The forest fell silent.
Only the sound of heavy breathing remained as the gray ash drifted through the cold air.
Znozor struggled to stay on his feet, one hand pressed tightly against the deep wounds on his chest.
Branoc slowly stood beside him, his legs still shaking from fear.
Ignis calmly walked toward them.
His footsteps were slow and steady.
With every step, Znozor's heart beat faster.
Branoc instinctively took a step behind Znozor.
Neither of them knew if this mysterious werewolf was friend or enemy.
Ignis stopped a few feet away.
His peaceful eyes looked at both of them.
"Are you two alright?" he asked in a calm voice.
Znozor tried to answer but winced in pain.
"I... I'm hurt pretty badly."
Ignis glanced at the blood covering Znozor's coat.
"I can see that."
He looked toward the deeper part of the forest.
"Come with me."
Znozor frowned.
"...Where?"
"A safe place."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Ignis simply waited.
Finally, Znozor nodded.
"I don't think we have many choices."
He tried to walk but nearly collapsed.
Before he could fall, Ignis quickly stepped beside him.
He gently supported Znozor by placing his shoulder beneath his arm.
"Easy."
Znozor looked at him with surprise.
"...Thank you."
Branoc quietly followed behind them.
The three walked through the dead forest together.
The fog slowly swallowed the battlefield behind them.
Neither Znozor nor Branoc spoke.
Both stayed alert.
Their eyes constantly watched Ignis.
What if this was another trap?
What if he was leading them somewhere worse?
The silence only made those thoughts louder.
After several minutes, the trees slowly opened.
Ahead of them stood an ancient building.
It looked like an old church.
Its stone walls were cracked.
The roof had partially collapsed.
Broken stained-glass windows let the gray light shine inside.
Ancient gravestones surrounded the church, their surfaces worn smooth by centuries of wind and rain. Most of the names had faded into illegibility—only a few letters remained, barely visible beneath layers of moss. The mist curled around them like ghostly fingers, as if the dead themselves were reaching out.
Dead vines crawled across the walls.
The place looked abandoned for many years.
Ignis stopped.
"We're here."
He slowly helped Znozor inside.
Dust floated through the air as they entered. The faint sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere deep within. The smell of old wood and damp stone filled their lungs. Faded paintings of saints covered the walls, their faces barely visible through layers of age and grime.
The inside was just as old as the outside.
Broken wooden benches were scattered across the floor.
The altar at the front was cracked.
Pieces of stone lay everywhere.
Yet somehow...
The place still felt peaceful.
Znozor carefully lay down on the floor against one of the broken walls.
He let out a long breath.
Branoc immediately sat beside him.
Ignis looked at Znozor's wounds.
"You've lost a lot of blood."
"I'll bring some bandages."
"Rest until I return."
Without waiting for a reply, he quietly walked outside.
His footsteps slowly disappeared.
Silence filled the old church once again.
Branoc looked toward the doorway.
"Do... do you think we can trust him?"
Znozor stared at the broken ceiling.
"I honestly don't know."
"He saved us."
Branoc nodded.
"He could've left us back there."
"Or killed us."
"Yeah."
Znozor closed his eyes for a moment.
"But remember that crying child?"
Branoc's expression turned serious.
"The one that was actually a monster..."
Znozor slowly nodded.
"We thought it needed help."
"And it almost got us killed."
Branoc swallowed nervously.
"What if this is the same thing?"
"What if this church is a trap?"
"What if he's only pretending to be kind?"
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
The silence inside the church became strangely heavy.
Znozor's mind raced. Every instinct told him to be wary. But the careful way Ignis had carried him, the gentleness in his movements... it didn't feel like a trap. And yet, after everything they'd been through, Znozor knew better than to trust appearances.
Then...
A calm voice came from behind them.
"Don't worry."
Both Znozor and Branoc froze.
Their entire bodies stiffened.
Goosebumps covered their skin.
Very slowly...
