CHAPTER 32: CHAPTER 31: PARADISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST (5)

Silence filled the place for a moment after her words. Oliver did not move from where he stood.

She remained standing with her back to him.

Then she turned toward him and stared. She found him blinking rapidly as he looked at her, trying to process what she had said earlier.

"Are you sure you are not just an illusion trying to trick me into becoming part of the village?"

"What? And why would you think that at all? I have only been warning you since the beginning."

"I mean, you claim you have known the masked man for a long time, and you warn me that he hates mythical creatures. Yet you are still alive here. That is strange."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"If he is as bad as you describe, you would not still be alive right now, correct?"

She hesitated.

"That..."

"And honestly, I trust him more than I trust you."

"Why? I look far friendlier than he does."

He shook his head.

"It is not like that. But the way you talk makes it seem like you are trying to deceive me somehow. You sound like those old witches in stories who trick children by turning into beautiful forms."

She raised her hand and slapped him with a powerful strike.

"As I said before, you need to learn respect."

Oliver held his cheek.

"I did not mean any offense."

She pressed her hand to her temple and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Are you sure he is not your father?"

"Who do you mean? The masked man? I do not think so. He does not look that old."

She pointed at him.

"It is easy for someone to look younger than their real age."

"And in that case, are you actually an old woman?"

She slapped him again, this time on the other cheek.

"Did I not tell you to speak respectfully?"

He held both cheeks with both hands.

"I do not think this makes sense. Why would he be my father?"

"Think about it. Was he not the one who entered the forest to save you, according to what you said? And the forest is dangerous enough that no one dares to enter it?"

"Yes, but."

She cut him off.

"Did he not fight the corrupted Autumn Spirit because you asked him to? And was he not the one who offered to help you leave the village? Trust me, I know this man. He is not generous at all. He would have left you and rushed to kill the spirit."

"Yes."

"And also, throughout the journey, he gave you breaks whenever you asked, correct?"

"Yes, he did. But what does this have to do with him being my father?"

She waved her hand with irritation.

"That bastard never gave anyone a break no matter what. He made us walk nonstop until we arrived. The fact that he treated you differently even though you are a hybrid means he is your father in the end."

"If he is my father, then who is my mother? You?"

She slapped him this time with a blow so strong he flew backward and hit the ground.

"It is impossible for anything like that to happen between us."

Oliver stood up slowly, limping, and looked at her with annoyance.

"You know, all this violence was unnecessary. You could have just said no."

She extended her hand to him and helped him sit on the chair.

"Sorry, I lost control a little."

He pressed his cheek.

"Fine. In that case, who would my mother be?"

"I do not know. Maybe the Autumn Spirit you talked about."

"That is extremely stupid. Did you not say he hates mythical creatures and anything related to them?"

She answered sharply:

"I am not done yet. That explains a lot. A man who hates mythical creatures falling in love with one."

"That is ridiculous."

"And what is the problem? Do you have another explanation for why a man like him treats you this way?"

Oliver looked away.

"No..."

"Then we wait. That is all we can do."

"How will we know anything by just waiting?"

She rested a hand on her hip and looked straight into his eyes.

"If the man comes here trying to save you, that means he is your father. Simple."

"How does that prove anything?"

"Because I know him far better than you. Normally he would not risk anything for anyone. He is a complete bastard. If he made even the slightest effort to save you considering everything that happened earlier, that means he is your father."

"And if he does not?"

"Then he used you. Like I told you. Either he used you as bait or as a way to lure some mythical creature. It is obvious. We are just waiting to see which outcome happens."

"And what happens if he does not come?"

"Nothing that concerns us. I can stay here for years without anything affecting us. Time here does not move the same way it does outside."

"And what about the sage and the others?"

"You mean the humans? They will merge with the city and eventually dissolve. They will lose themselves and then disappear."

"There is no way to stop that?"

"Not for humans. Unless they become aware that they are inside a distorted reality mixing dream and wakefulness. And that is almost impossible."

Oliver turned and ran toward the door, stopping at the threshold before turning back to her.

"There is something else. Why does this tower look different on the inside than on the outside? And why...?" He stopped himself, waving dismissively. "Forget it. I do not have time for this."

But before he could step outside, she stopped him.

"I do not recommend that."

He turned toward her.

"Why?"

"If the villagers discover that you realize this is not reality, the guards will arrest you immediately and you will end up in prison."

"Guards? Aren’t they just illusions created by this domain?"

"Maybe. But the way they behave does not feel like illusions. And honestly, this part in particular is something I do not understand about this place."

"Can you explain instead of these vague sentences?"

She sighed with frustration.

"I told you, I do not know everything. I am only warning you. If you want to try yourself, go ahead. You will not convince them no matter what you do."

Oliver did not wait for another word. He ran outside immediately.

The village was the same as ever.

The sun in the middle of the sky, unmoving and unchanging.

The first thing Oliver did was search for the sage.

After running through every part of the village, he found him sitting in the village square on a simple wooden chair, swinging his legs restlessly.

"Sage,"

The sage raised his head toward him.

"Oliver? What are you doing here?"

Before he could answer, the woman who looked like Eleanor appeared from afar.

She carried a tray with several pieces of caramel apples and smiled in a strange way.

She offered one to the sage, then approached Oliver and extended another toward him.

"Do you want one?"

Oliver forced a smile while resisting the urge to run immediately.

"Thank you..."

He took it and walked away. When he was far enough, he stopped.

He looked at the candy in his hand, then threw it to the ground in disgust.

He muttered as he looked around.

"This is going to be way harder than I thought..."