“What did you say?”

“The energy here is different…”

He continued speaking without realizing he hadn't answered her exact question. His eyes wandered across the forest as he tried to put the feeling into words.

“It feels like a completely different world from the ones I've seen and passed through. Even the one I came from feels distant compared to this place. Everything is different—the air, the atmosphere, even the way everything seems to exist together.” He took a slow breath.

“I might actually get intoxicated by it.” The lady stared at him. She was surprised by his words. Most people who spoke about the forest spoke of death and loss.

For generations, the forest had been surrounded by frightening stories. Most people who entered never returned. Those who witnessed such disappearances claimed they had seen the forest's animals devour intruders.

Of course, most of those who entered had been fugitives, invaders, or people with questionable intentions. Still, no one truly understood how the forest worked or why its creatures attacked some people while leaving others untouched. Even she didn't understand it.

She couldn't remember the first time she had entered the forest. She only knew that she had been coming here for as long as she could remember.

The animals had always been different. Their bodies were larger, stronger, and stranger than those of ordinary creatures. Yet she had never been afraid of them. She played with them. Fed them. Pet them.

Over time, what others considered abnormal had become normal to her. Some people even considered her strange because of it. But there was something else she could never properly explain. Whenever she entered the forest, she felt at peace.

The soothing energy that surrounded everything seemed to lift her spirit. It was a feeling she couldn't find anywhere else. To her, the forest was heaven. She had never been able to put that feeling into words. Yet somehow, this stranger had.

His description had captured what she had always felt but could never explain. Perhaps that was why the animals had accepted him. Perhaps they sensed something about his heart.

“Although…” He scratched his cheek.

“I know that's not much of a reason. It probably sounds a little crazy.”

“It's a little crazy,” she replied, placing her hands behind her back. Then she smiled.

“But it's also unique.” I guess I'm not the only one. The thought brought her a strange sense of relief.

“Anyway, we should get going,” she said.

“Unless we plan on reaching the Kingdom after nightfall.”

“Hmm. Yes, that's true.” He glanced toward the path ahead.

“But is the exit really that far?”

“Just a little farther.” They continued walking. The woman led the way while the wanderer followed beside her. Neither noticed the four men they had escaped from preparing to leave.

A few minutes earlier, one of the men had warned their boss that it was getting late and that the Radiant Kingdom's guards would soon begin their scheduled patrol along the border. Waiting any longer would put them at risk. The Boss eventually agreed.

“Prepare to leave.” His men immediately began gathering their belongings. If the guards discovered them near the border, their mission could be jeopardized. Worse, their presence might alert their target that someone was hunting her.

They could always try again another day. If they failed today, the blame would fall on the information their employer had provided—not on them. At least, that was what the Boss intended to tell himself.

A few minutes later, the wanderer and the lady reached the western side of the forest. Before them stood a cave. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary opening in the earth. But an enormous oak tree grew directly in front of it, its wide branches spreading across the entrance.

The branches were strange. They curled around the edges of the cave as though someone had deliberately shaped them. Some intertwined along the stone walls, while others stretched across the opening, forming a natural gate of leaves and wood.

The pattern was almost too precise to be natural. The wanderer stopped. His eyes widened.

“This is it,” the lady said.

He barely heard her. “It's beautiful…”

He stepped closer. “Are you sure this wasn't made by someone?” She shook her head.

“I doubt it. Most people avoid talking about the forest. They consider entering it a taboo. I can't imagine anyone coming here just to create something like this.” She paused.

“Although… there could be people like you.” He glanced at her.

“Oh? I'll take that as a compliment.” She smiled faintly. Then she stepped toward the entrance.

The branches began to move. They folded away from one another, slowly opening a path through the natural gate. The wanderer's expression changed.

“By the way, won't we need a torch?” He looked into the cave.

“It's still fairly bright outside, but there's barely any light coming from inside.”

“Not at all.” She stepped through the opening.

“The cave has its own way of providing light.” She glanced back at him.

“Come on. You'll see.” He stared at her for a moment.

“Well, I've followed you this far. I suppose there's no reason to stop now.” He followed her inside. Before entering completely, however, he stopped. His senses spread through the area. Nothing. No humans. No immediate threat. Only fragments of the forest's energy.

He could also sense the presence of several creatures deeper within the cave. Their energy was stronger than that of the animals he had encountered earlier. But there was something unusual about it. A stain. Something darker mixed into their presence.

He frowned. “So she wasn't kidding. The creatures inside weren't ordinary either. I should thank her for helping me once this is over. His expression brightened slightly.”

