The slope narrowed, and the forest seemed to swallow everything—twisted trunks leaned over the path, long, damp branches hung like claws ready to capture anyone who dared to advance.

Sylphie continued ahead, breathing heavily, her eyes intent on every movement of the trees. Her mana pulsed like a racing heart.

But something was wrong.

The forest was attacking her.

Branches snapped suddenly, vines moved on their own, and roots rose from the ground, trying to snare her ankles. The air was too dense, saturated with energy—so much so that every breath burned her lungs.

Amelia cut a vine that nearly wrapped around her leg and swore loudly,

"This isn't natural!" she screamed, jumping back as the ground gave way beneath her feet.

Sylphie turned and raised her hands, making a circle with her fingers. A wave of green mana spread around them, forming a temporary barrier.

"I know!" she replied, her eyes shining. "But the forest shouldn't react like this. It's... panicking."

Irelia swung her spear, slicing through branches reaching toward them. "Panic? Do trees feel panic now?"

"When the heart of the forest is wounded, yes!" Sylphie growled, panting. "Something is stirring the mana here. I've never seen it react like this."

The barrier trembled and shattered with a crack. Leaves flew, and the wind roared with a force that slammed them to the ground.

Amelia coughed, trying to get up. "If this is Kael's fault, I swear I'll punch him into the next era."

Sylphie ignored the comment. The energy around her was shifting—she could feel it pulsing beneath the ground, vibrating through the roots, as if something, or someone, was sucking the forest's lifeblood.

"He's just ahead," she said softly.

Irelia narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?"

Sylphie didn't answer. She simply touched the ground and let her mana flow, following the trail. Her body relaxed, and for a moment she seemed to hear something distant, like a heartbeat...

A human heartbeat. Faint, but steady.

She stood and pointed east. "That way. And fast."

The three of them ran.

The path was treacherous: the ground sank, slippery roots tore at their boots, and mist covered the ground up to their knees.

But Sylphie felt the call—the mana connection pulled her like an invisible rope.

The air began to grow colder. The trees grew thinner, twisted, their trunks blackened by unstable energy.

The ground turned stony, and the smell of damp earth gave way to something metallic, heavy—the smell of blood.

Amelia paused for a moment, observing her surroundings. "This... isn't natural."

"Nothing here is," Irelia replied firmly. "But if Kael is there, we don't have time to be scared."

They continued, pushing branches, cutting vines, climbing the steep terrain. Each step seemed more difficult—the forest fought against them, as if refusing to let them reach it.

Sylphie held up her hand. "Stop."

They both obeyed.

There was something ahead. A small field, almost a clearing, where the air trembled with energy.

From the center, voices came. Low. One female—shaky, almost crying. Another, deep, sharp.

They looked at each other.

Irelia was the first to step forward. Carefully, she pushed aside the branches that blocked her view.

And then they saw him.

Kael was there.

Kneeling before the princess, his sword drawn, pointed directly at her chest.

The girl was crying, her blue eyes wide, her trembling hands clutching a medallion to her chest.

The wind was heavy, and mana pulsed around them like a racing heart.

Sylphie held her breath. "Kael…" she whispered.

But before she could take another step, Irelia stepped forward—without hesitation.

The sound of leaves breaking made Kael turn quickly.

His golden eyes flashed for a moment, and military instinct made him stand up in one fluid motion.

When he recognized the three figures emerging from the mist, he froze.

The tension suddenly broke.

Kael took a deep breath, slowly lowered his sword, and sheathed the blade.

The silence that followed was heavy. Only the distant sound of wind rustling through the leaves broke the scene.

"Finally," Amelia said breathlessly, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I thought I'd have to dig your grave in the middle of this forest."

Kael gave a tired half-smile. "It would be hard to bury me, considering I'm still breathing."

Sylphie, however, didn't laugh. Her gaze was fixed on the princess, who was trembling, tears still streaming down her face.

"What's going on here, Kael?" she asked, her voice firm and matter-of-fact.

Kael looked at the ground for a moment, his hand still on the hilt of his sword, before looking up again.

"She... told me something. Something really big."

Irelia crossed her arms. "Be more specific."

Kael took a deep breath. "She said the kingdom of Skaldi... will fall. That the king might already be dead."

The silence spread like wildfire.

Amelia blinked in disbelief. "What...?"

Sylphie stepped forward, her expression hardening. "Skaldi... will fall? That's impossible. Their barrier is ancient, supported by sealing pillars dating back to the era of the first king."

