Toki and Luna sat on the ground after their bonds were undone, while some animals left on Caron's command, who stood beside the trunk.
Luna answered seriously, pointing her hand toward the voice:
"I am Luna, and this is Toki. We came from the maze, and we are lost."
Toki glanced at Luna worriedly and whispered:
"Who are you speaking to?"
Luna responded softly, tilting her head:
"Can't you see her?"
She internally transmitted part of her visual and auditory sense to Toki.
Tiny ash particles touched his left eye gently.
Toki felt a strange sensation, seeing things he had never seen before, recognizing that what he saw was confusing and vague.
He looked at the forest ruler sitting on the trunk and inferred the situation:
So this is what everyone was seeing, although I can't perceive it clearly… yet her aura fills the entire space.
"Excuse me… but I have a question," he bowed respectfully, his face firm.
The forest ruler, calm and friendly:
"Yes… go ahead, Lord Toki."
Toki, briefly flustered, slowly raised his head and asked seriously:
"Well; then who are you? Where are we? And what do you want from us?"
In his mind, curiosity and worry deepened:
We faced things we never expected and fought hard to free ourselves from those annoying chains. What exactly is happening?
Above them, birds fluttered. The ruler answered in a playful tone:
"My name is Ilona… I am the spirit manifested from the Lost Forest, and you are now within my domain.
By the way, this place has its own rules and system. Thus, keep your vigilance.…"
Ilona finished her long speech as her words echoed in their minds.
They exchanged silent glances, as if what they heard was too much to explain to a stranger.
Ilona continued at the same pace, calming the atmosphere:
"I summoned you because I recently sensed an unusual aura, prompting me to send Caron to verify it."
Luna, intrigued, chose her words carefully:
"I think I understand… in other words; it's like a maze with a treasure."
Ilona nodded enthusiastically, clasping her hands together.
Toki gazed at the clear sky, lying on the ground, his expression conflicted.
Luna, analytical and calm, pointed toward the trees:
"So?! What lies beyond the forest?"
A few seconds of silence passed… everyone stayed still, bringing tension back, oddly calm yet ominous.
Ilona stood and turned slightly, gesturing toward something.
She sat on her throne and, in a mysterious tone, said:
"As for outside… you will discover it yourselves.
But beware… not everything your eyes see is real."
Amazement spread across Toki and Luna's faces; their emotions tangled between curiosity, interest, and danger, like standing at the edge of a vortex of decisions.
Ilona, inspiringly, pointed her fingers at Luna:
"Miss Luna, I know you are different, unaware of your true identity… but you can adapt as you approach closer. Be honest with yourself."
Luna's expression remained cold, sensing something perplexing, while Toki recalled what someone in the maze had told him.
He realized Ilona's spirit could gauge their condition simply by their presence.
Then Ilona addressed Toki, a gust of violent wind carrying leaves:
"Lord Toki, you may find that revenge isn't the solution, and you will learn what lies deeper… Challenges you face are for those with strong will only."
A shiver ran through Toki at the hint; he responded with steadfast features, sweat dripping, smiling wildly while the mysterious aura surrounded him.
"...No matter if you hint at my fate or not, I will decide for myself to the last point… even if I face death alone, I will overcome it gladly."
Caron looked at Toki cautiously: What a boy… he could be trouble if he strays from my expectations.
Ilona touched her cheek, recalling a promise:
By the way, she said not to reveal everything to me.
Luna turned to Toki proudly, adjusting her hood, shaking her hands, and said to Ilona frankly:
"We need nothing… we can manage on our own."
Ilona clapped, asking in an encouraging tone:
"Good, Miss Luna, and Lord Toki… few understand the determination to take risks like yours. Truly admirable!"
Toki and Luna stood, eyes burning, challenge radiating from them, with faint smiles.
Toki placed his hands in his pockets, walking confidently, the soft grass under his feet making a clear sound.
He said coldly:
"Thank you, spirit of the Lost Forest, Ilona… you have helped a lot, but I…"
He closed his eyes slowly, smiling lightly:
"...will never give up on my goal."
Toki returned to normal sight and hearing, while Luna felt a slight jolt in her head.
Ilona handed them a compass to help find directions and revealed a strange request.
They parted ways, leaving the forest's center, and Ilona looked at them, smiling at Caron with surprise:
"I didn't expect Selina's son to be like this."
She chuckled lightly after finishing her request, curious about what Toki and Luna would do next.
Caron informed Ilona with respect and curiosity:
"Your Majesty… regarding the search for the unusual aura, wasn't it just—"
Ilona replied, staring into the distance:
"My answer to them wasn't entirely correct… but I've never witnessed such restrained pulses before."
---
Elsewhere in the forest…
Yuki floated in the air, approaching an abandoned building, its walls completely burned.
Inside, she pondered what she had seen when encountering Toki and Luna:
That was something… it looked like a gathering of sinister forces inside. Was it some kind of bomb or…?
It was as if she hadn't fully awakened, scanning around the broken gate, the smell of charcoal pervasive.
From her experience, she realized he hadn't used his spiritual pulses… except for that semi-transparent girl.
Entering the building, she found a mysterious key among the debris.
Picking it up, she sought answers: A key? For what purpose?
Its response seemed to work only for her… one of the few capable of imposing existence.
She whispered challengingly, tightening her gloves:
"Quite intriguing…"
Finding no records in the building, she merged with the wind, gliding above the place, smiling confidently:
"Curiosity will kill me if I don't see what happens next."