Sophie woke up suddenly, drenched in sweat, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her body trembling in the silence of the night.
Beside her, Toki quietly tended to the firewood, his eyes scanning the flickering shadows on the walls, while Luna leaned over her notes, the firelight reflecting off the white pages.
Sophie placed a hand on her chest and whispered in a trembling voice:
"Not again… not again…"
Toki lifted his gaze to her and tossed the last log into the fire.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sophie stared into the flames with unsettled eyes. Luna slowly closed her notes and asked:
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"No… it was nothing," Sophie replied, though she knew she was lying.
---
In her dream, she saw herself sleepwalking through narrow, dark alleys, watched by strange eyes in the shadows. Distorted figures approached, trying to harass her, but she kept walking, as if her feet moved on their own.
She eventually found herself in the middle of the city, the sky wide open above her, something pulling her upward. She stretched out her hand, droplets of blood falling one by one from her forearm, striking the ground below.
In a fleeting moment, the place began to collapse—the alleys crumbled, walls vanished, and muffled screams echoed before everything exploded.
---
After minutes of silence, Toki walked toward a nearby valley, pressing his palm against a tree trunk as he stared at his reflection in the rippling water, as if searching for answers in his shadowed eyes.
Luna turned her notes into ash and approached Sophie, gently embracing her. She whispered:
"You can't lie to me… I may not have lived through the same things, but I…" she smiled softly and continued, "…I understand you, just as much as I've understood him. I think he went through something similar… but he hides it too."
Toki, lost in thought, leaned against the table, the distant hoot of an owl echoing in his ears. In his mind, he saw himself killed in a gruesome way by a tall figure exhaling black steam.
He shivered, breathing heavily, a bead of sweat rolling down his face.
"What was that thing…? Hah… hah…"
He rushed back toward Luna and Sophie to check on them, while chaotic memories clashed violently in his mind.
He sat beside the tree trunk, trying to calm his nerves, while Luna watched him with quiet concern.
---
Morning came, the sun shining brightly.
Toki stood on a flat rock, wearing his coat, staring out at the ocean, ready to depart, while Luna carried the still-sleeping Sophie.
Luna glanced toward where the compass had been, only to find a small curled-up fox in its place. She remembered Ilona's words:
"My followers bear a spiral mark somewhere on their bodies."
The two understood the fox's nature. Toki suggested heading toward a nearby valley, fifty meters away. Before he could finish, the fox stood and wagged its tail toward the valley.
They exchanged amused glances at the creature's behavior, speaking at the same time:
"Easy!~"
Sophie opened her eyes slowly and yawned on Luna's back as they followed the fox, stepping into a stretch of barren land. In a soft voice, she murmured:
"Good morning…" she said, rubbing her eyelids.
"…Where did this little fox come from? Its tail is so fluffy!"
She reached for it and grabbed its tail, but the fox jerked it away sharply, as if rejecting her touch. Sophie stumbled back in shock, nearly tumbling into the valley.
Toki and Luna rushed to catch her before she struck a large rock, while the fox suddenly flopped down in a comical scene.
Sophie laughed for the first time, just as Toki slipped into the valley below, spitting water from his mouth like a fountain, while Luna held Sophie aloft.
Luna and Toki exchanged quiet, knowing glances.
Sophie sat on a rock, stroking the sleeping fox's fur, while Luna helped Toki dry his soaked clothes.
Her curiosity lingered on the many scars across Touki's body, while the air felt balanced and the rocks firm beneath their feet. Toki gave no response, dipping his legs into the water as he surveyed the surroundings.
"My arm still hasn't healed after facing those beasts," Toki said coldly, tossing a stone across the water.
Luna replied while fixing her hair:
"You've overused that technique you always relied on back then."
Sophie crept up behind Toki and splashed water on him with a playful smile.
He froze for a moment, then splashed her back, leading to a playful exchange of teasing and laughter. Droplets of water scattered into the air, the wind grew lighter, and the leaves swayed as though nature itself was joining their game.
From Luna's perspective, she suddenly noticed that the willow trees shading the valley were gradually vanishing, replaced by tall, dense pines. Her eyes widened in astonishment, a strange tightness gripping her chest as if something terrible was drawing near.
She looked around to find herself on a steep slope—the ground had shifted beneath her without her realizing it. She clenched her teeth and cried out with all her strength:
"Where are you?!"
But her voice only echoed back, unanswered.
She began descending cautiously, the cold biting her face. The fox yawned lazily, then perched atop her head, as if watching the road ahead.
The path was narrow, lined with towering trees, shadows thickening as she went deeper. She came upon a cave and reminded herself calmly that what she was experiencing was just part of the forest's system. Yet inside, she wondered: Why now, of all times?
She sat, shivering from the cold, blowing into her hands while clutching the fox. When she turned, she saw a group of goats lined up in perfect formation.
Luna whispered, brushing back her hair:
"What… is happening here?"
A shadow emerged from the herd, and her thoughts drifted to Toki and Sophie.
"Yo~ Miss…" asked the leader of the goats, his sharp features twisting into a strange smile.
"…Have you lost your way?"
One of the goats at the back spoke up:
"Wait, leader, haven't we arrived yet?"
The leader smiled in a playful yet threatening tone:
"I know that, fool~"
---
At that moment, as the terrain shifted, the valley widened, and Toki and Sophie were swept away by a violent current.
Toki held her tightly, trying to shield her, while she covered her ears as thunder cracked across the horizon.
Toki shouted firmly:
"Ilona!! You're playing with the wrong person… damn it!!"
A mischievous smile crossed his face, as if he were preparing something.
To be continued...