Only four hours remained until midnight. The moon sat high above them like a silent witness as Kaen knelt at the center of the formation, its etched lines glowing faintly blue.
Now, beneath the glowing moon, the formation beneath Kaen pulsed. Ryoma stood nearby, arms crossed tightly, watching the lines shift.
Kaen's fingers glided through a series of precise hand signs. The formation answered, its blue glow sharpening. Kaen opened his eyes, breathing out slowly, then reached toward his wrist.
Ryoma stepped forward immediately. "Kaen… are you sure about this? What if it fails? It's not too late—we can try another method."
Kaen only shook his head. His jaw was tight, but he didn't speak. His resolve was already set. He released his blood. The moment it touched the glowing lines, the blue formation shuddered and bled into red, the transformation violent and sudden. Ryoma whipped around with a hissed curse.
Kaen didn't stop. He began chanting under his breath, the words old and rough like stone scraping. The formation twisted spiraling outward, expanding rapidly. The patterns split and unfurled, racing across the ground and then climbing upward until they formed a massive red circle suspended in the air like an ominous halo, covering the surrounding landscape.
Ryoma swallowed hard. "…I hope they're within the radius."
His words barely left his mouth when Kaen's wrist suddenly flared.
A red mark bloomed across Kaen's skin, glowing fiercely.
His eyes snapped open.
From the center of that mark, a thin red thread burst forth, alive and trembling with purpose. It whipped forward, pointing in a single direction, then stretched out further—pulling impatiently. Kaen rose at once.
Ryoma's eyes widened. "That's our direction? let's hurry!"
The thread surged forward. And the two of them sprinted after it as the living crimson guide began to speed up, leading them deeper into the night.
Meanwhile,
The chariot came to an abrupt halt beneath the moonlit canopy. Dense trees hemmed them in on all sides, their branches woven tight like a living wall. Somewhere nearby, the faint, steady sound of falling water echoed through the night.
Daita was already down before the wheels fully settled.
Astra followed, hopping off next, her hands still bound, one end of the rope trailing back to Akira. She turned immediately. "Here," she said without hesitation, reaching out. "I'll help you. Be careful."
Akira nodded and took her hand, letting her guide him down. He landed awkwardly but steady enough.
Daita cleared his throat loudly. "You two look very comfortable for prisoners."
Astra ignored him completely.
She turned, scanning the dark trees with audible excitement in her voice. "Your Highness, where are we exactly? Why did we stop here? And where's the waterfall?"
Her tone was bright…too bright.
Daita frowned. Shouldn't she be worried right now…?
"The chariot can't go any further," he said at last. "From here on, we walk. This way."
Astra's face lit up. "Really? Then what are we waiting for…let's hurry!"
And before anyone could stop her, she started off, gripping the rope and dragging Akira along with her.
Akira stumbled, barely catching himself as he was pulled forward. He turned his head sharply toward Daita and mouthed in disbelief, What are you up to?!
Daita smirked back, utterly unhelpful. I'm saving you.
They pushed through thick bushes and low branches, the foliage parting reluctantly. With every step, the sound of the waterfall grew louder amd closer. Astra picked up speed, clearly thrilled, completely forgetting that the person attached to her was struggling to keep up.
Akira was dragged through branches and thorns, hissing softly as twigs scraped his arms.
Daita watched for a moment, then snorted. "…First time I've ever seen him struggle to keep pace with someone," he muttered. "So this is what defeats him…walking fast."
He stepped forward and sliced through a low-hanging branch just before it could smack Akira again.
"Careful," Daita added dryly. "At this rate, you'll reach the waterfall with him injured and bleeding from thorns and scraped raw by branches."
Astra halted mid-step, blinking as the words sank in. Only then did she seem to remember that she wasn't walking alone.
She immediately turned back, stepping closer. "Dan—I'm sorry. I got too excited and forgot you were with me." Her voice softened. "Let me see. Are you badly hurt?"
She reached up instinctively, fingers hovering near his face where a faint scratch marked his skin.
Akira stepped back at once. "No—! I'm fine. It's just a scratch."
Astra frowned, unimpressed. "Even a small wound hurts. Big or small doesn't matter if it hurts, then it hurts." She tilted her head thoughtfully, then brightened. "Wait… it's night now. You can remove the blindfold, right? The darkness won't hurt your eyes."
She reached forward.
Before she could touch the cloth, there was a sharp slice.
The rope binding them dropped away.
"Stop wasting time," Daita cut in, already stepping between them. "The waterfall is close."
Without further explanation, he caught Akira by the arm and started walking, pulling him along at a steady pace.
Astra stood there, blinking.
"…What just happened?"
She shook it off almost immediately, excitement flaring again. "Forget it—waterfall! Waterfall! Crimson Veil Waterfall!" She took off after them, calling out breathlessly as she ran, "Hey—wait for me!"
