CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 30: PARADISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST (4)

Silence filled the room for a moment. Oliver was the first to break it.

"What does domain of a mythical creature mean?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am. I do not even know what a mythical creature’s domain is supposed to be."

She put her hand on her hip and leaned toward him.

"Has no other hybrid ever explained this to you?"

He shook his head.

"I have never met any hybrid other than you in my life."

"Wait, hold on. Were you living alone in the middle of the forest?"

"No, I lived with the others."

Her eyes narrowed.

"The others? Do not tell me you lived in one of the mythical creature clans. Even then you should at least know the basics. My goodness, did they treat you so badly that you ran away without learning anything?"

Oliver waved his hand quickly.

"No, I lived with the villagers."

"And the villagers were what exactly?"

"Humans."

Silence again.

"Are you serious?"

"How many times will you ask me that? Yes, everything I said so far is real."

"I did not expect you to be the type who enslaves humans and uses them."

"I am not." He raised both hands instantly. "I lived with them normally. I found out I was a hybrid only a few days ago."

"A few days ago?" She raised her hand and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "And during your entire life you never showed any magic related to mythical creatures?"

"Mythical creature magic? What is that supposed to mean?"

She exhaled sharply and began pacing around the room.

"So how did you end up outside the village then? You left to find yourself? Spiritual journey?"

Oliver rested his arms on the back of the chair and sighed deeply.

"It is a very long story."

She stopped and waved her hand casually.

"Say it. We have nothing but time here."

Oliver explained briefly while she listened intently. Her expression changed every minute. When he finished, she frowned deeply.

"Describe this masked man again."

"Black hat, eye patch, red hair with lots of white streaks, half his face covered with a black cloth. And he never replies unless you repeat the sentence ten times. Only then he tells you to step back."

She stopped walking and placed her hand gently on Oliver’s head.

"Kid, you are incredibly lucky."

"Lucky? I do not think anything I went through can be called luck."

"What you went through is a disaster, yes. But you are lucky you survived it at all, and that your legs are still attached to your body."

"What are you even talking about? Despite his creepy look, he is the reason we are alive."

She looked at him for a long moment, her eyes filled with something like pity.

"Kid, that man is a hunter of mythical creatures."

Oliver blinked.

"What?"

"He is the sort of person who gets close to things no sane person should approach." She interlocked her fingers in front of her mouth.

"I do not understand. That does not explain why reaching this place is supposed to be luck, nor why he helped us."

"He was not trying to save your village. Most likely he was chasing one target, maybe that great autumn spirit you mentioned."

"Why would he do that? And why help us? Even with my limited knowledge, are not most mythical creatures like that great autumn spirit? Why would anyone fight one intentionally?"

"Did he not already do that? Did he not try to kill that mythical creature?"

"He did that to save us."

"And what would someone capable of fighting a mythical creature be doing in your village mere days before it turned on you?" She scoffed. "Do not tell me he happened to pass by."

"He did."

She shook her head.

"There are no coincidences like that, kid. I saw this man myself hunting a mythical creature. I saw him kill my father."

"I am sorry to hear that if it is true. But I think you are talking about someone else. He would never do something like that. And I am sorry for saying this, but if he did, maybe your father was the one in the wrong."

She raised a brow, a sarcastic smile tugging at her lips.

"You are bold, kid. Luckily for you, my father’s death does not matter to me, and I am not one of those idiots who take everything as an insult."

"If it does not matter, why tell me?"

She pointed at him.

"Because this man hates mythical creatures, hates hybrids like us, hates anyone connected to them. I do not know why he is trying to get you out of the forest, but he is probably lying. Maybe using you as bait for some other creature. Maybe one of those mindless beasts. Or maybe he wants to lure that autumn spirit."

Oliver waved his hand in annoyance.

"Forget that. Let us go back to the main point. First, what exactly did you mean by mythical creature domain?"

"You clearly do not believe me. But fine. You are stuck here anyway, I doubt you will meet him. As for the domain, it is simply the range of a mythical creature’s influence."

"I need a clearer explanation, please."

She sighed, pushed her hair behind her ear, and started walking slowly along the wall.

"Look, the closer you are to a mythical creature, the stronger its influence becomes. Its domain is its own environment, its own world shaped by the strength of its existence."

"And we are stuck in this village because of that?"

"Yes." She gestured around the room. "We are trapped inside this place because of its magic. It uses people’s memories to create an illusion of an alternate reality built from the images carved inside their minds. The people live inside it without realizing they are trapped."

"Then how can you and I notice it while others do not? And are all the villagers like us?"

She shook her head.

"We can notice it because we are hybrids. We have half the blood of mythical creatures. Humans get swallowed gradually by this world. They melt into the illusion until they disappear completely, because they cannot resist its mental influence."

"That still does not explain how we got here. We were just following the masked man."

"Because the domain can use your memories." She tapped her temple. "It can create a fake doorway that blends with reality and pulls you inside without noticing. Or it can use your memories to create creatures or figures that lure you here."

"Is there no way to free them?"

"I do not think so. They are humans. They have no resistance to this kind of magic. They eventually become part of the city."

"City? Is this not a village?"

"It used to be a city as far as I remember. It changes every time more people fall into the domain, adapting to their memories to create the perfect illusion for them."

Oliver stood up straight.

"I am sure the masked man will find a way to save us."

She shrugged dismissively.

"You depend on that man too much. Trust me, the moment he realizes you are a burden, he will leave you without thinking twice. He will not risk himself or get trapped here for you."

"You speak like you know him."

She turned to him.

"I do know him, kid. Much longer than you have."