Outside the Dense Forest – Crownshade Camp
A well-fortified camp stood at the forest's edge, torches burning bright, casting flickering light over guards in chainmail. Each bore a green badge marked with a black eagle—the sigil of Crownshade.
Footsteps echoed against the packed dirt as a man sprinted toward the camp entrance. The guards, recognizing him, parted without question.
The man didn't stop to rest. He dashed straight into the largest tent.
Inside, Commander Rock—stoic and sharp-eyed—stood beside his attendant, a blonde man named Albert, poring over maps and scrolls. Rock's piercing blue gaze shifted as the messenger entered.
"Quil, you're back. Judging by your gasping, I assume you found something."
Quil tried to catch his breath as he nodded. "Yes, Commander Rock."
Rock handed Albert the documents he'd been reviewing and calmly took a seat.
Quil stepped forward.
"While searching the western forest, I came across a tiger… but not a normal one. It was massive—easily ten times the size of any regular tiger—and its fur was green."
He paused, wiping sweat from his brow. "I thought a beast that size must've fallen prey to something stronger. But then I saw footprints—human footprints—near the body."
A hush fell over the tent. Rock's expression hardened.
This was not the first strange report.
Only days earlier, scouts had spotted a carriage drifting through the woods. It moved without horses or oxen—on its own. Of the three scouts who pursued it, only two returned. They spoke of a woman with bright red hair seated within, though her face had been concealed.
Commander Rock stood slowly, tension brimming behind his voice.
"Can you take us to the creature?"
"Yes, Commander," Quil replied, regaining his composure.
"Good. Assemble ten men. The rest will guard the camp. We leave tonight."
Quil turned to obey, then hesitated.
"One more thing—the tiger's meat... it was poisonous."
"Poison?" Rock's eyes narrowed.
"Strange. No weapons found, yet toxins present. And that carriage…"
He murmured to himself, "Something is deeply wrong with this village."
Deep in the Forest
"Ugh…"
Lance vomited beside a crooked tree, gripping his stomach in pain.
"Damn it… That meat. It tasted amazing, but it's killing me."
His vision blurred.
His skin soaked with sweat.
He couldn't even smell the air properly anymore.
"I… I can't find the village like this…"
His knees buckled, and he collapsed. His chest rose and fell weakly.
Then it stopped.
The poison from the tiger coursed through his veins. His heart went still.
Time passed—seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours.
Then—
Ba-dum.
Ba-dum.
A slow, rhythmic thumping echoed from his chest. His body twitched.
SLAM!
His eyes burst open, glowing faintly in the moonlight.
Lance was back.
Inside Tresia Village – Chief Headquarters
Gasp!
Sunflower reeled back from the door, shocked by the voice she had just heard.
Without hesitation, she threw her weight into the door, SLAMMING it open.
Fog poured out from the room like a living thing, thick and white. She instinctively covered her mouth and nose with her hand, unsure if the mist was magical—or poisonous.
Through the haze, she saw movement.
A shadow near the mini kitchen—a figure darting side to side, pacing frantically.
"Burns! It burns!"
Sunflower's eyes widened.
It was Reality.
She was cradling her right arm with her left, hopping from foot to foot like she'd been scalded. The right arm was glowing faintly—reddened, steaming, and pulsing with unnatural heat.
Sunflower stepped closer, scanning the scene for threats. The fog began to thin, revealing the disheveled room—pots knocked over, a broken crystal lying shattered on the counter, a few strange symbols smudged on the tiled floor.
Finally, the two women locked eyes.
Reality's expression was a mix of pain and confusion.
Sunflower raised an eyebrow, finally speaking:
"What the hell happened here?"
Inside Reality's Room
"What the hell happened in here?!" Sunflower exclaimed, stepping through the thick, white fog.
Reality was hunched over the sink, her swollen right arm under a stream of cold water. "Ahh, that's better…" she mumbled, not turning around. "What do you think happened? I burned my hand while cooking."
