"Some places do not just hold memories. They hold rage that never fades."
After destroying the fragment of Vaegnir, the black crystal we found kept beating, like a heart that refused to stop living. When we returned to the surface, Elvira focused her magic on the crystal. A magical compass was formed—a thin beam pointing southeast.
"Ilmara Forest..." I muttered.
A forbidden region. Full of dark tales and myths about trees that could speak. A place where even the forest guardians dared not tread.
We continued our journey with swift horses, cutting through frozen lands toward the green zone that stood like an island amid the frozen wilderness. As we approached, the trees seemed to breathe—watching, observing, judging.
"Are you sure this is the way?" Elvira asked hesitantly, staring at the forest that seemed to writhe.
"No," I replied honestly, "but we don't have any other choice."
The moment we set foot in the forest, the world changed. The air grew thicker, like fog shrouded in ancient magic. Sunlight seeped through only as thin lines, as if filtered by something unseen.
Then the whispers came.
"Elvira... do you hear that?" I asked, gripping my sword's hilt.
"Yes... like children crying," she replied softly.
We looked down. Among the giant roots, something was buried—a small skull, wrapped in vines.
"They're victims..." I whispered, "...children from ancient spirit magic experiments. Turned into vessels for summoning magic."
Traces of ancient magic circles spread across the ground, mixed with signs of summoning rituals. This forest was not just a forest.
"This is not a forest. It's a graveyard."
The wind suddenly swirled. The mist thickened. From between the trees, a woman appeared, draped in vines, her face hidden behind long, unkempt hair. Her eyes were blind, yet the aura emanating from her was as powerful as a storm.
"You come bearing a fragment," she said softly, but her voice echoed. "And that fragment brings death."
"We mean no harm," I tried to reason. "We only seek to stop the revival of ancient power."
"No one comes to Ilmara without evil intent," she replied coldly.
The trees trembled. Sharp branches lashed out, encircling us. Elvira quickly formed a barrier of light, but the magic roots continued to spread, piercing through the shield like spears of darkness.
"We won't fight if you're willing to talk!" I shouted.
"Those who bring light… are the very ones who burn our home!"
The spirit of Ilmara raised her hands, and from beneath the ground, black roots surged in an attack called Doom Root. One of the roots pierced my shoulder—warm blood flowed.
I gritted my teeth, and with my free hand, threw the Vaegnir crystal to the ground before her.
The crystal pulsed.
The spirit fell silent.
"You… bring a bound soul," she whispered. "Not to be used… but to be destroyed?"
"Yes. I did not come as a conqueror," I said, "I came to heal wounds."
The wind stopped. The fog slowly receded. The spirit of Ilmara stepped back and pointed at the trunk of a massive tree that slowly parted, revealing an ancient altar.
On the altar lay spirit magic scrolls—maps and notes about the sealing of ancient artifacts from the Great War.
Elvira read them slowly. Her face grew tense.
"This… is one of the Four Pillars of Fate…"
Four artifacts that supposedly contained the essence of the great conflict between the kingdom and demonic entities. One of them—Vaegnir—had awakened. The other three... scattered, waiting.
"Those pillars... if all are awakened, they will open the Gate of the Old World," I murmured.
"And bring forth a calamity that cannot be undone."
Before we left, the spirit of Ilmara approached and placed one cold finger on my chest.
"The other three... will not be as kind as I am," she whispered. "And when all are opened... the world will choose—whether to burn, or to change."
As we stepped out of Ilmara, the scent of blood still lingered in the air—even though there had been no more fighting.
Minato's steps grew deeper into the ruins of forgotten fate. But every place he visited not only gave him answers…
...it reopened wounds the world tried to forget.