Two pairs of footsteps echoed through the silent forest.
Tall leaves blocked most of the sunlight, but their shadows still danced clearly on the damp ground.
No beasts. No monsters. Only the wind brushing through the branches now and then.
As if this place… had been abandoned by time.
Nathan walked behind Livia, quietly scanning the surroundings.
"That was fast," he muttered.
Livia didn't turn around. "Straight path. Nothing in the way."
Nathan gave a slight nod, glancing around. Same trees. Same rocks. Even the trail looked untouched.
"…This forest hasn't changed," he whispered. "The only thing that didn't. Since back then…"
He exhaled deeply.
They stepped past the last bush—
And there it was—
A white line.
Snow.
The air instantly shifted. Colder. Heavier.
They had reached the border of the Snowy Area.
Nathan stopped in his tracks. His eyes landed—on Livia.
And right then, a gust of wind blew.
