As they approached the forest, the air around them began to change. The trees grew taller and denser, their branches overlapping high above, blocking much of the light from the sky. The sounds of the town faded behind them, replaced by the quiet rustling of leaves and the distant creaking of old wood shifting in the wind.
Near the edge of the forest, they noticed a man standing completely alone.
There was no one beside him. No guards. No animals. No horse tied to a tree. Nothing that suggested how he had arrived or how long he had been standing there. He did not move, nor did he seem surprised by their arrival. He simply waited.
As they drew closer, a voice suddenly entered their minds.
The man did not open his mouth. His lips did not move. Yet every single one of them heard the voice clearly, as if it had been spoken directly inside their heads.
"Welcome," the voice said calmly. "If you have come for the simulation, please pay now and enter. I will guide you."
Without hesitation, they paid the requested amount. The price was surprisingly low, cheap even for ordinary townsfolk, and almost laughable for a special unit under the emperor. No one commented on it aloud, but several exchanged brief glances, clearly expecting more.
After the payment was complete, the spirit turned and began guiding them deeper into the forest.
The Vice Captain broke the silence. "Why can't this be done here?" he asked. "Where exactly are you guiding us?"
"I am connected to a specific location," the spirit answered. "Not all of this forest falls under my control."
The Vice Captain nodded slowly. He turned his head toward Mi and gave a subtle signal. Mi noticed immediately and smiled faintly, continuing forward without making his actions obvious.
As they walked, the group grew more curious. Questions began spilling out from different directions, overlapping one another as they followed the spirit along a narrow forest path.
"I thought you'd be a girl," someone said. "What are you, exactly? Are you a human spirit trapped here, or were you born as a tree?"
Slender Man laughed quietly. "That would be miserable, being born as a tree."
The spirit answered without hesitation. "If other creatures observe humans, they may find your lives miserable as well. What is miserable to you is not miserable to me."
Teddy studied the figure carefully. "What do you think about the invasion?" he asked. "You've heard about it, right?"
"I am a neutral spirit that resides within this forest," the spirit replied. "I have no intention of harming any creature, human or non-human. I will remain neutral."
The Vice Captain's gaze sharpened. "Out of curiosity," he said, "which race would you prefer as your neighbors?"
"I would rather be surrounded by other spirits," the spirit answered. "Every race you mentioned requires wood. They build structures. They wage wars. They destroy what surrounds them. I prefer no one."
The Vice Captain slowed his steps slightly. "You claim neutrality," he said, "but your words sound distant. Do you feel rage or hatred toward other races? Or is this purely logical?"
The troll stepped forward. "Do you wish to be human?" he asked. "To feel emotions? To experience things you don't understand? Is that why you gather money? Money makes commoners happy. Do you want happiness? Do you want to stop being miserable?"
The spirit responded calmly, without pause. "You are attempting to provoke me by calling me miserable. But I have no emotions. How can I be miserable? I do not gather money to imitate humans or to feel happiness. It is simply natural trade. When I offer something of value, I expect something of equal value in return."
Blondie crossed his arms. "So you want something from humans? Is that why you collect money? What do you want, tree? Maybe we'll give it to you, if we're generous today."
The spirit shook its head slowly. "Unfortunately, I cannot say that right now."
Mi frowned and leaned closer to the Vice Captain. "I don't like this," he whispered. "We're being honest, and he's hiding things."
Before anyone could continue, the spirit stopped walking.
"We are here," it said.
The tree in front of them split open.
The wood parted smoothly, as if responding to an unseen command.
"Which one of you will enter?" the spirit asked.
The Vice Captain stepped forward. "Tell me more."
"You will sleep inside the tree," the spirit explained. "While I perform a technique I acquired, you will experience my dreams. You will feel what I felt when I first existed, and how I evolved into what I am now."
Blondie hesitated. "Vice-Captain, that sounds dangerous," he said. "Isn't that similar to controlling someone?"
"It is completely different," the spirit replied. "I will not control anything. I will only allow him to witness dreams."
The Vice Captain began to laugh.
At first it was quiet, almost restrained. Then it grew louder. And louder. The sound echoed through the forest, violent enough that, had an ordinary person been present, their ears would have bled. No one questioned him. No one interrupted.
When he finally stopped, he said only, "I will go."
He stepped into the tree.
The spirit warned the others to stay back and not interfere. "If you interrupt," it said, "everything will be ruined."
The tree closed behind him.
And so it began.