Rustle.
The tall grass shifted softly, parting in the silence of the night as three figures moved swiftly through the forest. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting ghostly patterns on the ground.
At the front, Serica led the way. Her movements were sharp and precise, slicing through the dense foliage with ease, carving a path through the darkness.
Her hand rested on the hilt of her dagger, her every sense alert for any kind of movement. She didn't speak—she didn't need to. Her actions alone communicated urgency and focus.
Behind her, Azhriel followed close, his eyes scanning the surroundings with quiet vigilance. His grip on the silver-hilted blade was relaxed but ready, his steps silent on the undergrowth. There was no trace of fear in his face—only calm.
Beside him, Arianne moved with controlled grace, her white cloak flowing behind her like a trail of moonlight. Her expression was unreadable, crimson eyes fixed forward. Though she had spent much time in this forest, something about this place just didn't sit right.
The three moved silently in the forest straight towards the mountain.
"Are you a hundred percent sure that we'll find the Lunarbloom there?" Arianne asked, her voice calm but edged with urgency.
"Yes," Azhriel replied without hesitation, his gaze fixed ahead. "If nothing's changed… the Lunarbloom will be there."
Arianne looked at him for a moment longer, the wind brushing through her silver-white hair as she kept pace beside him.
There was no sign of doubt in his expression—only certainty. The kind of certainty that came not from hearsay or blind faith, but from knowledge.
She nodded once, trusting his word—for now.
****
A few minutes before.
"I will help you," Azhriel said, his sky-blue eyes meeting Arianne's crimson directly.
Arianne blinked, slightly caught off guard by his sudden words. "What?"
"I said I'll help you find the Lunarbloom," he repeated, his tone calm, face as unreadable as ever. "Actually… I already know where it is."
The atmosphere shifted. Both Arianne and Serica reacted instantly. In one smooth movement, Serica stepped behind Arianne.
Arianne stood as well, the firelight casting a soft glow across her sharp features.
"You know where the Lunarbloom is?" Her voice was louder now, surprised, almost disbelieving.
"Yes." Azhriel answered again, his voice still quiet, but confident.
For a brief second, silence returned. Arianne's heartbeat quickened. She had spent months searching these woods for the rare flower.
Entire squads came by the forest on her behalf, yet none found even a trace of it. And now, a boy—just a teenage commoner—claimed to know its location?
It was almost unbelievable, however it also arose a small hope, in her heart. However she also knows, that there's nothing free in the world, so suspicion also came.
"Why?" she asked bluntly, eyes narrowing slightly. Her voice held no softness, only cold caution.
It made sense to question him. She was the daughter of a Duke—an heiress known throughout the capital, praised for her brilliance, feared for her sword, and admired for her beauty. People had tried to manipulate her before.
For favor. For gold. For influence.
There were plenty of reasons why someone like him would lie… and yet something in his tone also made it hard to dismiss him outright.
"Hehe," a soft, hollow laugh escaped Azhriel's lips. His breath curled into the cold night air like smoke as he looked up in the sky, eyes fixed on nothing in particular. Then, slowly, he turned his gaze back to her and offered a small, unreadable smile.
"Let's just say I know how it feels… to lose someone extremely important in your life."
The fire crackled quietly between them, but Arianne barely noticed. Her crimson eyes widened slightly. Though Azhriel's face remained calm—almost too calm—she saw it.
That fleeting flash of something deep in his eyes. Pain. Loneliness. It was there for only a heartbeat… and then gone, buried again beneath that collected exterior of his.
"But," he added, breaking the moment as if it had never happened, "I guess that kind of answer would only sound more suspicious, wouldn't it? So how about this—" his gaze steadied on hers, "—you owe me a favor."
Arianne held his gaze for a long moment. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Okay."
As she gave her answer, Azhriel stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes.
"Well then, let me take care of a few things, and we'll head out."
Arianne nodded, but before she could speak, Serica stepped forward slightly, her tone cautious.
"Right now? In the forest?"
It was a fair question. The Mistwood was dangerous during the day—but at night, it became a haven for predators. Even Serica, a seasoned guard, understood the risks. And more than her own life, it was her mistress's safety that mattered.
"Yes," Azhriel replied, his voice calm. "It would be more beneficial to leave now. Do you know a trait about Lunarbloom?"
"A trait?" Arianne repeated, tilting her head slightly.
Azhriel looked up toward the faint glow of the moonlight slipping through the tree canopy. "It's said that the Lunarbloom reaches its highest potency when it absorbs the moonlight of a full moon."
A beat of silence passed before Serica quietly answered, "Today is... a full moon."
"Exactly," Azhriel said with a faint nod. "That settles it. We're leaving. Just let me finish something."
With that, he turned and stepped back into the cave.
Inside, the chill in the air thickened as he raised his hand. A sheen of frost wrapped around the boar's body as he quickly froze it with magic, preserving the meat. With a simple flick of his wrist, the frozen body vanished into his space ring.
Then, silently, he undid the heavyweights from his wrists and ankles—small metal bands that looked plain but had kept his body under constant strain. As they hit the ground with a dull thud, his body felt lighter, his movement freer.
Outside, Arianne and Serica watched the cave's entrance.
"Miss," Serica said softly from behind, her tone lowered so only Arianne could hear. "Are you sure we can trust his words?"
Arianne didn't answer immediately. She stared at the flickering fire, then turned her eyes back toward the cave.
"...We don't have many options, do we?" she said quietly. "And you saw his eyes too, didn't you? I don't think he's lying."
Serica hesitated but then nodded.
"Let's prepare to move. Even if it's a small hope... we can't afford to lose it."