As they continued traveling toward Fortelia, they were now on the fifth day of their journey.
"Here, Alita," Mok said with a warm smile as he held up a ring between his fingers. "I see this one fascinated you." He handed her the blue-stoned ring. "You can use it to practice. Take good care of it, and return it to me later."
"Yes, thank you, Mok!" she replied enthusiastically.
"And how do I use it?" Alita asked, examining the object curiously.
"You need to think about how water flows or simply say 'water' out loud," Mok explained patiently.
Suddenly, a jet of water shot out from the ring, drenching Ron directly in the face.
"Alita, stop!" Ron shouted as he was soaked by the unexpected torrent.
"Oops! Sorry," she apologized, though her mischievous smile hinted at some amusement.
Ron shook his head, trying to recover from the shock.
"If you're going to practice, do it when we're out of the carriage! Now I'm completely soaked, and I don't have a spare set of clothes!"
"Well, calm down, it wasn't that bad," Mok interjected, pulling another ring from his pocket. With an elegant gesture, he summoned a burst of dry heat that instantly dried Ron off.
"Awesome! Thanks, Mok," the young man said, visibly relieved.
Paltio observed his butler with admiration. He still couldn't believe that this man, whom he had always considered merely his royal caretaker and part of the household staff, harbored so many secrets and extraordinary abilities. He recalled all the stories and tales Mok had told him during his childhood: heroic feats, epic duels, and unforgettable journeys. He had always thought they were mere fantasies, but now, after everything they'd been through together, he realized they were truths hidden beneath a veil of humility.
Moved, Paltio looked at Mok and gave him a sincere smile. The butler, sensing the gesture, responded with a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"Why did you do it, Mok?" Paltio asked, intrigued.
"Well, seeing you smile made me think it would be a nice gesture to return the favor," Mok replied calmly.
"But… do you even know why I smiled?" Paltio pressed, furrowing his brow slightly.
"No, Master, but if I were to guess, I'd say it's because you thought the stories I told you were just that—stories, not truths. And now, perhaps, you finally believe me."
The prince's eyes widened in surprise.
"Did you ask Golden to read my mind?"
"No need for that, Master. Remember, I raised you, so I know all your tricks and what you think," Mok responded affectionately.
"Well..." Paltio murmured, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing slightly.
"Hey! Quiet down," Pax interrupted, raising a hand to get the group's attention. "There are several carriages ahead in line, and they aren't moving. I'll go check what's going on."
Without wasting time, Pax climbed down from the carriage and approached the wagon just ahead. But when he arrived, he discovered something strange: there was no one—not in the driver's seat nor among the passengers. Only the horses remained still, tied to their posts. Perplexed, he moved on to the next carriage, but the result was the same: completely empty.
Pax returned hurriedly to the group, his brow furrowed.
"This is strange," Pax announced, clearly troubled. "I just went to check why they weren't moving, but there was no one in any of the carriages. Only the horses remain, and they aren't budging."
"What?" everyone exclaimed in unison.
"We need to clear the carriages so we can pass," Paltio proposed urgently.
"There are a lot of them, Prince," Pax retorted, crossing his arms. "It would take us at least two more days to get them off the road."
"But then how do we proceed? Isn't there another way?" Ron asked anxiously, looking around.
"No, this is the only one," Mok confirmed gravely. "The first king of Avocadolia designed a network of trails and bridges that exclusively connected each town. Taking another route would take much longer, and we'd have to leave the carriage and horses behind."
"Damn it!" Paltio exclaimed in frustration, slamming his fist hard against the side of the carriage. "Is nothing going right?"
"Patience, Master," Mok said firmly, placing a calming hand on the young prince's shoulder. "You'll see—we'll find a solution."
At that moment, they noticed some tracks on the ground.
"What are those tracks?" Ron asked, illuminating the area with his improvised lantern.
"There are so many…" the boy murmured, observing how the marks stretched into the darkness.
"Perhaps if we follow them, we can find the owners of these carriages and make them clear the road," Alita suggested with determination.