Kael shook his head. "That's what she said. That the walls are breaking. That the mana there has become corrupted... and that the king told her to flee."

He looked at the princess, who was still kneeling, hugging the medallion.

"She told her to go to Azalith. She said the head of the Institute was the only one who could prevent 'the complete fall.'"

Amelia stared at him, still stunned. "The complete fall...?"

Sylphie frowned. "...Of what?"

Kael hesitated. "Of the mainland."

His words fell like stones.

No one moved.

Only the sound of the wind rustling through the trees remained—a whisper that seemed to mock the gravity of it all.

Sylphie felt a shiver run down her spine. She knelt beside the princess, studying her with green eyes that shone in the dim light of the forest.

"Is it true?" she asked, her voice soft but sharp.

The princess looked at her, her eyes red from crying. "It's... it's all I know." She held the medallion between her fingers, trembling. "Skaldi began to crumble inside. Mana storms arose... and people began to go mad. My father said something had been unleashed."

"Unleashed?" Amelia repeated. "What do you mean, unleashed?"

"I don't know!" the princess cried, her voice breaking. "I only know he said the veil was opening. That everything that held the balance... was shattering!"

Sylphie was silent for a moment, her gaze lost in the medallion. The runes glowed softly, too ancient and complex to be human.

"That seal..." she murmured. "It's not Skaldi's. It's older."

Irelia frowned. "Then she's not lying."

Kael sighed and sat down on a fallen log, the weight of her body seeming to crush him.

"No. It's not."

Amelia crossed her arms. "So you're telling me we're carrying a runaway princess whose kingdom is crumbling from within, and the entire continent could be about to follow suit?"

Kael gave a short, humorless laugh. "You summed it up well."

Sylphie looked at him seriously. "And you even threatened her with a sword?"

Kael looked away. "I needed to know if she was lying." His voice was low, weary. "I've seen people die for the smallest secrets."

Sylphie took a deep breath. "I know." And then, more softly, "But we're not enemies here."

For a moment, the distant sound of the forest seemed to quieten. The wind blew, carrying with it the stifling heat of the surrounding mana.

The princess wiped her face, shrinking a little under the gaze of the three. "I... I'm sorry."

Irelia approached, stopping in front of her.

"If what you said is true... then Skaldi's problem is already ours too."

Amelia snorted. "Speak for yourself. I only came to make sure Kael didn't die by hanging from some cursed tree."

"It could still happen," Kael muttered wearily.

Sylphie ignored the exchange of barbs. She stood and looked around. "The forest reacted because of this."

"This what?" Amelia asked.

"The imbalance." Sylphie touched the trunk of a nearby tree, feeling the irregular pulses of mana coursing beneath the bark. "Skaldi have always been one of the great anchors of the continent. If their barrier is falling... all the ancient forests will feel it."

She looked at Kael. "And that's why the forest attacked you. It wasn't you who hurt her. It was what she felt coming from the north."

Kael was silent, taking it in.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on every muscle, but there was something else there—an uneasy feeling, as if they were in the midst of something much greater than they could comprehend.

"So the king sent you to find the headmaster of Azalith..." he murmured, looking at the princess. "The same institute where the study of mana seals began."

She nodded hesitantly. "Yes... he said the director was the only one who could 'rebuild the veil.'"

Sylphie exchanged a look with Irelia—they both recognized the term.

"Rebuilding the veil" wasn't something you said out loud.

"That's crazy," Irelia said. "No one even knows if the veil can be rebuilt."

Sylphie looked back at the princess. "Your father believed so."

The girl just lowered her gaze, tears welling up again. "He... he just wanted to protect me."

Kael stood up slowly and took a deep breath. His face was serious, but less hard.

"So, for now, we'll take you to Azalith."

Amelia arched an eyebrow. "And since when did we become princess nannies?"

"Since she can hold the answer to stop everyone from dying," he replied dryly.

Sylphie nodded. "He's right. If Skaldi's seal is broken for good, the balance of mana will collapse. And the forest..."

She looked at the surrounding trees. The leaves were now moving slowly, as if listening. "...will devour the entire world."

Silence fell again.

Kael looked at the horizon, where the mist was beginning to dissipate.

The wind was blowing lighter now—but deep down, he knew it was just the calm before the next storm.

He adjusted his cloak on his shoulders and looked at the three of them. "We move at dawn."

The princess was still kneeling, but when she looked at him, something in her eyes had changed.

It wasn't just fear anymore. It was determination.