Her excitement carried her faster than the other two, and soon Astra was well ahead. She skidded to a stop before a massive curtain of bushes, inhaled once deep and eager—and then pushed straight through and froze.
Moonlight poured down like spilled silver.
A vast waterfall unveiled itself before her, cascading from towering black stone, every stream glowing softly under the night sky. The air shimmered with mist, cool and gentle, brushing against her skin like a blessing. Below, a wide pool reflected the moon in ripples of light, dotted with night lotus buds—closed for now, patiently awaiting midnight. A calm breeze stirred, carrying the quiet roar of falling water and the faint scent of flowers and stone.
Astra stood utterly still.
Then she exhaled hard, like she'd been holding that breath her whole life.
"I finally saw it!!" she cried, laughter spilling free. "In my lifetime! It's real—exactly like the one in the book!"
She spun beneath the moonlight, arms flung wide, laughter echoing through the clearing as if the place itself welcomed her joy.
Moments later, Daita and Akira stepped out from the trees behind her. They stopped as one, watching her twirl and laugh, the waterfall roaring softly at her back. A faint, unguarded smile crossed both their faces.
Behind her, Daita and Akira emerged from the foliage at last. Both paused. For a brief moment, neither spoke only watching her unfiltered wonder, a quiet smile tugging at each of their expressions.
Thump.
Akira stomped hard on Daita's foot.
Daita yelped just as Akira shoved him aside and hauled him back by the collar, the movement quick and silent. They leaned close, voices dropping to hurried whispers.
"You little menace," Akira hissed. "What are you planning? And when did you clear all the traps and the protection arrays on the way here? Of all places, why this forbidden one?!"
Daita winced, then grinned anyway. "Ouch. You're welcome, by the way. And relax everything dangerous is dormant tonight."
Akira's grip tightened. "This place shouldn't even be accessible."
"Yet here we are," Daita whispered back lightly, glancing toward Astra, who was still spinning happily beneath the moon.
Akira hesitated, then released him with a sharp shove. "…You're unbelievable."
Daita straightened, the smirk firmly back in place. "Don't be like that. I'm just saving you tonight."
Akira scoffed softly. "Saving? This feels less like saving and more like you causing unnecessary trouble and ruining everything."
Daita leaned closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Your Highness, that's rude. I clearly said I'm doing this to save you. When it comes to trouble…" His chin tilted slightly toward Astra, who was now stepping carefully into the shallow edge of the pool, delighted laughter slipping from her. "that… is exactly what you've been tagging along for so long."
Akira turned sharply toward him. "Explain."
Daita sighed, the playful edge easing into something more serious. "Since you disappeared again, His Majesty ordered a full search of the capital, every street, every sector before the bloom." His voice dropped further. "And You know why."
Akira went still.
"With that many people hunting you," Daita continued, "it was only a matter of time before he found you. And even if he didn't—" he hesitated, then added quietly, "the master has been awakened from deep meditation finally after 3 months. I don't need to explain what that means. You'd have been found."
Akira clicked his tongue. "So you helped me come to a forbidden place. Somewhere no one would even think to search. A place guarded by eight hundred and seventeen divine protection arrays and just as many traps."
Daita's grin returned instantly. "Right. Ain't I smart?"
"You are," Akira admitted flatly. "But what bothers me is how did you clear the arrays? You were with us the entire time. You couldn't have dismantled even half of them."
"That," Daita said cheerfully, "is all thanks to you."
Akira frowned. "Me?"
Daita reached into his robes and pulled out a book.
Akira stiffened. "…What's that?"
Daita flipped it open with obvious satisfaction. "This is the legendary book Whispers Beneath the Plum Moon—the one the Crown Prince secretly reads every night. The very book that made the guards outside tremble thanks to His Highness's terrible, no-good habit of reading certain parts aloud."
Akira turned away immediately. "Put that away."
Daita laughed under his breath. "Your Highness, I never knew you'd be so obsessively attached to this book. Had I known, I would've given it to you long before you asked me for it that day."
Before Akira could retort, Astra splashed lightly through the water, finally noticing their hushed argument. She approached, curiosity bright on her face.
Daita didn't stop. "You asked how I cleared the arrays so fast. The truth is…it took days." He tapped the book lightly against his palm. "Ever since I read this, I got obsessed. Just like you. I mean…like everyone else." A faint laugh slipped out of him. "I wanted to see this place for myself. So I dismantled the arrays little by little slow enough not to alert anyone." He closed the book softly. "Who would've thought it'd come in handy like this?" Then, with a sideways glance, he added, "And don't even try to hide it. You're not unhappy about being here."
Akira exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. Under his breath, sharp enough to carry intent but soft enough to deny, he muttered, "You absolute menace… you are in big trouble. Hope you don't regret it later."
Daita's brow twitched. "What was that, Your Highness?"
Before Akira could respond, Astra suddenly popped between them, hands clasped behind her back, eyes bright with curiosity.
"What are you two whispering about?"