Voirs was looking up at the sky while Reya sat beside him. After a moment, they spoke quietly to each other.
"Do you think he will come?" Reya asked.
Voirs exhaled slowly. What had happened yesterday was nothing new to them, but for him, it was the first time. Reya nodded as she listened, understanding the weight behind his silence.
Suddenly, a man caught Reya's eye in the distance. Without warning, she punched Voirs on the arm."Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?" Voirs complained."I think it's him," Reya said, pointing in a specific direction.
Luken finally appeared.
"We thought you would never come," Voirs said.
"I had a small errand to run," Luken replied casually. After that, he asked, "So, do you have any plan?"
"Yes," Voirs said. "I think there's something unusual inside the Haxadia Dark Forest."
Luken wondered what the Haxadia Forest was. He didn't even know where it was, though he had heard the name before. Still, he acted normal, hiding his confusion.
"From the outside, it looks like a normal forest," Reya explained. "But once you go inside, it gets darker and darker the deeper you go."
Luken raised a question. "Aren't there people who live inside that forest?"
"Yes," Voirs replied. "There are people there, and they're doing something unusual."
Reya spoke next. "First of all, this is a job for us."
Reya then turned to Luken. "You told me it's a week-long trip, right?"
"Yes," Luken answered. "I told them. Mom was very interested, but Dad didn't seem so keen. Maybe he's scared too."
"But we agreed to teach you some tricks," Voirs said. "Maybe that will help you join us."
Luken nodded. "Yeah… it seems dangerous."
Voirs smiled. "What's life without some danger?"
Reya punched Voirs lightly on the head. "Shut up and move on. We have work to do."
"Yes, yes," Voirs replied, then turned to Luken. "It's your choice."
Without hesitation, Luken said, "Yeah. I decided that a long time ago."
As they headed toward the Haxadia Forest, the distance between the island and the forest seemed to stretch unnaturally, as if the forest existed on its own separate island.
Voirs spoke with a serious expression. "Don't fall for it. That's the curse of the forest. Its purpose is to separate this place from normal people. That's why it's a forbidden area."
When they reached the forest's edge, Reya suddenly stopped. Voirs and Luken stopped as well. Voirs pulled Luken back, away from Reya.
"Why?" Luken asked.
"If we get too close," Voirs replied, "the spell will lose its efficiency."
As they stepped back, Reya began drawing strange symbols in the air. Luken noticed a clear, invisible barrier separating the forest from the outside world.
Voirs pointed toward the barrier. Reya signaled him, and together they activated their soul power. Reya's spell slowly began eating away at the barrier, while Voirs released an overwhelming presence, replacing it with his own soul.
"IT HAS TO BE PRECISE…"
When they finished, both of them collapsed onto the ground, exhausted and breathing heavily.
"What was that?" Luken asked.
With a tired voice, Voirs replied, "The people in this forest are hiding something. That's why they created their own barrier inside the island."
"I think they're planning something," Reya added.
Luken suddenly sneezed.
Reya continued, "By replacing the barrier, Voirs can now sense who's entering and leaving the forest."
"We didn't replace the entire barrier," Voirs clarified. "Only the part we need. They won't notice unless they search carefully."
Luken lay down inside the Haxadia Forest and looked around. "It's unusually dark in here compared to outside."
"That's why it's called the Haxadia Dark Forest," Reya replied. "This is just the edge. The farther you go, the darker it gets."
As they moved deeper, Luken suddenly said, "Someone's following us."
Reya asked, "How are you so sure?"
Luken turned around, staring at the trees and bushes. "Just a hunch."
Crack.
The sound made them alert.
"Who are you?" Voirs shouted. "Come out. We can talk."
Voirs took a deep breath, then threw a shard with incredible speed. It pierced a man and pinned him to the top of a tree.
Luken looked up as blood poured down from the branches, splashing onto the ground. Damn… who are these people?
"You see," Voirs said coldly, "one of your people is already dead—or almost dead. Now show yourselves, or you'll all share his fate."
One man stepped out from the shadows and raised his voice. "We are from the CITADEL OF ORAPAX."
Luken whispered to Reya, "What does that mean?"
"They're outsiders," Reya explained. "A small organization. Very small—almost insignificant."
Hearing that, the man replied, "We may be small, but we are not like you people."
"That's enough," Voirs interrupted.
"Tell the rest to come out."
The man signaled, and five more figures emerged from the darkness.
"What are you going to do now?" Voirs asked.
The man with his face covered answered, "We're heading to the nearest town."
"We're going there too," Reya said. Do you have a plan?"We'll talk to the people there and try to understand them."
Even Luken thought their plan was terrible, but he stayed silent. Their goals were very different.
Suddenly, Luken spoke. "This is where we part ways. And don't scare others."As the group left, they glanced up at the lifeless body hanging from the tree.
Reya asked quietly, "Why did you let them go?"
"I think they'll be useful," Luken replied. "But before that… how do you even see in this darkness? There's barely any light."
Voirs smiled. "Close your eyes and feel the presence around you. That will help you visualize the real colors, even in darkness. Then slowly open your eyes."
"I can see a little," Luken said. "It's hard, but better than walking blind."Reya yawned. "I feel sleepy. You'll get the hang of it, Luken."
"Shhh," Voirs whispered. "This is the camp. Looks like people use it."There's a dead man," Luken said. "They crucified him."
"He's not dead," Reya said softly. "They're using his soul as a light. His body is still alive."
What kind of people are these? Luken wondered.
"They're sleeping," Voirs said. "I don't think anyone's outside."
"We'll wait and observe from a distance for now," Luken said.
The three of them stayed hidden, watching these strange people and their twisted practices in silence.