"Atheline."
He walked over.
"What is it?"
She brushed away thick layers of moss. The familiar emblem appeared. Three crescents surrounding a tiny star. Everything was exactly the same, even the crack running diagonally across the lower edge.
Atheline frowned.
"This..." He circled the pillar once. "...is impossible."
He knelt beside its base. There, barely visible beneath the moss... Was the mark he himself had carved earlier that afternoon while examining the first pillar. A simple scratch made.
His own mark.
He stared at it in complete shock. Neither of them spoke; they had nothing to say.
The little fox whimpered softly.
Atheline slowly stood.
"We’ve been walking for hours."
Lilith nodded.
"We should be several kilometers deeper."
"We are." He looked around carefully. "No, We’re here, exactly where we started."
She turned slowly, examining every surrounding tree. Everything matched. The fallen log, the stream nearby, and even the strangely twisted oak growing along the northern edge of the clearing.
Somehow, without noticing... They had returned. Neither of them remembered turning around or changing direction. Yet here they stood exactly where they had already been.
Atheline looked toward the path they had supposedly followed all afternoon.
His expression hardened.
"...Something’s wrong."
Lilith rested one hand lightly against the ancient stone. For the first time since entering the forest, a feeling of unease settled quietly within her.
Whatever guarded this forgotten place... Had already begun interfering with their journey. And neither the Queen of the Dark Elves nor the King at her side had noticed it until now.
For several long moments, neither Lilith nor Atheline spoke. The ancient stone marker stood silently before them, half-consumed by moss and creeping vines, while the strange symbol of three interlocking crescents surrounding a tiny star stared back at them.
Atheline slowly reached out again and touched the shallow scratch near the base of the pillar. It was exactly where he had carved it.
There could be no mistake.
Atheline refused to accept it immediately.
"There has to be an explanation."
He turned toward the direction they had been traveling.
"We’ll verify it."
Lilith understood his thinking. Rather than relying on memory, they would test reality itself. He walked to the nearest tree, one whose trunk was almost twice as wide as a carriage.
Drawing one of his arrows, he carved a large symbol into the bark. A simple circle crossed by two diagonal lines, deep enough that no passing animal could have made it.
"There."
He stepped back.
"If we see this tree again... we’ll know."
Lilith nodded.
"Let’s continue."
The two resumed walking. Atheline paid careful attention to the position of the sun. It hung low in the western sky, painting the forest with warm golden light.
As long as it remained there, they would know which direction they were traveling, or so he believed.
For nearly an hour they walked without stopping. The forest looked much the same as before, with occasional attacks from beasts.
This time a flock of pale-winged predators descended from above. Their feathers shimmered like polished silver while elongated talons gleamed with condensed Aether.
Atheline didn’t even break stride. Wind gathered around three arrows simultaneously. He released them in rapid succession.
The first arrow curved unnaturally through the air, guided by compressed currents of wind before piercing the lead beast. Without losing momentum, it continued onward, striking the second, then the third.
All three creatures crashed into the forest floor before the others even realized what had happened. The survivors continued diving.
Lilith sighed almost imperceptibly. Darkness spread beneath her feet. The surrounding shadows rose silently into the air, forming countless black blades. With a gentle wave of her hand, they shot upward. The remaining beasts disappeared beneath the storm of shadow.
Silence returned, again. Neither ruler celebrated since the attacks had become routine.
Another hour passed. The forest gradually darkened. Atheline glanced toward the sky.
"The sun hasn’t moved much."
Lilith looked upward.
"The canopy is too thick. It’s difficult to judge."
He nodded. Perhaps he had simply lost track of time; then the little fox stopped. Its head tilted to the side as its ears twitched with confusion.
Atheline followed its gaze. There, carved into the trunk of an enormous tree... Was a circle crossed by two diagonal lines.
His mark.
He stared at it.
"...Impossible."
Lilith approached quietly. The carving was fresh, exactly as he had left it.
"We’ve returned."
Again.
This time neither of them tried to explain it away; instead, Lilith spoke calmly.
"We’re being redirected or deceived."
Atheline looked deeper into the trees.
"I never felt any illusion."
"Neither did I." She frowned slightly. "That’s what concerns me."
Rather than continuing blindly, they changed their approach. Lilith extended one hand. Dark Aether flowed from her fingertips before sinking silently into the surrounding shadows.
Normally, anything touched by her shadow magic remained connected to her senses. She could perceive every shadow she left behind, movement, or disturbance. The darkness spread outward beneath the trees like flowing water. Eventually it reached nearly a kilometer in every direction.
Lilith closed her eyes and concentrated. There was nothing; no barrier, hidden formation, or illusionary wall, only forest. She slowly withdrew her magic.
"I can’t find the edge."
Atheline frowned.
"Not even a trace?"
"Nothing."
He had never heard her sound so uncertain.
"My turn."
He slung his bow over one shoulder before channeling Wind Aether. The air around him began swirling, leaves lifting gently from the ground.
Moments later, powerful currents raced upward through the forest canopy. The wind climbed higher and higher until it finally burst above the treetops. Normally, Atheline could use those currents to gain an excellent understanding of the surrounding terrain. Anything that disrupted the flow of air became immediately obvious.
He closed his eyes, listening and feeling. The wind spread across the forest for several kilometers.
Then... His expression changed. Lilith noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
He slowly opened his eyes.
"...The wind keeps returning."
"What do you mean?"
"It should continue forward, but it doesn’t."
He searched for the right words.
"It bends then... comes back."
She looked thoughtful.
"As though..."
He nodded.
"...space itself is folding."
Neither liked that conclusion.