The forest stretched endlessly, its canopy whispering secrets long forgotten. Benjamin and Kaeli walked side by side, the crunch of dry leaves marking their slow progress through the pale, sickly woods. The air carried the faint scent of decay — not of death, but of something that had once lived and now lingered, unwilling to depart.
Kaeli's eyes wandered across the hollow trunks. Her voice, soft yet burdened, broke the silence.
- Kaeli: "I remember when these trees were full of life." - She said, brushing her fingers against a dying leaf. - "Birds would sing from dawn till dusk. My dad used to tell me that every tree in Foresta had its own song. I want to hear them again, Benjamin… I can't let them remain like this."
Benjamin didn't answer. He watched her for a moment, her determination tempered by grief, and instead asked quietly.
- Benjamin: "So… what's your father like?"
A faint smile crossed her lips.
- Kaeli: "He's the bravest adventurer the world has ever known. You must've heard of him. His name's Mac Makku."
Benjamin paused, the name echoing in his thoughts, but his face betrayed no recognition. Kaeli's smile faltered, surprise flickering in her eyes.
- Benjamin: "You mean…" - He began, tilting his head slightly. - "Your full name is Kaeli Makku?"
Her cheeks colored as she looked away.
- Kaeli: "No… that name wasn't passed down to me."
Benjamin frowned, about to ask.
- Benjamin: "Really? Then what's your surna—"
But Kaeli, flustered, darted ahead.
- Kaeli: "Let's just cut this tree down. The northern exit isn't far!" - She shouted, swinging her axe.
The blade cleaved into the bark — and from the wound burst three monsters: two snarling Brownies and a quivering Slime. Benjamin drew his swordwith a flash of steel, clashing against one of the Brownies, while Kaeli met the Slime head-on with a sweeping strike. Her axe crushed the creature in a single blow, the slime dissolving into mist. Benjamin's attack, however, barely scratched his foe. The Brownie retaliated with a brutal kick — a critical hit that sent pain searing through Benjamin's chest. Blood stained his tunic as he fell to one knee.
The second Brownie lunged forward. There was no time to block. The impact struck his ribs — and darkness claimed him.
- Kaeli: "Benjamin!" - Kaeli cried out, eyes wide in disbelief. Her voice trembled, not with fear but with anger. - "Don't you dare die on me!" - She raised her hands, chanting, and a white radiance enveloped his body. - "White Magic: Life!"
The light sank into his skin, and Benjamin gasped, air flooding his lungs once more. He opened his eyes to see her standing there, resolute and furious.
The Brownies struck again, fists swinging. This time, Benjamin steadied his stance, blocking the blows with newfound focus.
- Benjamin (thinking): "Damn it… that was humiliating." - He thought bitterly. - "How could I, who defeated Behemoth, fall to these weaklings?"
A spark of fury ignited in his chest. With a roar, he unleashed a double strike, his sword gleaming with vengeance. The Brownie he'd wounded earlier collapsed. Kaeli finished the second with a clean arc of her axe.
As the silence returned, Benjamin looked away, a faint blush on his face. Kaeli smiled gently.
- Kaeli: "It's alright. We're a team now. As long as both of us make it through, that's what matters."
They pressed on, battling through waves of Slimes and Brownies. Each fight left them stronger, sharper, more attuned to one another. Benjamin grew faster, his sword lighter in his hands. Kaeli, not to be outdone, matched his pace, her strikes fierce and precise.
When the forest finally thinned, twilight draped the world in hues of violet and shadow. The wind whispered through the trees — but some whispers felt too alive. The branches moved as if watching them.
At the heart of the grove stood a tree unlike the rest, its bark oozing with a dark, mournful aura.
- Kaeli: "This is the cursed tree I told you about." - Kaeli murmured, raising her axe.
The moment her blade struck, the ground split open. A massive Minotaur emerged, eyes burning with hatred.
- Minotaur: "Humans…" - It growled. - "How dare you destroy my kin!"
Kaeli met its gaze without fear.
