The forest stretched beneath a patchwork sky, sunlight filtering through tangled branches, painting the ground with restless golden spots. In the faint hush, Meena's heart beat in tandem with the distant rustle of leaves and the quiet shuffle of uncertain feet. The journey had begun, but every step carried the weight of unanswered questions.
Mamon lingered on the edge of their circle, mouth half-open, caught between wanting to ask Simon a question and fearing Levi's uncanny warning glances. Levi twisted his face in exaggerated grimaces—raised brows, subtle shakes of the head—a silent language only brothers understood. It was clear: Do not push Simon right now.
Simon broke the awkward silence, his mind whirling with thoughts far removed from their immediate puzzle. As he glanced at his brothers, his gaze snagged onto two unfamiliar figures—girls he didn't recognize.
"Who are they?" Simon asked, surprise flickering.
Setan's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, bouncing on his toes. "Oh! I forgot to introduce you. This is Hana, and she is Yuki. They're not unusual, but there's something elegant about them. See that smile? Sweet enough to make even a demon prince blush."
Hana and Yuki greeted him with their gentle warmth. They weren't extraordinary in dress or manner, yet their presence soothed the group's ragged nerves, if only a little.
Lucifer, ever terse, cut short any further introduction. "Let's not waste time," he barked. "We've bigger problems than swapping life stories."
Tension rippled through the group, so thick it could be sliced by a blade. Afternoon shadows crept across the moss, chased by a fitful breeze. For a moment, the only sound was of the butterfly fluttering restlessly. Levi, momentarily distracted, let the creature slip from his grasp. The butterfly dipped, then landed with perfect intention on the puzzle envelope patterned just like its wings. As it touched, the butterfly vanished in a shimmer of quiet magic, leaving the group stunned.
Blubghor recovered first. Moving with purpose, he opened the envelope. The others gathered round, breaths held, nerves prickling—the moment had arrived.
The puzzle inside read:
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Setan, eyes sharp for detail, leaned close to inspect the parchment. "May I see that?" he murmured.
Satan handed it over. Setan read, murmuring, "If all the knowledge in my head serves me—this is simple but profound. Even the grandest quest is only possible if we take that first, tiny action."
He looked up, confidence firm. "The answer is 'the first step.' The quote means any giant task begins with a decision to begin, not to be paralyzed by fear. It's a message of perseverance—without the first step, there can be no journey."
Lucifer seethed, shredding leaves in his fist. "Don't act childish," Mamon chastised, shooting him a sharp look. "Not everyone hates books as much as you."
Lucifer's annoyance simmered, his impatience barely hidden. "Just cut the crap—what's the answer?" he grunted.
Satan answered, calmly, "First step. That's it."
But that only raised more questions. "Where's the place? How do we find it?" Lucifer pressed.
Everyone fell into a hush, minds working overtime. Yuki's face changed, concern flickering. "We should learn more about this forest. Is there anyone who truly knows its secrets? That would help."
Simon heard this, his mind a storm of dilemmas. His brothers relied on him; he needed to be useful. But the memory of her—of Meena—gnawed at his composure. His problems felt infinite, the solutions unreachable.
Farther away, in a pocket of clearing, Meena's team wrestled with their own enigma:
Yat: each man kills the thing he loves, by each let this be heard. Some do it with a bitter look, some with flattering words. The coward does it with a kiss, the brave man with a sword…
Meena pressed the puzzle to her chest, frustration mounting. The words echoed in her mind—familiar, yet out of reach. "I've read this somewhere, but why can't I remember?"
She felt powerless, like an actor trapped in someone else's script. She hated relying on others, the fear of never returning home tightening around her like a fist. Would she ever belong again? The world seemed to twist further away.
Nicholas broke her thoughts, voice taut. "We can't be last. If we don't solve this soon, we lose it all."
Meena squeezed her eyes shut, hand gripping her forehead. The effort to remember was like grappling against a tide. "We can do it," Nicholas pressed. "Let's trust each other, sit together and think. That's the only way."
Meena took a slow breath, sitting on the grass as uncertainty washed over her. Around her, the team's frustration was palpable—everyone straining against the same stubborn wall of forgetfulness. Sometimes, it's the things we wish hardest to forget that linger the longest.
Despair mingled with hope as Meena scanned her own memories. She pressed her palms to her knees, feeling the roughness of earth, trying to anchor herself. Time rushed by, each second upping the anxiety.
Suddenly, it flashed in her mind like lightning. A phrase, recalled from a dusty book or a half-remembered poem—finally, alive.
"I remember!" she cried, leaping up with excitement. Eyes wide, heart pounding, hope rekindled. The others stared, waiting, the fate of their group teetering between success and defeat.
Meanwhile, back with Simon's team, Mamon hesitated once again, sensing Levi's signals and deciding against asking his brother. The air was thick with unspoken worries. New faces—Hana and Yuki—mingled with old ones, every member straining against the pressures of time and consequences. The puzzle's answer seemed almost laughably simple, but its meaning was heavier: the journey's next stage would reveal itself only when each person embraced the courage to move forward.
The forest felt more alive now, its trees whispering secrets, their roots clutching memory and magic. Above them, the afternoon faded, shadows growing longer as every team struggled for answers. Meena's revelation hung in the air, fragile hope paving the way for a new beginning. And somewhere deeper in the wood, the next challenge awaited—unseen, unspoken, yet already shaping the fate of all who dared set out down the path.