They turned around.
Standing near the entrance...
Was Ignis.
Branoc nearly jumped.
"W-When did you get back?!"
Ignis looked at them calmly.
"I heard enough."
Both Znozor and Branoc looked at each other.
Their faces turned pale.
Had he heard everything?
Ignis let out a small sigh.
"Don't worry."
"I am one of the good ones."
He lifted a small cloth bag.
"I found some clean bandages."
He walked over and carefully knelt beside Znozor.
His movements were gentle.
He slowly wrapped the bandages around the deep wounds on Znozor's chest.
Znozor flinched slightly.
"Sorry," Ignis said.
"It may hurt a little."
After tying the final bandage, he nodded.
"There."
"These should help until your body heals."
"Just get some rest."
Znozor looked down at the clean bandages.
"...Thank you."
Ignis gave a small nod.
Then he looked at both of them.
"I never asked."
"What are your names?"
Znozor answered first.
"My name is Znozor."
Branoc smiled.
"And I'm Branoc."
Ignis nodded once.
"It's good to meet you both."
Znozor hesitated before asking,
"What about you?"
Ignis remained silent for a second.
Then he answered.
"My name is Ignis Wolfheart."
He rested one hand on the massive sword strapped to his back.
"And this..."
He gently touched the hilt.
"...is Homura."
Branoc's eyes became huge.
"Wooooow..."
"That's such a cool name!"
He looked between Ignis and the enormous sword.
"You were amazing back there!"
"I've never seen anyone fight like that!"
Branoc jumped to his feet, his hands waving wildly as he reenacted the fight.
"First, you just walked through the fog like you owned it! So calm! So peaceful! You didn't even look scared!"
"Then—BAM!—you cut that cursed wolf with one swing! Like it was nothing! And after that, you jerked your sword to clean the blood—so cool!"
"And the way you took that calm breath before the fight! Like you were meditating! You didn't even flinch when the wolf lunged!"
"And your sword..."
"Homura, right?"
"You said 'Blaze beyond limits... Homura!'"
He mimicked the voice, deepening it dramatically.
"And the sword turned into flames!"
He spun around clumsily, nearly tripping over a broken bench.
"And then you did that crazy overhead strike!"
He swung his arm in a wide arc.
"And the spinning slash!"
Another spin, this time almost falling.
"Arms and legs flying everywhere!"
"The cursed wolf turned to ash!"
"I saw the flames drop to the ground and burn! Like liquid gold!"
"The hiss sound when you burned them—"
"That shing sound of your sword—"
"It was like a work of art!"
His eyes sparkled like stars.
"You're definitely the strongest person I've ever met, Ignis!"
"Maybe even stronger than Znozor!"
Znozor raised an eyebrow.
"Hey."
Branoc quickly added, "No offense!"
Ignis let out a quiet chuckle.
"My father used to tell me stories about warriors like you," Branoc said, his excitement briefly softening. "He said there were heroes who could make their swords burn with the fire of justice. I didn't believe him..."
He smiled faintly.
"Until now."
Ignis looked at Homura for a moment. "Homura has been with me for a long time. Longer than most have lived." His voice held a quiet weight. "And she still has much work to do."
Then suddenly—
Grrrrrr...
A loud growl echoed through the church.
Branoc froze.
His cheeks instantly turned red.
He slowly looked down.
"My... stomach..."
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I'm really hungry..."
Znozor couldn't help smiling despite the pain.
Ignis let out a quiet chuckle.
"I'll see what I can find."
He stood up and adjusted the sword on his back.
"Stay here."
"I won't be gone long."
"Hopefully I can find something good to eat."
With those words, Ignis quietly walked toward the broken doorway.
His figure slowly disappeared into the gray mist outside.
Znozor leaned back against the old stone wall and closed his eyes, exhausted.
Branoc quietly watched Ignis leave before letting out a small sigh.
For the first time since entering the cursed forest, they finally felt a little safer.