Snow falls quietly over the forest as Haron and Solvar walk through its silent paths.
"Haron...I keep seeing that man standing far away."
Haron glances at him with concern.
"You've been saying that for days. You just need rest
or go see Maria."
Solvar sighs and lowers his gaze.
I'd rather die than visit that strange old woman, he thinks. But maybe it would help me become a better person someone who doesn't speak ill of others. Maybe I'm exaggerating..
When he raises his head again, the same man stands in the distance, staring at him.
"I'll consider this a coincidence despite how afraid I am... but I need to know what you want."
Solvar stops walking, letting Haron continue ahead. After a short distance, Haron notices how quiet the forest becomes. All he hears are his own footsteps.
He turns around Solvar is gone.
"Huh? Solvar!"
He calls out again, but no one answers.
Meanwhile, Solvar follows the mysterious man. The man moves farther each time Solvar gets close. What surprises him most is that his eyes don't hurt this time.
The chase leads him to an empty clearing. No trees only a pit in the center. The man stands beside it.
Solvar watches from afar, his legs trembling. Then, the familiar pain returns… but this time it's unbearable, as if his eyes are being torn out of their sockets. He collapses, screaming, until a sudden coldness rushes through his body
and in the next instant, he finds himself inside a cave filled with strange symbols.
The pain is gone.
He stands up, feeling no shock at all. Instead, a strange familiarity settles in his chest, as if he has been here before.
He walks deeper into the cave, examining the bizarre drawings and the unnaturally organized walls.
Then he sees them: statues.
Each one has carved eyes and a name above it. The names feel familiar... all except one statue, which has no name, no eyes, and no defined features.
Solvar approaches it.
Beside it lies a white mask. He ignores the mask, drawn instead to the statue itself. Curiosity overtakes him. He places his fingers into the empty eye sockets
Darkness.
Solvar panics and touches his face. Nothing. His eyes are gone.
Blind, he slides his hands along the walls searching for an exit, tripping again and again. His fingers brush against another statue; he explores its surface until he reaches its eyes, and presses his hand into the socket, hoping—desperate for his sight to return.
Instead, the cave erupts with a piercing scream.
The sound is violent and inhuman. Solvar covers his ears, but it doesn't help. The screaming drills into his skull until warm blood trickles from his ears
and then everything goes silent.
Solvar opens his eyes.
He lies in the middle of the forest. A deer stands above him, then bolts away as soon as he moves. Darkness surrounds him and the cold gnaws at his body. He struggles to stand, barely breathing, barely able to move his legs.
Then
"Solvar!"
A voice echoes through the trees.
Haron emerges from the shadows with a lantern in hand, and beside him stands his daughter, Yuna, clutching her coat tightly.
"Oh God where were you?!"
They rush to him. Yuna places a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You're freezing... you shouldn't stay here."
Solvar tries to speak, but his body leans forward as if he's about to collapse. Haron catches him.
"Come on. Lean on me. It's still a long walk."
Solvar puts all his weight on Haron, his steps unstable and slow. Yuna walks ahead, raising the lantern to light the narrow path.
"I was calling for you," Haron says. "You vanished. It was like the forest swallowed you."
Solvar says nothing. He doesn't want to talk not about what he saw, nor about what he thinks he saw.
After a moment of silence, Yuna murmurs,
"We're lucky we came back for you."
Solvar focuses only on staying conscious.
The village lights flicker faintly beyond the trees.
"We're almost there," Haron sighs. "Once we get home, you'll sit by the fireplace."
Yuna opens the wooden door, and warm air washes over them.
Solvar stumbles inside and sits by the fire, breathing slowly as warmth returns to his body.
Little by little...he drifts to sleep.