- Kaeli: "I won't let another tree be poisoned by your corruption!" - She shouted.
The beast bellowed and hurled a wave of toxic energy. Kaeli screamed as the venom struck, her knees buckling.
- Kaeli: "H-he… poisoned me… just like the trees…"
Benjamin froze, panic clawing at his mind.
- Benjamin (thinking): "If she dies… I can't revive her. I've relied on her power all this time. If she falls here, we both perish."
Kaeli, gasping, forced a pained smile.
- Kaeli: "We can't… die here. If we both fall, our bodies will decay. Not even magic can bring us back then."
Her resolve steadied him. Benjamin's grip tightened.
- Benjamin (thinking): "I have to protect her — no matter what!"
He charged. Steel met flesh as Kaeli swung beside him, their movements synchronized through desperation. The Minotaur's leg swept out — a crushing blow that shattered Benjamin's arms and ribs. He fell, choking on pain.
But his voice broke through the agony.
- Benjamin: "White Magic: Cure!". - The spell glowed across his body, mending bone and flesh in an instant.
Kaeli seized the opening, her axe cleaving through one of the Minotaur's horns.
- Kaeli: "That's for the trees!" - She roared, striking again. The creature howled and swung back, but before the fatal blow could land, Benjamin stepped in front of her. His sword intercepted the strike, the shock running down his arms.
With a cry, he countered — a single, decisive slash that split the Minotaur's chest. The beast fell, its roar fading into silence.
Then, footsteps — light but hurried — approached. Benjamin turned, breath heavy, and froze. A woman rushed toward them, carrying a golden axe that shimmered in the dim light.
- Joanna: "Kaeli!" - She cried. - "What in the world happened to you?"
Kaeli, pale and trembling, managed a weak smile.
- Kaeli: "I'll be fine, mom… Ben, in the cave north of the forest, there's an Elixir that can cure me. Could you—"
- Benjamin: "You don't have to say it." - Benjamin's voice was firm now, the hesitation gone. - "I'll get it."
He turned to leave, avoiding Joanna's eyes, but Kaeli called out, tossing her axe. He caught it midair, reflex sharp as lightning.
- Kaeli: "Take it!" - She said softly. - "Please."
Benjamin didn't look back.
- Benjamin: "I'll return."
Joanna knelt, cradling her daughter, and hurried back toward Foresta. Benjamin watched them vanish between the trees, then pressed forward alone, clearing the last remnants of the cursed forest. His steps led him onward — toward the Sand Temple.
The journey was merciless. He fought Giant Toads and Mad Plants, the former lacing his veins with poison. Yet he endured, relying on potions scavenged from chests along the way.
At last, the temple loomed before him, its tunnels breathing dust and ancient echoes. Inside, he found a chest — empty.
Then, the faint echo of footsteps.
A figure emerged from the shadows, his voice calm, almost amused.
- ???: "Looking for a cure, kid?"
Benjamin scowled.
- Benjamin: "First off, the name's Benjamin. And yeah — I'm looking for the Elixir."
The stranger smirked, pulling a small vial from his pouch.
- ???: "Oh, you mean this? I could sell it to you for… 9000GP. Fair deal, huh?"
Benjamin's jaw tightened.
- Benjamin: "You've got to be kidding me."
- ???: "Hey, it's valuable, isn't it, kid?"
- Benjamin: "I don't even make a tenth of that…" - Benjamin muttered, turning away. But the man's hand caught his shoulder.
- ???: "Tell you what. I'm heading to the Bone Dungeon for a treasure run. You help me get it, and the Elixir'syours."
Benjamin met his gaze.
- Benjamin: "That's where I was headed anyway."
The stranger grinned.
- Tristam: "Name's Tristam Rock. Call me Tristam. Before we go, let's warm up at the battlefield — crack a few monster skulls."
Benjamin smirked faintly, shaking his hand.
- Benjamin: "Fine. But stop calling me kid."
Tristam laughed.
- Tristam: "Sure thing, kid."
And with that, the two set off — blades ready, the night stretching endlessly before them.