"Yes, I think you're right. Let's go," Paltio agreed, nodding decisively.
"Pax, are you coming?" Alita asked, glancing at him.
"No, thanks. I'll stay here. I'm not in the mood to venture into the unknown," Pax replied indifferently, crossing his arms.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Are you scared?"
"Scared, me? Never!" Pax shot back, feigning indignation.
"Well, if you want to stay, then stay," Alita said with a shrug. "After all, we have Mok with us."
"Fine, go ahead," Pax responded, waving them off casually.
The rest of the group set off, following the tracks. They walked along paths marked through the underbrush, while Pax remained seated in the carriage. However, shortly after the others left, he began to feel something strange—a sort of insect slowly crawling up his arm.
"What is this?" Pax muttered, trying to make it out under the dim light of his helmet. But before he could react, something dropped onto him—not just on his helmet, but completely covering him. The fire from his torch extinguished abruptly, plunging everything into absolute darkness. A blood-curdling scream shattered the silence, alerting the group, who rushed back to the spot.
When they arrived, they found the carriage empty. There was no trace of Pax.
"Very funny, Red Shadows soldier! Where are you?" Alita shouted, scanning the area.
"Alita, that man has never been funny. He doesn't even try to be," Mok pointed out, frowning.
"He probably went off to investigate the area," Ron suggested, pointing toward the dark forest.
"I don't think so. That scream we heard—it was his voice, though always gloomy and full of superiority," Paltio observed seriously.
"No doubt about it," Mok agreed. "We'd better investigate where he might have gone."
"Look here!" Paltio exclaimed, pointing to a patch of grass near the carriage. "It seems something moved through this area. The grass is flattened, as if something heavy had stepped on it."
"You're right, Master. We should investigate," Mok suggested, taking the lead cautiously.
The four advanced in a line: Mok and Paltio at the front, followed closely by Alita and Ron. However, just as they were about to cross a particularly dense thicket of bushes, Ron began to mutter:
"But what is this? I can't move…"
Before he could say anything else, his voice faded completely.
A moment passed, and Alita noticed that Ron was no longer speaking. Concerned, she turned to see what was wrong. But when she looked back, she discovered that Ron had vanished. Frightened, she prepared to warn Paltio and Mok—but just then, something emerged from the ground and grabbed her ankles with great force.
"Ahhh!" Alita screamed as she was dragged downward. She tried to resist but was powerless against the supernatural strength pulling her. Within seconds, she too disappeared, leaving behind only an eerie silence.
Mok and Paltio heard Alita's scream and spun around immediately. The atmosphere grew tense, heavy with an ominous presence. Mok unsheathed his sword, ready for any attack.
Suddenly, the torch he was holding went out without warning. Quickly, he pulled out his magical lantern to illuminate the area—but before he could identify anything, a viscous, sticky substance erupted from the ground and ensnared him. It was slime, thick and slippery, beginning to wrap around him entirely.
"Run, Master Paltio! Run!" Mok shouted desperately as he struggled to free himself. But the slime dragged him into the darkness until he vanished completely.
Paltio, horrified, tried to shine light on the spot where Mok had been moments before. However, before he could focus on his lantern, something snatched it from his hands. Darkness enveloped him completely, leaving him alone and vulnerable.
Paltio found himself plunged into total darkness, disoriented and unsure of what had happened to his friends. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the echo of his own labored breathing. Just as fear began to take hold of him, Golden appeared projected in his usual holographic form, faintly illuminating his face with golden light.
"Master Paltio," Golden said calmly, though sensing the tension in the air, "use the light in your boots."
In the chaos, his heart racing wildly, the boy suddenly remembered that detail. In the heat of the moment, he had completely forgotten about that feature. Without wasting another second, he tapped his boots together twice, just as he'd been taught. Instantly, a warm, powerful light emanated from them, illuminating the surroundings evenly.
However, far from easing his fear, the scene that unfolded before his eyes made his heart stop for a moment. His expression shifted immediately: initial fear gave way to even greater terror.