang. "We already promised, nyan. From Bastrelheim to the mist forest entrance, I stayed with the girls. Now, I'm full scout, nyan."
"Very well," Gabyola sighed, reluctantly parting with what she privately considered the perfect fluffy pillow.
Within the closed cabin, Fahleena rose like a sovereign upon her throne, one foot perched on the bench as if commanding a grand army. Her twintails danced like banners in the wind, each gesture charged with theatrical might. "
Heed me, brave souls!" she proclaimed. "By the decree of the Empress of Destiny, we ride forth into the Unknown! Let the mists scatter before us, or be crushed beneath our wheels!"
Jessica tried not to laugh, but a giggle slipped anyway. Fahleena's grand declarations were like pudding, soft, strange, and impossible to resist.
---
With everyone loaded in, the carriage rolled forward. Fuhiken drove cautiously, peering ahead through the growing fog. The deeper they went, the slower he moved, until the trees grew so dense that visibility dropped to only a few meters ahead.
Eventually, they halted.
"We walk from here," Fuhiken announced. Everyone get off from Stormrider.
Yuuna's expression as unreadable as ever. With a flick of her wand, a pale ripple of magic spread across the Stormrider's surface like a breath over glass. The golden crest on its side pulsed once, keyblade and mana tree glowing in tandem, as gears and panels began to shift with a smooth, almost mechanical elegance. The wheels folded inward, the cabin walls folded flat like pages in a book, and the driver's seat vanished into itself. The entire carriage shrank steadily, humming with restrained power, until what remained was no more than a palm-sized cube, its surface polished, its edges lined with glowing runes. With perfect timing, the cube floated into Yuuna's waiting hand, and without a word, she slipped it into her magic bag as if it had always belonged there.
"Now this is magic," Viqce whispered with admiration.
The party assembled. In the front stood Viqce, tail swaying in rhythm with her strides, alert to every change in the forest's tone. The others formed a line behind her. Yetsan clanked faintly in his full armor, already muttering about dirt. Gigih nervously held his spellbook, while Kyle and Sinryo exchanged mischievous glances.
"Stay in line," Viqce warned. "Do not wander off. The forest moves when it's not watched."
She paused, looking over her shoulder.
"Especially you."
Orchid had already veered sideways to chase a butterfly-shaped leaf. Gabyola quickly caught her hand and dragged her back in line, assigning Sakura to hold onto her for the rest of the walk.
Time melted inside the forest. Whether it was morning or sunset became a mystery. The canopy filtered all light into a silvery glow, and the swirling mist blurred every shadow.
Jessica walked near the front, her voice soft. "Viqce… where are you from?"
Viqce tilted her head. "A small village, nyan. Southeast part of Verdastra. Not far from the bamboo woods. You wouldn't know the name, nyan."
"We've been to Verdastra," Orchid chimed, waving her free hand. "Met Leonhart and Liora!"
Viqce chuckled. "Leonhart's from the capital city, nyan. I'm from one of the border villages. Quiet place. Bamboo forest all around. Wind always whistled through the stalks. My house had a bamboo roof too. When it rained, the whole village sang like a drumline, nyan."
She slowed slightly, her black eyes distant with memory.
"It was simple. Every house shaped the same. Black tiles, pale walls, wooden frames worn soft by the rain. We all knew each other, nyan. No real roads, just dirt paths, chicken feathers, and kids racing to the stream. My parents were herbalists. We dried moss for salves, made tea from everything that grew, nyan."
"Did you… leave for money?" Jessica asked, remembering Viqce's earlier mention.
Viqce nodded. "Life was peaceful but not easy, nyan. No coin in growing herbs. So I left. Capital had jobs, guilds, meat on the table. At first I just helper at the bar. Then I passed the tests. Got my scout license."
She paused at a fork in the misty path, her feline ears twitching subtly as they swiveled, catching sounds that others could not hear, distant rustles, the whisper of shifting leaves, and the low hum of unseen insects. The fog here was heavier, clinging to the trees like a living curtain, and the three paths ahead seemed equally swallowed by it. But Viqce stood still, eyes narrowing, letting the forest speak in its own quiet language. She crouched for a moment, fingertips brushing the damp earth, then stood again with certainty.
"Left, then right, then left again, nyan. Trust me."
The path twisted like a serpent. The forest became a maze, fog-walled, shifting, and strange.
Suddenly, something buzzed.
"Enemy!" Viqce called.
Barrel-sized beetles burst from the mist, chitin gleaming like oil, wings humming like saws.
"Small fry," Adiw said, cracking his neck.
He surged forward, greatsword already glowing with flame.
"FlameSword II!"
With a wide arc, he cleaved the first beetle midair. Yetsan followed.
"Lance Punisher I!" he called.
