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Chapter 4: The Forest of Whispering Leaves
Ji Sok Han's boots crunched over fallen leaves as he, Duri, and Yeonhwa stepped beyond the palace's back gates and into the ancient forest.
The air shifted immediately. It was cooler here, thicker with mist and humming with old magic. Tall silver trees with glimmering leaves towered overhead, and the wind whispered as if carrying secrets from long ago.
"This is the Forest of Whispering Leaves," Duri said, glancing around warily. "They say if you're not careful, the trees will remember your lies... and punish you."
Yeonhwa raised an eyebrow. "Lovely. And how do we know which path is safe?"
Duri grinned. "We don't. But hey, adventure, right?"
Ji said nothing. He could feel the mark on his palm pulsing softly, like a compass. "That way," he said, pointing toward a narrow path bathed in silver light.
They followed the trail for hours. Strange birds chirped overhead. Occasionally, they passed carved stone lanterns, half-buried in moss. It felt like walking through an old dream.
"Do you think we're being followed?" Yeonhwa asked quietly.
Ji nodded. "I feel something... watching."
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the forest, scattering leaves and revealing an archway made of living vines. Beyond it stood a circular clearing—and at its center, a glowing pool of water.
Duri floated ahead, nose twitching. "That's moon spring water. Sacred. If we drink it, it'll show us a vision."
Ji stepped forward but hesitated. "A vision of what?"
Duri shrugged. "Whatever you fear. Or whatever you need to see."
Yeonhwa moved beside him. "We do this together."
All three stepped to the edge and knelt. Ji cupped his hands and drank.
The world tilted.
He was no longer in the forest. He stood in a ruined city, the sky burning red. Shadows fought shadows, and at the center stood himself—older, wounded, and alone—facing a monstrous figure in a shattered mask.
"Your light will break," the figure growled. "And when it does, we will rise."
Ji gasped and fell backward from the pool.
Duri caught him. "You saw it, didn't you?"
Ji nodded slowly. "A war. And me... alone."
Yeonhwa touched his shoulder. "Then we don't let that happen."
In the trees above, unseen by the trio, a cloaked figure melted into the shadows and vanished.
Far away, the moon trembled.
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To Be Continued in Chapter 5: Echoes of the Masked One