"Burned it?" Sunflower's stance relaxed slightly, her muscles unclenching as the fight-or-flight tension drained away. She sighed and sat on the bed.
"Why are you cooking at all? If you wanted something specific, I could've told the head chef to make it—or you could try some of our traditional dishes."
"It's not food. It's potions," Reality replied with a faint smile.
"Potions?" Sunflower's brow furrowed. Not because a mage making potions was strange, but because she had assumed Reality came fully stocked, like any capable mage would before deployment.
"I brought plenty," Reality admitted, reading her expression. "Back in the capital, my attendants handled the brewing. But here… I've found new ingredients—raw materials in the forest that might improve regeneration, boost stamina. So I figured, why not make more?" She smiled again. "Don't worry, I'll make some for you and your team too."
Her golden eyes gleamed with sincerity.
Sunflower stood, brushing off her uniform. "Sorry for barging in like that. I'll leave you to it."
As the door clicked shut behind her, Reality's smile curled into a smirk.
Hallway Outside
As Sunflower made her way down the hallway, a familiar voice called out:
"Hey—Sunflower! Where are you going? Your shift started five minutes ago!"
She turned.
A young man about her height jogged toward her, helmet in one hand and the other resting on the hilt of his sword. His chainmail glinted under the hallway torches. His blue hair shimmered like ocean waves, and his eyes mirrored a cloudless sky.
"Arnold."
"Can you take my shift? Just ten minutes. I need to speak to Chief Dawn. Urgently."
Arnold frowned. "It's always the same excuse. Talking with the Chief, or running other errands…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sunflower narrowed her eyes.
Arnold hesitated, then spoke with more emotion than expected. "It means you've changed, Sunflower. You barely train with us anymore. Julie and Andy… they don't even want to talk to you. You left us behind."
Sunflower froze. His words stung more than she wanted to admit. After a pause, she placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"You're right. I've been caught up in too many things. But today, I'll train with all three of you."
Arnold's eyes lit up. His entire demeanor changed.
"Really?! Alright! Just you wait—I've got new techniques I'm dying to show you!" He sprinted off, practically dancing down the hallway.
Sunflower smiled to herself, then turned and made her way toward the garden.
The Garden – Chief Dawn
The garden was a masterpiece. Imported seeds, vibrant colors from every corner of the continent, and fruits so rare they were graded as priceless. Some were even poisonous—but beauty, not safety, was Dawn's priority.
After a few minutes wandering through the floral maze, Sunflower found him.
Chief Dawn sat in a round, open structure shaded by flowering vines, a cup of tea in hand.
He noticed her approach. "Want some?" he offered, lifting the cup.
"Not yet." She sat beside him, the two of them enjoying the peaceful view in silence.
"What's on your mind?" Dawn asked, taking another sip.
She took a deep breath.
"Is it… is it possible that more than one person was cursed by the Witch?"
Dawn nearly choked on his tea. "More than one?"
He set the cup down and leaned back, deep in thought.
"The curse was delivered by the Witch herself. According to every recorded account, it was placed on a single individual. That's the only confirmed fact we've had for years. As far as I know… Lance is the only one cursed."
His voice was calm, but firm. "You don't need to be afraid of your allies."
Sunflower visibly relaxed, the weight lifting off her shoulders.
After a beat, she looked at the tea again. "Maybe I do want it, after all."
Dawn chuckled and poured her a cup. The two sat there, sharing the silence, letting the setting sun bathe them in warmth.
Near Tresia Village – The Green Garden
Lance lay motionless in a patch of moss and poison-laced grass.
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
His heart started again.
Eyes snapped open.
Gasp.
His breathing returned, sharp and immediate.
It was the fifty-second time he had died.
The green tiger's poison was beyond lethal—strong enough to kill a hundred men. But each time Lance returned, he changed. Grew stronger. Less human.
This time, there was no laughter. No joke. Just silence.
He stood in one smooth, unnatural motion.
Looked left.
Looked right.
Then he smiled.
"I found you."