Viqce padded silently through the thick undergrowth, her massive paws barely making a sound against the damp forest floor. Her nose twitched, constantly sifting through the mingled scents of earth, foliage, and magic. The mist still clung to the air, curling between trees like cautious ghosts. She moved with purpose, retracing her earlier steps through the labyrinthine woods until she reached the spot beneath a gnarled root where she had carefully placed the unicorn-shaped rock and the sparkling pebble.
She crouched low, pressing her snout close to the mossy ground, her whiskers twitching as she focused every ounce of her senses. The forest floor was thick with damp earth, fallen leaves, and the subtle traces of magical residue. Her breath came slow and deep as she filtered through the overlapping scents, mud, old bark, a hint of lingering cooking smoke from the camp. Then she stilled completely, muscles coiled like a spring, ears twitching for the faintest confirmation.
There. Just beneath the layers of natural odor, faint, almost imperceptible. A delicate thread of scent, fragile as gossamer spun in moonlight. It clung to the moss like dew, curling upward from the earth like a whisper spoken only to those who knew how to listen. It wasn't strong, but it was real.
Viqce's body tensed, the fur along her back raising slightly. Her eyes sharpened, locked onto the invisible trail as instinct took over. Whatever had happened to Sakura, this was the first sign she'd left behind, and Viqce would not lose it.
In an instant, she bolted forward, her black-furred form streaking between trees like a living shadow. Branches blurred past. She barely touched the ground, her momentum driven by instinct and urgency. The wisp of scent strengthened, sharpening into something unmistakable.
It led her to the roots of an ancient, towering tree, its canopy stretching wide enough to block the sun. Beneath it, tucked deep within the gnarled shadows, was a dense bush, dark-leaved and low to the ground.
Something shimmered faintly between the leaves. A dome of translucent black pulsed softly with trapped light. Fine lines of mana flickered like lightning behind tinted glass. The air was dense, heavy with pressure.
Viqce crept forward, but as she reached out a paw, the space in front of her pushed back, an invisible force snapping against her fur like a tightened drumskin. The air rippled. Her paw jerked back, her claws twitching in reflex.
A barrier.
Crude. Wild. Formed not by practice, but panic.
Its structure was unstable, but its intensity undeniable, it reeked of fear, raw and unfiltered. It wasn't shaped by a calculated spellcaster. This was instinct magic, forced into being by a surge of overpowering emotion.
Viqce's ears drooped slightly. Her sharp eyes softened. Sakura was in there. And she was terrified.
"...Scared."
Sakura wasn't hiding from her. The girl hadn't even noticed her presence. This wasn't a calculated retreat, it was total disconnection. Isolation, thick and absolute. The barrier didn't just shield her from sight or sound; it sealed her in like a pocket of reality folded inward. Inside, it felt like another dimension entirely, cut off from the forest, the morning air, from everything. No scent leaked out. No sound passed through. Just silence, and Sakura, curled up alone in a floating fragment of fear. It was unconscious defense, born not of skill, but of instinct twisted by panic.
---
Viqce returned to the clearing and reverted to her usual form, still breathing hard. "Found her. But I can't reach her. You all need to come."
Orchid stood first.
They followed Viqce back into the woods, single-file, their footsteps muffled by moss and mist. The canopy above seemed darker now, the shafts of light dimmed, as if the forest itself had quieted in sympathy. No one spoke. The usual banter was gone, the teasing silenced. Not even Kyle dared a joke. Fahleena, ever the voice of dramatic proclamations, walked with her head low, the swaying twin tails of her pink hair unusually still. The weight of worry pressed on them all, Sakura had never been alone before. And now, no one knew what they would find.
Sakura sat within the black dome, hugging her knees. Her face was pale, tear-streaked, her eyes unfocused.
When Orchid stepped into view, the barrier shivered.
"Sakura...?" she called softly.
The black shimmer fractured with a sudden hiss, then shattered like glass struck by thunder.
Sakura's head jerked upward. Her eyes widened in shock, breath hitching. The moment she saw Orchid step through the mist, her legs moved on instinct.
She bolted forward with a cry, high, broken, and desperate, and flung herself into Orchid's arms with enough force to nearly knock the older girl back.
Her voice collapsed into sobs, raw and convulsing. "I, I was alone! I couldn't hear anyone, I called and called, but it was all dark, I thought, I thought I—!"
Her words dissolved into choking gasps as she clutched Orchid's waist, burying her tear-streaked face into her stomach like a child afraid of vanishing again.
Orchid, wide-eyed at first, slowly sank to her knees and gathered Sakura close, wrapping her arms tightly around the trembling girl. Her hand gently smoothed down Sakura's hair, again and again.
"I'm here now," she whispered, voice low and steady. "You're safe. I won't let go."
The party stood silently, heads bowed, giving space for the smallest heart among them to release her fears.
---
The sun had climbed higher by the time they returned to camp.
Sakura was calmer now, but quieter. Her usual bottomless appetite had diminished. Even the triple-decker sandwich Gabyola had prepared barely tempted her.
Fahleena stepped forward dramatically, striking a pose.
"Despair not, gentle flower of healing! The Destiny Knight shall pierce the shadows of trauma with the blade of eternal light!"
Sakura blinked once. Then smiled.
Jessica turned her head quickly, trying not to laugh. "It's working. Somehow."
Fuhiken shook his head. "She's immune to medicine but vulnerable to chuuni."
Even Yuuna attempted comfort, by explaining psychological trauma recovery in clinical terms, complete with her wand-pointer. It... didn't help.
Kyle, usually chaotic, stood off to the side, watching his sister. Then he took a breath and stepped forward.
He knelt down dramatically before her.
"I swear to you, My sister... I will never let you be alone again."
The scene turned shoujo instantly. A soft shimmer spread behind Kyle and Sakura as Gigih discreetly cast a light illusion, sparkling petals and glowing haze drifting through the air like the climax of a romance novel.
Adiw crossed his arms and deadpanned, "And so, under the tragic fog of the Mist Forest, the brave fool pledged his eternal loyalty to the snack queen."
Yetsan, still holding a half-eaten sandwich, muttered, "Is this a knightly oath or a magical drama rehearsal?"
Sinryo blinked, then leaned toward Kyle and whispered loudly, "If you sign anything, make sure it's not in blood, okay?"
Gabyola, witnessing the entire sequence unfold with a mixture of horror and disbelief, covered her mouth with both hands. "This is... profoundly unrefined."
Like a big brother making the most important promise of his life, Kyle remained kneeling before Sakura with the weight of siblinghood in his eyes.
Sakura flattered slightly. "...Promise?"
"Promise."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a parchment.
"...What's that?" Kyle blinked.
"For your promise, No, your oath" Sakura said seriously. "We make a blood pact. Not for eternity, just the rest of our life."
Kyle stood up fast. "NOPE. We're elves! That is eternity!"
Sakura stood too, determined. "Then don't break your promise!"
"Help!" Kyle bolted.
Sakura chased after him, parchment in one hand, drawing a red ink marker in the other.
Gigih, Adiw, Sinryo, and Yetsan immediately started cheering. "Fifty gold says he signs!"
"No betting!" Fuhiken snapped. Then sighed. "Why do I even try."
Viqce looked on, confused. "Is this normal?"
"Yes," Jessica deadpanned. "Unfortunately."
And just like that, laughter returned to the Mist Forest. The trauma was not erased, but it no longer ruled.
Sakura, laughing as she chased Kyle around the clearing, had come back to herself.
---