The streets were blanketed with a thick layer of snow, its pristine surface glistening in the pale winter sun.
Initially, they had planned to use the magical portal to reach the forest, hoping to shave hours off their journey. However, as the temperature plummeted, the portal gate malfunctioned, its usual hum replaced by an ominous silence. With no other choice, they reluctantly set off by road, braving the biting cold and treacherous terrain.
The arduous journey took them two gruelling days, winding through the snow-covered landscape until they finally reached Village Sanlow. The road that connected the villages formed a vital lifeline, passing through the heart of Village Carran and then Village Fesia—before culminating at the threshold of the mystical forest, its entrance shrouded in an air of mystery and anticipation.
The secluded Village of Sanlow was renowned throughout the mystical realm for its enchanting magical soups, whose secret recipes had been zealously guarded by the villagers' ancestors for generations.
According to local lore, these extraordinary brews possessed the power to amplify one's magical prowess, accelerate the healing of wounds, and even grant the consumer temporary boosts in vitality and clarity of thought.
The villagers' reluctance to share their culinary knowledge only added to the allure of their mystical soups, drawing aspiring mages and wounded warriors from far and wide to Sanlow's humble yet extraordinary eateries.
After a long day's journey, they decided to take refuge at the local inn for the night. Kai, still feeling the weight of his previous gruelling trip from the capital to the dukedom, was more exhausted than the others.
He mechanically devoured a steaming bowl of chicken soup, the warmth spreading through his chilled bones, before retiring to his room. As the others followed suit, Louis efficiently assigned duties to the knights, ensuring a watchful presence throughout the night.
Kai's slumber, though deep, was characteristic of a warrior's instinctive alertness—a trait that had earned him praise from the Duke himself. However, his rest was abruptly shattered by the escalating commotion outside.
At first, it was the muffled murmur of voices, the creaking of wooden signs and the distant howling of wind. But as the cacophony reached a fever pitch, a deafening explosion ripped through the night air followed by an unsettling silence.
The sudden stillness was oppressive—no chatter of people, no barking of dogs, no rustling of leaves. The eerie quietude sent a shiver down Kai's spine, his senses on high alert as he waited with bated breath for whatever was to come next.
Kai sprang out of bed, his bare feet making barely a sound on the wooden floor as he strode to the window. The curtains, still drawn from the night before, obscured his view.
He yanked them open, but a layer of frost and leaves had accumulated on the glass, blocking his line of sight. As he tried to scrape them away, more frost seeped in, taunting him with its opacity.
Before he could clear the glass, a harsh knock rattled the door, followed by the sound of it swinging open without permission. Kai's instincts kicked in, his hands tensing into fists, ready to defend himself. However, his tension eased as Louis burst into the room, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. He wasn't the type of man whom Kai had ever seen in such an urgent state.
"My lord, we… we are in deep trouble," Louis managed to stammer, his words punctuated by ragged gasps.
Whatever had happened out there had made this vigorous man run all the way here and had also broken his composure.
Kai's expression turned grave as he swiftly dressed in his armour, his mind racing with possibilities.
Louis, Kai, and the knights gathered in Kai's room, their faces set with confusion, determination, and a strong sense of alertness, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.
"So, you're saying that we are in the forest now?" Kai asked, his voice firm but laced with a hint of unease.
Louis nodded, his face lacking any expression. In the meantime, he gathered his thoughts to act according to his position as chief of knights. "Yes, my lord. After assigning duties, I spoke to one of the villagers about Village Fesia. They told me that not just Fesia—but Village Carran as well, vanished two nights ago—the same day we left the castle."
A chill settled in the room.
Garry, a high-ranking knight, spoke up, his voice trembling slightly despite his efforts to remain calm. "The messenger was never sent by Dr Davis—he disappeared along with the village."
Kai's fist clenched at his side as he turned to Louis. " Then who sent the messenger?—Did the same fate befall Sanlow?"
Louis's expression confirmed Kai's worst fears. "Unfortunately, yes."
"Let's go outside and see what kind of hell we woke up in." Kai stood up and picked up his sword from the bed, Louis and the other knights following suit.
They were about to step out of the inn when the ground shook beneath their feet. The floor lurched violently, throwing them off balance. Just as they steadied themselves and the trembling stopped, a high-pitched scream tore through the air.
"What—was that?" A feminine voice broke the silence.
"First of all—I didn't know you were a woman. And second of all, we shouldn't care." William, a 19-year-old knight, spoke.
"Enough, Will." Louis's firm voice shut him up.
As they stepped out of the inn, they found themselves enveloped by towering trees, their branches stretching toward the sky like skeletal fingers. The snow crunched beneath their boots, the sound echoing through the stillness.
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their surroundings unfamiliar and foreboding. Kai's eyes swept over his knights, their faces reflecting a mix of confusion and fear.
One of the knights suddenly called out to Kai, his voice tinged with panic. Kai turned to follow the knight's pointing finger, and for a moment, his world seemed to tilt.
The inn they had just exited had vanished, replaced by two trees standing sentinel in its place.
The knights whispered to each other, their voices laced with fear and confusion. Even Louis, usually the epitome of calm in the face of danger, wore an expression far from composed.
"Okay, let's not panic, everyone," Kai said, his voice firm and reassuring.
But even he knew this wasn't something he was expecting.