The truth is, I no longer know how many days we've been wandering aimlessly through this forest, or what to even call this place. Every path looks the same, every clearing is identical. We haven't had a proper meal in days, barely surviving on roots and small, bitter berries.
James was the first to crack. He started losing his sanity, talking to shadows. The curious thing is, in his state, he began creating more complex potions, their effectiveness increasing in a surprising way. Sara, for her part, pushed her magic to the limit, passing out each time she drained her mana. But as time passed, I noticed she no longer collapsed as easily; each day she endured more, as if her reservoir of magical energy was growing out of sheer necessity.
Antoni is the laziest, but he also seems to be the only one keeping his sanity… or at least that's how it appears. I can't recall if he introduced himself as a swordsman, a mage, or an alchemist. My confused mind can no longer distinguish the details, perhaps due to the hunger, the lack of real food that I can't even conjure up anymore.
As for me, I cling to reason. I've started to suspect Antoni: sometimes he disappears among the trees without explanation. And there's something else… the forest itself seems to reset, as if we're following a circle we can't escape. Sometimes I feel something watching us, stalking us from the thicket. I started writing these pages just in case our memory is being toyed with, in case our brains are being washed or our perception altered. Please, may someone find this and help us now!
"Hey James, snap out of it. What do you see? Did you find something?"
"Yeah, Azrael… it's a notebook. Seems like a journal."
"What's going on, guys? Did you find something useful?"
"Yeah. Hey, Azrael, read it out loud."
Azrael began to read, and with each sentence, his certainty grew: the path they were following was a trap, a cyclical illusion. But an even more unsettling revelation emerged: if they were trapped, which of the four was real? Distrust settled among them; they could no longer trust even themselves.
Azrael didn't share everything he read. As he continued in silence, he reached a terrifying conclusion: he must trust the notes in the journal, but distrust the forest… and Antoni. In the darkness of the night, he revealed to Sara and James the identity of the possible infiltrator. Together they hatched a plan to unmask him and escape the illusion, not knowing when they would be subjected to brainwashing again. They agreed on a discreet signal, understandable only to the three of them, to act at the right moment.
"Hey Antoni, tell us the truth… what is it we don't remember about you?"
"Ah, of course… I never told you everything. I come from a noble family, but not as you imagine. We have the title, but not the gold. In fact, I got into the academy by pure luck and a scholarship. I'm both a mage and a swordsman; someone who aspires to do everything, even though he knows it's impossible."
"I've been very lucky… even to have found you guys."
At that instant, Azrael made the signal. James lunged at Antoni while Sara immobilized him with a containment spell.
"What are you doing?! Don't kill me, I beg you!"