Amiya returned her full attention to the map, but her approach changed. Instead of trying to force the environment to match the parchment, she accepted the discrepancy.
The map showed what Saint Lucian had seen in his visions. The forest's structure beneath the shifting chaos, and the roots were obscuring that structure, not replacing it.
Her fingers traced routes again, but this time she ignored what her eyes showed. Focused only on the map's logic, trusting Saint Lucian's vision over immediate perception.
They'd been following the correct path initially, and Joseph's elemental sense had confirmed it.
So, when had they diverged?
They hadn't.
The realization struck her quickly as her mind began to point out that they were still on the path. The roots were just blocking it and shifting everything around to make it seem like they'd gotten lost.
The maze was an illusion created by constantly moving barriers that hid the true route.