“Although… I expected their energy to be higher.” He hid his disappointment and continued following her.

The moment they passed through the wooden gate, the branches folded back into place. The entrance disappeared behind them. For a moment, everything became completely dark. The cave was pitch black. It was like walking into a moonless night. The wanderer looked around.

She said the cave provides its own light. He couldn't see a thing. Yet she continued walking without hesitation. He considered asking her about it, but he sensed no concern from her. So he followed.

A few minutes passed. Then he noticed something. A faint glow appeared along the walls. He stopped. Small crystals were embedded in the stone. They emitted a soft blue-white light that illuminated the path.

He looked upward. There were more. Hundreds of them. Perhaps thousands. They stretched deeper into the cave, scattered across the walls and ceiling like stars in the night sky. The wanderer's eyes widened. The cave had transformed. What had appeared completely lifeless in the darkness was now glowing with countless points of light.

He looked ahead. The woman walked beneath the crystals, her black hooded cape moving gently with each step. The lights reflected against her clothing and illuminated her figure.

For a moment, he simply stared. It was breathtaking. A natural work of art. The cave looked like a piece of the night sky had been buried beneath the forest.

“This is…” He slowly exhaled.

“Breathtaking.” She glanced back.

“I've visited many beautiful places,” he continued. “I've seen sights that would leave most people speechless.” His gaze moved across the glowing crystals.

“But this…” He smiled.

“This takes the cake.” He looked toward her.

“How did you discover this?” She slowed.

“Actually…” She hesitated.

“I can't really say.” He waited.

“I've been coming to the forest for as long as I can remember. But I don't remember how I first found this place.”

The wanderer's expression changed slightly. “You don't?”

She shook her head. “No. I don't remember the first time I entered the forest either.”

She looked ahead.“I simply remember being here.”

For a moment, neither spoke. Then she continued walking.

“It's strange, I know. But we should keep moving. The exit is ahead.”

“Okay, ma'am.” He followed. He noticed that his question had made her uncomfortable, so he didn't press further. Whatever memories she had lost, she clearly wasn't ready to talk about them.

It took them more than ten minutes to reach the other side. The cave eventually opened into an old underground sewer system beneath the Radiant Kingdom. The structure had clearly been abandoned for years.

The Kingdom had built a newer sewer system elsewhere, leaving the old tunnels behind. The woman led him through the passage. Eventually, they reached a blocked stairway. At the end of it was a wall of old bricks. The wanderer looked around.

“Is this it?”

“Not yet.” She stepped closer to the wall. Beyond it lay a dark alley behind a grocery shop near the market square. Even underground, they could hear the distant sounds of merchants and customers going about their business.

The woman placed her palm against the wall. “I'm checking whether anyone is outside.” She closed her eyes. The wanderer watched.

A moment later, he understood what she was doing. Wave Detection Art. She wasn't simply listening. She was extending her senses through the wall and detecting the sounds on the other side. He smiled faintly.

“Impressive.” After several seconds, she opened her eyes.

“No one is there.” She reached beneath her cloak and pulled out a necklace.

The pendant was unusual. It was shaped almost exactly like a missing piece of one of the bricks in the wall. The wanderer immediately sensed energy within it. She pressed the pendant against the brick.

The wall reacted. The surrounding bricks began to glow. Then they transformed into a shimmering doorway. The wanderer's eyes widened.

A magic gateway.

“Come on,” she whispered.

“Before someone comes around.”

“Yes.” He followed her.

They stepped through the doorway. For a moment, the wanderer expected to see the same wall on the other side. Instead, they emerged several inches away from the alley wall. He turned. The doorway remained suspended in the air behind them. He studied it carefully. The energy connecting the two entrances was identical.

“So it's not really opening a door.” His eyes narrowed.

“She's creating a link between two locations. The pendant acted as a key. The brick acted as the lock. And the doorway connected the old sewer system to the alley. Interesting.” He glanced at the woman.

She seemed completely unconcerned. Does she even know what she's doing? He looked at the necklace. Perhaps she knew exactly what it was. Perhaps she didn't. Either way, he decided not to ask. There was no need to overstep his boundaries.

The woman stepped into the alley. The wanderer followed. Behind them, the magical doorway disappeared. The brick wall returned to normal. Not a single trace remained. He glanced back one last time. Then he smiled.“Interesting.”

Beside him, the woman quietly exhaled in relief. She had no idea what he had just realized.

And, for now, he had no intention of telling her.