"So, where exactly are we going?" Hana asked, watching the seemingly young elf leading the way through the forest. Her lantern flowing next to her, she tried not to lose sight of him.
"There should be a village nearby the forest" Eryndor said, his white hair flowing in the wind. "I suppose you should be able to continue from there on your own."
'On my own? He really doesn't want me to go with him, huh?' Hana dodged all the sticks that almost hit her in her face.
"And where will you go after that?" she asked, hoping to figure out his goal. 'I mean, it seems that he lost his home because of those Corrupted Souls, so maybe he wants to run away?'
"That's none of your concern, human." He said coldly. It wasn't anger Hana heard in his voice, but more of a sorrow or regret.
"I just thought I could help you somehow. You saved my life, I have to repay you somehow…"
Eryndor stopped in his tracks for a moment and looked at her. "You really think you can help me?" He raised one of his eyebrows. "Elves don't need any human to help them." For a second, his eyes jumped from Hana to the lantern slightly glowing beside her.
Hana crossed her arms. "You keep looking at it like it's going to explode or something."
"Maybe it will." he muttered and turned away, continuing down the forest path.
Hana sighed and followed. "You know, you could at least pretend to be nice."
"I'm being nice." Eryndor said dryly. "If I wasn't, you'd still be screaming in the forest right now."
"Great, love that." Hana sighed and followed after him. The forest was calm now, only birds singing somewhere far away. The lantern floated quietly beside her, glowing faintly in rhythm with her breath.
'You're acting all innocent now, huh?' she thought, watching it. 'First you shoot lasers, now you're a night lamp. What even are you?'
The lantern flickered once, as if reacting to her thought.
"Okay… weird…" she murmured. Curiosity slowly took over her exhaustion. "Status?"
Nothing.
"Menu?" Still nothing.
"System open!" she whispered dramatically. The lantern only blinked once and went still again.
Hana frowned. "Wow, thanks for nothing."
Then, suddenly, a faint text popped up in her head.
[Name:]
[....]
She froze, eyes darting to the lantern. "Wait, what? I should give you a name?!"
No response. Just a gentle, expectant pulse of light.
'A name, huh?' Hana tilted her head, thinking. 'You shoot light, you glow, you're…. kind of alive?' She snapped her fingers. "Lunai, like words Lunara and light together. You like that?"
The lantern flashed twice, bright, cheerful pulses.
'Oh my god, you do like that.' She grinned. "Alright then. From now on, you're Lunai."
The air around her shimmered for a second. Then, the text started changing:
———————————
[Name:]
[L...…....]
[LU.....…..]
[LUN.....]
[LUNA…]
[LUNAI]
———————————
[Lantern of Souls]
Divine Artifact of Lunara, Goddess of Souls
Type: Soul-Bound Relic
Status: Stable
Energy Level: 73%
Resonance: 30% Gentle Glow
Core Connection: Active
User: Hana Ito
Function: Purifies and absorbs corrupted essence. Converts into Light Energy.
Warning: Prolonged exposure to corrupted essence may alter user's soul.
Skills and Abilities [Here for more]
———————————
'Here for more?' Hana looked at the text about abbilities. 'Well, I can't click it when it's in my head so…' Hana paused.
"Show me Skills and Abilities?" Hana whispered, not knowing if it would work.
Then, the system changed:
———————————
Skills and Abilities:
Light Veil – Creates a faint protective barrier. Works only from Gentle Glow upward.
Resonant Pulse – Short-range pulse that pushes corrupted entities back, power differs from resonance level.
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
[LOCKED]
———————————
Hana blinked. "Okay, what the hell."
"Did you say something?" Eryndor glanced over his shoulder, suspicious.
"Nope, nothing!" she quickly said, waving her hand through the air as the glowing text in her head disappeared. 'Totally not talking to a floating lantern. I feel like I'm losing my mind, haha.'
He gave her a long, unimpressed look. "Humans…" he muttered, shaking his head.
'Yeah, well…' Hana thought, glaring at his back, 'what do you want from me.'
The forest went quiet again. Only the soft rustle of leaves and distant birds filled the air. The lantern floated beside her in silence.
Eryndor's pace slowed slightly as he scanned the trees around them.
"We should reach the village before nightfall. Stay close. The place here… feels wrong."
Hana frowned. "You mean, more monsters?"
He didn't answer, but his hand hovered near his bow, eyes flicking between the trees.
They walked in silence after that. The air grew heavier, colder somehow, though the sun hadn't fully set. Every step felt louder than it should.
The faint hum of the lantern filled the space between them, soft and rhythmic. Hana found herself staring at it more than the path ahead.
After what felt like forever, the trees began to thin. The orange light of dusk spilled through the gaps, painting the moss and roots in gold. A faint smell of smoke drifted in the air, woodfire… and something else. Something metallic.
"There." Eryndor said finally, his voice low. "The village of Lareth."
Hana tilted her head. "Lareth? Is that… a race or something?"
Eryndor's lips twitched in a brief, humorless smile. "You could say race. They are mostly humans, but not entirely." He paused for a moment. "Elf-blooded families that were exiled from our kind mostly because of mating with other races."
Eryndor said the last part with disgust in his voice. "They've made this place their home."
Hana's eyes widened. "So… half-elves?"
"Yes, whatever." Eryndor said shortly. "And keep your voice down. Some of them still fear outsiders."
Hana squinted. Through the trees, she saw rooftops, smoke curling lazily into the sky. Warm light glowed from a few windows, but no voices, no footsteps. No dogs barking. Just… quiet.
She let out a shaky breath. "Civilization. Finally."
But as they stepped out of the forest, the lantern's light flickered. Once. Twice. Then dimmed to a faint yellow pulse, as if warning her.
The dirt path leading into the village was lined with old, crooked fences. A single cart stood abandoned by the road, its wheel broken. The doors of the nearest house were shut, though they could see a candlelight flickering through a crack.
Eryndor stopped, his ears twitched slightly. His hand went to his dagger. "Do you hear that?"
Hana froze. "I don't hear anything."
"Exactly." His voice was tense now.
The air felt wrong, too still, too heavy. The kind of silence that comes before something happens.
Hana swallowed, her eyes darting between the houses. The lantern floated closer to her shoulder, its light faint but steady, like it was bracing for something.
She took one careful step forward, the sound of her boot echoing far too loudly.
Then… somewhere ahead, a door creaked open.
Shadow moved behind the light.
And everything went quiet again.