The forest around them shimmered with an otherworldly glow—violet grass curling like flames beneath their boots, and clusters of pale, glowing flowers swaying even without wind. The path ahead twisted into mist and mystery.
"Boy," the commander grunted, his voice cutting through the silence. "Are you sure this will work?"
Ryu glanced at him, his expression calm but unreadable. "It might. It might not. But it's the best chance we've got."
The commander didn't respond, only nodded grimly.
As they trudged forward, Ryu looked around at the knights. A few were pushing a large wooden cart filled with supplies, their armor clinking softly with each step. He scanned their faces, frowning slightly.
"Where's Gareth?"
The commander stopped walking. His silence stretched long before he finally muttered, "Gareth died… along with most of the other soldiers."
Ryu stilled. A flicker of sorrow passed through him—but mostly, it was pity. He hadn't known Gareth well enough to mourn him, but he had been the only one who believed Ryu.
He looked down at the dark-purple grass. "It's sad that he died."
Then his eyes lifted to the glowing white-blue blossoms scattered along the path. "But those who survived must live on." A breath. A promise. "We will avenge him."
The commander's gaze lingered on Ryu's back. There was something soft in his eyes—respect, maybe even adoration—but Ryu didn't turn around to see it.
"I… apologize," the commander said suddenly.
Ryu looked at him over his shoulder. "Apologize? For what?"
The older man chuckled, half-shame, half-amusement. "When we first met, I didn't believe you. I made the knights beat you up."
A wry smile tugged at Ryu's lips. "Don't worry about it. Honestly, I might've done the same."
They continued walking. The silence between them was easier now, like a burden had been lifted. But Ryu's mind shifted inward.
Avalin's Deception.
He whispered the skill's name under his breath. A chime rang softly in his ears as a translucent screen materialized in front of him.
[Skill: Avalin's Deception]
[Description: You are able to conjure illusions on a singular person. The strength and complexity of these illusions depend on the user's divine affiliation. It is easier to control illusions when the target's senses are blocked.]
So the old men's stories weren't just nonsense after all, he mused.
But how did it work? Was he supposed to chant it aloud? Focus? Gesture? He didn't know. A skill this delicate… he'd have to test it.
"Checkpoint ahead!" one of the knights called.
The group began setting up camp in a clearing surrounded by towering crystal-barked trees. Ryu quietly motioned to one of the younger knights.
"I want to test something," he said. "Will you help me?"
The knight nodded. "As long as it's not dangerous."
"It's not," Ryu promised. "I just need you to trust me."
He led the knight to a secluded alcove. Embarrassed to say the skill's name out loud again, Ryu simply closed his eyes and concentrated—focused on the knight, the power, and the strange sense the forest gave him.
The chime sounded.
[You have activated the skill: Avalin's Deception]
[Because you are in Avalin's Forest, the effectiveness of the skill has increased threefold.]
Ryu felt his consciousness shift—like plunging into water, but not drowning. He wasn't in a different place, but rather… a different perspective. He could see his own body, standing still across from the knight.
Then he realized—he was inside the knight's perspective. Seeing through his eyes. Feeling his confusion. He tried to speak, but no words came.
What the hell…? he thought. It was disorienting—being present but not in control. Still, he pressed on.
He focused, pushing the image of the church—the place he knew best—into the forefront of his mind. Slowly, the forest around them began to melt away. Stained glass windows rose from the earth. Candlelight flickered on stone walls. The soft rustle of pews and distant bells filled the air.
The knight panicked, stumbling backward in fear. It was working.
Then—pain. Sharp, white-hot. Ryu clutched his head as the illusion shattered. The chime sounded again.
[The skill: Avalin's Deception has been deactivated.]
He dropped to his knees, wincing. The knight was still disoriented, gasping in confusion.
"You okay?" the knight asked after a while, offering a hand.
Ryu nodded, still grimacing. He stood, albeit slowly.
As they walked back toward the camp, the knight asked, "What was that, anyway?"
Ryu exhaled, the pain finally fading. "That," he said with a grin, "is probably our best chance at killing Kolasis."
Back at the camp, a few knights gave them strange looks, but Ryu ignored them. He walked past them to where the commander stood, slamming his hand against a tree in frustration.
"I planned to kill that thing long ago," he snapped, "but I can't seem to find it!"
A few knights tried to calm him down, to little success.
Ryu stepped forward. "We don't need to look for it," he said.
The commander turned to him, confused.
"It'll look for us," Ryu explained. "Kolasis has always found us before, hasn't it? It will come again—and when it does, we'll be ready."
The commander stared at him for a long beat. Then he called the knights to gather. One of them retrieved a barrel of alcohol, setting it beside the fire. The commander straightened his back, his voice loud and firm.
"We might die tonight. Or fifty years from now. But no matter when it is, we face it as comrades."
The knights erupted in a quiet cheer, passing around the barrel, each taking small sips—just enough for courage, leaving most of it just in case they needed it.
When it reached Ryu, the others looked at him expectantly.
He stared at the drink for a moment, then handed it back with a half-smile. "I'll drink it fifty years from now."
Cheers rang around the fire, and for the first time in days, there was laughter.