Morning crept slowly into the Haxadia Dark Forest, though the light felt thin and unwilling, as if the trees themselves resisted it.
High above the ground, Voirs and Reya lay stretched across a thick branch of a towering tree. Leaves shielded them perfectly as they watched the camp below. Neither spoke. They didn't need to.
On a separate branch, slightly higher and farther out, Luken crouched alone. His eyes followed the movements of the people beneath them.
The camp was awake now—too calm, and they were too organized. The people who had been crucified to wooden stakes the night before looked… different.
They were alive.
Their bodies moved weakly, eyes half-open, breaths shallow but steady. Members of the camp untied the wooden stakes and lifted them as if they were nothing more than tools. There was no pain and no resistance.
That unsettled Luken more than anything he had seen so far.
The group began leaving the camp, carrying the living bodies with them.
Luken glanced down. Voirs caught his eye and gave a short signal—follow them. Reya nodded once.
They were heading toward the main town.
Moving silently through the branches, Luken followed first. His steps were light and careful.
Then—
Something hit him.
It wasn't force in the usual sense. There was no sound. No impact. Just a sudden pressure that crushed him downward. His vision flashed green before everything went black.
Voirs and Reya reacted instantly.
They dropped beside him, gripping their weapons, scanning the air.
"What happened?" Voirs whispered.
Luken groaned, pushing himself up. "Something… hit me. I didn't see it."
He paused, his voice lowering. "It was green."
Reya froze. Her expression hardened.
"Green…" she whispered. "That's not good."
Their plan was ruined. Whatever had been tracking them knew they were there now.
They regrouped and moved together, keeping distance but not losing sight of the group from the camp. By the time they reached the outskirts of the town, the forest had thinned just enough to reveal structures—dark shapes illuminated by something that wasn't fire.
Perched on another tree branch near the entrance, the three of them watched.
The camp members placed the living bodies near the town gate, then continued forward inside without hesitation.
Then something impossible happened.
The ground beneath the gate warped.
A small void opened—just large enough for a person to enter. From it emerged a figure cloaked head to toe, their face hidden completely. Without a word, the figure stepped into the void again and vanished.
Luken's breath caught.
"Is someone else doing what we're doing?"
Voirs rubbed his chin slowly. "Maybe."
Reya turned sharply. "Don't tell me—"
"I think that was one of our people," Voirs said.
Luken stared at him. "Our people? What do you mean our? You told me you're part of an organization."
"We are," Voirs replied. "And the one who entered that void… I recognize him."
"How?" Luken asked.
"A scar," Voirs said. "On his hand. Very specific. You don't forget something like that."
Reya exhaled slowly. "So they're already inside the town."
"Then so are we," Voirs said.
They slipped through the entrance carefully.
The town revealed itself only through presence—faint glows shaped by soul energy, not flame. Buildings existed because something allowed them to be seen.
"This isn't fire," Voirs murmured. "The forest is too dense. Even a single light shouldn't pass through."
Luken looked around, uneasy. "Then how is the town visible at all?"
Reya's voice dropped. "It was made this way. On purpose."
Voirs nodded. "By someone… or something. For reasons we don't understand yet."
Above them, the forest loomed silently.
And somewhere beneath the town,they feel like something is waiting.
Reya paused as they walked and quietly sniffed the air.
It was clean. She doesn't expect it to be this clean
She hadn't expected that. Not from a town buried this deep inside the forest.
Luken leaned closer to Voirs and spoke under his breath. "The people from the camp split up once they entered the town. They went different ways, like they were already done with whatever they came here to do."
Voirs smiled slightly. "Sharp eye. You're probably right."
Then the smile faded. "Still doesn't help us. Right now, we don't have a single clue what our next move should be."
With no better plan, the three of them stepped into a nearby tavern.
Warm light filled the place. The smell of drink and cooked food cut through the strange tension outside. People laughed, argued, and drank like nothing was wrong with the town—or the forest surrounding it.
They ordered their drinks and sat in silence, each lost in thought.
That's when someone slid into the empty seat beside Voirs .
"I figured you already knew I was here," the man said calmly.
Reya turned first. "Yoi."is that you
Her eyes narrowed. "You're the one from earlier. The one with the cloak."
The man reached up and pulled the cloak back.
Luken froze.
The stranger had smooth brown hair that fell loosely around his face, but it was the scar that stood out—a long, rough line stretching across his face, old and unmistakable.
Voirs didn't hesitate. He slapped the man's shoulder hard.
"You bastard. You could've made yourself known earlier. We thought we were being watched by enemies."
The man chuckled. "Enemies? Then what were you planning to be?"
His gaze shifted to Luken. "And who's this? I've never seen him before."
He tilted his head slightly. "New recruit?"
Voirs took a long drink before answering. "No. He's not part of the organization."
"He's a friend," Reya added simply. "Someone we met along the way."
The man studied Luken for a moment, then nodded. "I won't interfere with whatever you're doing. But bringing friends into operations like this is… unusual."
He stood up, pulling the cloak back over his shoulders. "Be careful."
As he turned to leave, Reya spoke again.
"One last thing," she said. "Why are you here?"
The man stopped.
He didn't turn around right away. When he finally did, there was a faint smile on his face.
"FOR A FLOWER."
Then he walked out of the tavern, leaving the three of them in silence.