Commander Jems and his squad finally pushed deeper, heading toward the dark heart of the forest.
The air began to change, and soon, they encountered a thick, swirling mist that had swallowed a vast area ahead of them.
"What is this fog?" Jems muttered, squinting. "Is it a trap? Or just a natural phenomenon? Guide Orishima, do you know anything about this?"
"No," Orishima replied, his voice tense. "I'm stepping into this part of the forest for the first time too. Just... try not to get lost. Stay close."
With a lingering sense of dread, Jems's squad, the research unit, and Orishima entered the white veil.
It was the only path leading toward the second layer of the forest—the Shadow Fen.
But as soon as they stepped inside, something went wrong.
It was as if their connection to the world was severed instantly.
Jems could see nothing but a wall of blinding white. The forest, the trees, and his men had all vanished.
"Orishima! Cadets!" Jems roared, his voice echoing into the void.
There was no response. Not even a whisper.
"Crap... what is this place?" Jems growled.
He couldn't see his comrades, and it seemed his voice couldn't reach them either.
Panic began to claw at his chest. He started to run blindly through the mist, hoping to collide with someone, to grab a cadet's arm, to find any sign of life.
But he found no one.
"What do I do now?" Jems thought, his breath hitching. "Am I trapped? Where is the squad? What happened to Orishima and the researchers?"
His mind began to fray. In the corner of his vision, distorted human shapes started to flicker—ghastly, twisted figures that danced in the white.
It felt as though he was slowly slipping into insanity.
But then... a sound broke the silence.
It was a melodic voice, humming a sweet, enchanting tune.
A feminine voice, singing a song that sounded both beautiful and hauntingly mysterious.
Jems froze, unable to believe his ears.
"What is that? Where is it coming from?"
Confused and wary, Jems did the only thing he could think of—he ran away from the voice.
He sprinted miles in the opposite direction, trying to escape the melody.
But even as he ran, the white mist stayed the same, and the humming continued to echo inside his skull.
The further he ran, the worse his condition became.
His head felt like it was going to explode. The distorted shapes turned into terrifying, undead faces—people he had never seen before, staring at him with hollow eyes.
He felt phantom hands touching his shoulders, though no one was there.
Jems gritted his teeth, forcing himself to regain control of his mind.
He realized that running away was a trap. The only way out was to face the source.
He turned back and began running toward the melody.
As he drew closer, the sound grew louder. It became a deafening roar in his ears.
It was so intense that Jems felt his eardrums might burst, but he didn't stop.
His mental fortitude was extraordinary. He protected his sanity, pushing through the illusions until the fog finally began to thin.
Standing in a small clearing was a young woman.
She looked no more than eighteen or twenty. Her hair was a deep, dark green, intertwined with living leaves.
A thick, white mist ebbed and flowed from the folds of her cloak, feeding the fog that covered the forest.
"Who are you?" Jems demanded, breathless. "What are you doing here?"
"Me? You're asking me?" the girl replied, a playful tilt to her head.
"I'm surprised you're even alive. Most creatures either go mad and die or wander this mist forever."
"But you... you found me just by the sound of my voice. You are quite talented."
"I didn't come here for compliments," Jems snapped.
"Tell me who you are. And do you know anything about my squad?"
"I am Syria, the singer of the mist," she said.
"I simply love to sing, but my body naturally releases this fog, filling the area with hallucinations."
"I'm impressed that you survived it."
"I'm leaving," Jems said, turning away. "I don't have time to chat with you."
"Go then," Syria called out as he walked away.
"You've passed a great trial. You have risen in my eyes... and in the eyes of the Apex Predator, Sardor."
"You may enter the Shadow Fen now, but I cannot say the same for your comrades. Their fate is their own."
Jems didn't look back. He ignored her warnings and marched straight ahead.
He stepped out of the fog and toward the dark, swampy horizon of the Shadow Fen—the second layer of the Everdread Forest.