They had covered almost ten miles when the markers on the map finally began to align. Suddenly, the air shifted. A pale white mist crept up from the ground, spreading like a cold breath, swallowing their vision inch by inch until they were surrounded by an endless white void.
"What is this?"
Lumber's voice was tinged with irritation. He tried to step forward, but before he could get far, his foot struck something hard. He lost his balance and tumbled over, taking Gumber down with him.
The two brothers scrambled to their feet, instinctively checking their wooden crate to see if the boards had cracked. As their eyes adjusted to the haze, they finally saw what they had tripped over. It was an insect leg. But it was far from normal—it was several times larger than a human body, its surface as rough as ancient bark, lying motionless in the fog.
"Whatever it is... it's huge."
Akidou's voice was low, his tension obvious. Omelet whispered a warning to the group.
"We aren't alone here. Stay sharp."
The group continued to grope their way forward, moving slowly through the gloom. A sudden, loud thud echoed from a distance, and they immediately crouched down to hide. Out of the mist, a massive grasshopper appeared. Its eyes were blood-red, and its skin was a bumpy, earthy brown. Its size was unnatural; every time it hopped, the ground shook beneath them. They pressed themselves flat against the dirt, hiding from the creature. It didn't notice them; the antennae on its head twitched a few times before it powerful legs kicked off, and it vanished into the white.
Once it was safe, they slowly stood up and continued their journey. Suddenly, Omelet stopped. Beneath the damp grass, he spotted something emitting a faint glow—a small, strangely brilliant orange stone.
"Here it is!"
He cried out and dropped to the ground. Omelet knelt, placing both hands gently on the stone. Within seconds, his body began to glow, radiating a soft light that pushed back the dark. Tiny particles of dust rose into the air, swirling like miniature stars. The white mist shivered, and then a wave of energy erupted from Omelet, blowing the fog away and carving a massive tunnel of clear air through the haze.
Far ahead, the legendary Greenpath Forest finally appeared. The trees looked like gargantuan blades of grass, their leaves spreading out hundreds of feet above, blotting out the sky. Even the smallest plants were several feet tall, creating a primal, alien world of deep green.
Before anyone could process the overwhelming sight, the light on Omelet's body flickered out. The wings on his back turned dark, losing their luster, and his body went limp as he fell backward. Akidou lunged forward, catching Omelet in his arms.
"We've... reached Greenpath..."
Omelet whispered, his voice weak. Having exhausted his strength, he went completely still in Akidou's arms. No one hesitated. The group sprinted toward the forest.
"Only the fairy race can open the way to Greenpath... I've used up all my fairy dust... I'm so tired..."
Omelet murmured to Akidou before closing his eyes and drifting into a deep sleep. Akidou held him tight, running to keep up with the others. Up ahead, Lumber and Gumber were already leading the way in their four-plank wooden crate, shouting back at the group.
"Hurry up! You're moving too slow!"
Behind them, Shinji, Lio, and Alba followed closely as Akidou brought up the rear with Omelet. Before them, the legendary Greenpath Forest opened its gates, waiting for them to enter.
From a distance, the mysterious figure continued to watch in silence. It had already set foot into Greenpath without anyone noticing. Each of it footsteps left a sticky trail of pitch-black sludge on the ground—thick, like mud, crawling slightly before vanishing. The chains wrapped around it body dragged behind, clinking against the damp earth with a cold, metallic ring that echoed through the emerald woods.
"This is getting interesting."
It whispered in a distorted, low voice. A grotesque smile spread across it face, it mouth stretching all the way to it ears in a display of madness.
Elsewhere in Greenpath, Shinji's group was moving quickly between the massive trunks. The deep green world enveloped them, with sunlight piercing through the canopy to create a mosaic of light and shadow on the forest floor.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet heaved.
Before they could react, a colossal mouth lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth erupted from the earth like a living trap, lunging upward to swallow the entire group whole.