Four rapid thrusts dropped another beetle before it could even buzz a threat.
Gigih opened his spellbook, his hands shaking, the corners of the worn pages fluttering slightly from his uneven breath. Arcane symbols glowed faintly along the margins, reacting to the presence of his mana, but the light flickered uncertainly, mirroring his hesitation.
Fuhiken placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Not now. We need precision here."
Kyle and Sinryo snickered.
"What if we just burn the whole forest?" Kyle whispered.
"Yeah, torch the fog too," Sinryo added.
"Thump. Thump."
Adiw's fist knocked both their heads at once.
"Do that, and even Sakura won't revive you fast enough."
Fahleena giggled. "I'll write your eulogies in sparkle ink."
As they marched forward, Kyle's eye caught something glinting. A unicorn-shaped stone the size of his hand lay by a root. He glanced around, then pocketed it with a grin.
Sinryo, not wanting to be outdone, grabbed a sparkling pebble when no one looked. The moment he tucked it away, Adiw smacked both their heads again.
"Stop wandering."
"But you didn't see us, " Kyle started.
"Don't care."
---
Eventually, they reached a small clearing, the dense mist thinning as if in quiet respect for the space. The air felt lighter here, gentler, as though the forest itself had paused to take a breath. A natural circle lay before them, soft moss carpeting the ground in a vivid green, dotted with delicate white mushrooms and tiny star-shaped flowers peeking through the undergrowth. Weathered stones, half-buried and veined with moss, ringed the clearing like forgotten sentinels. The trees around them loomed like silent guardians, their trunks vanishing into the silver fog above, yet here, within this sheltered hollow, the oppressive pressure of the Mist Forest eased. It was a moment of calm, unspoken and sacred. The silence wasn't empty, it was full, cradling them like a lullaby only the forest could sing.
"We rest here," Viqce declared. "Next path won't open until night passes. The mist obeys time too, nyan."
Adiw frowned. "I can still fight."
"But can your stamina?" Yuuna replied calmly. Her face was pale with fatigue.
Gigih slumped beside her, already out of breath.
Fuhiken nodded. "Camp here."
He unpacked the magic stove and began preparing a warm meal. Sakura raided her bag, munching on snacks even while sitting. Yetsan took off his helmet and began polishing it, muttering about "unforgivable leaf stains."
As the food cooked, Fahleena lay dramatically on her back atop a patch of moss, her twintails fanned out like the wings of a fallen celestial being. She stared into the swirling fog above with a wistful sigh, one arm draped over her forehead as if struck by the weight of ancient prophecy.
"Ah… this forest," she murmured, voice rich with theatrical reverence. "A realm veiled in spectral whispers and forgotten echoes… Truly, it resonates with the aesthetic of the Abyss. Shadows writhe, paths vanish, and fate itself twists in this place. Yes… this is where legends are born."
Jessica sat beside her. "And quiet."
Gabyola knelt nearby, gently brushing stray leaves from Viqce's hair. "You've done well guiding us."
Viqce leaned into the touch slightly, her tail curling lazily behind her. "Thanks, nyan. This forest… it's not home, but I know it well," she said, her tone quiet yet edged with familiarity. "I've walked its outer edges more times than I can count. Learned how it breathes, how it shifts when no one's looking, nyan."
She glanced into the mist beyond the clearing, her black eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "There are things deeper in, old things. Not just beasts or traps, but paths that vanish, sounds that circle back on themselves. I don't know everything, but I know just enough to guide us through safely… for now, nyan."
She turned back to the others, her usual lighthearted smile returning. "If we stay on route and don't anger the fog, we'll be fine. I'll explain more later, nyan."
As the aroma of cooked food filled the clearing, Fuhiken moved with practiced grace, serving warm portions to each party member with the quiet dignity of someone used to balancing chaos and cuisine. Steam curled up from the bowls, vegetable stew with soft roots and savory herbs, simple but hearty. He offered a brief nod to each elf as he handed out their meals, his expression calm, though his eyes subtly scanned for any sign of trouble.
Trouble, of course, had a name: Orchid.
The cheerful holy knight was already sneaking behind him with a suspicious gleam in her eyes, one hand clutching a small pouch of what could only be her latest "culinary experiment."
"Just a sprinkle of spicy blessing~!" she whispered gleefully, reaching for the pot.
Before her hand could make contact, Gabyola's elegant hand snatched her wrist mid-air.
"No."
Orchid blinked innocently. "But it'll boost flavor and maybe resistance to..."
"No," Gabyola repeated, her calm voice leaving no room for debate.
Orchid pouted and slunk back to her seat, muttering something about "underappreciated genius." Gabyola sighed and sat beside her, still watching out of the corner of her eye like a graceful hawk ensuring the food remained safe for consumption.
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