The Road to Illusion Valley
The forest leading toward Illusion Valley seemed to stretch endlessly.
Ancient trees towered over the road, their trunks so massive that several people would have been needed to wrap their arms around them. Their branches intertwined high above, forming a dense canopy that blocked most of the sunlight.
Only thin rays managed to slip through the leaves.
The deeper they went, the darker the forest became.
Crows occupied nearly every branch.
Some sat silently, watching the travelers below with dark, beady eyes.
Others hopped between the branches, occasionally letting out harsh cries that echoed through the trees.
The atmosphere was strangely oppressive.
Yet, despite the eerie surroundings—
Someone was laughing.
Loudly.
"—and then the merchant actually threw the entire basket at me and said to me bring it back son of Bitch
Eyal's laughter echoed through the forest.
Sam laughed even harder.
"You should have seen your face!"
"I thought he was going to kill me!"
"You deserved it!"
"I did not!"
Their laughter disturbed an entire flock of crows.
Suddenly—
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!
The birds took flight all at once, scattering from their nests and disappearing between the enormous trees.
Yaman didn't even look up.
He continued walking with both hands buried inside his pockets.
His expression remained completely indifferent.
Another burst of laughter came from behind him.
Yaman sighed.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
This is going to be a long journey.
He opened them again and continued walking.
A few steps behind him, James looked exhausted.
He had been listening to Eyal and Sam's conversation for what felt like hours.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
"Are there any sane people here?"
He glanced toward Yaman.
At least there was one person who wasn't laughing every five seconds.
Yaman was walking near the front-right side of the wagon, completely detached from the conversation behind him.
James sighed.
"At least there's one."
He quickened his pace and approached him.
"Hey."
Yaman turned his head slightly.
"Hello."
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Brief.
James smiled awkwardly.
"Uh..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't you think it's about time we introduced ourselves?"
Yaman looked at him.
James immediately felt slightly uncomfortable beneath that cold stare.
"I mean—"
He quickly corrected himself.
"For the sake of the mission."
Yaman remained silent.
James continued.
"It's better if we know who we're working with. That way, if something happens, we can cooperate properly and make sure the client gets where he's going."
He raised his hands slightly.
"I'm not asking about your personal life."
A small pause.
"Just your name."
Yaman turned his attention back toward the road.
"Yaman."
James blinked.
"...Yaman?"
"That's my name."
James smiled.
"Right."
He extended his hand.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can work well together."
"I'm James McKay."
He paused.
"I'm a trainee with the Magic Council."
Yaman glanced at his hand before shaking it briefly.
"Nice to meet you."
James smiled.
"Likewise."
The moment the introduction ended—
Another loud burst of laughter came from behind them.
Yaman slowly turned his head.
Eyal and Sam were still laughing.
He stared at them for a moment.
Then looked back at James.
"Is your friend always like that?"
James let out a tired sigh.
"Unfortunately."
He rubbed his forehead.
"He never stops."
Yaman's expression didn't change.
James glanced toward Eyal.
"Still, he's reliable."
He smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. Eyal's a good guy."
A voice suddenly came from behind them.
"I heard my name."
James closed his eyes.
"...Of course you did."
Eyal walked over with a grin.
"Were you two talking about me?"
"No," James answered immediately.
Eyal's smile disappeared.
"No?"
"No."
"Oh."
Eyal looked genuinely disappointed.
Then his eyes moved toward Yaman.
He noticed the brief handshake.
His expression changed.
"Wait a second."
He pointed at James.
"You made friends with the new guy already?"
James sighed.
"We didn't make friends."
"Then what's his name?"
"We introduced ourselves."
James gestured toward Yaman.
"His name is Yaman. That's all."
Eyal turned toward him.
"So..."
He smiled.
"Yaman."
Yaman looked at him.
"That's an unusual name."
Eyal tilted his head.
"A nice one, though. I don't think I've heard it much around this continent."
Yaman said nothing.
Eyal continued.
"Are you from here?"
Yaman briefly touched the side of his neck.
"No."
Eyal's eyebrows rose.
He clearly wanted to ask another question.
But before he could—
James stepped in.
"Don't."
Eyal looked at him.
"What?"
"We're on a mission."
James nodded toward Yaman.
"There's no need to pry into his personal life."
Eyal sighed.
"Fine."
He turned away.
Then his expression changed as he looked ahead.
"Sam!"
The old merchant turned his head.
"Yeah?"
"How much longer until we reach Illusion Valley?"
Sam smiled from the front of the wagon.
"We're getting close!"
He gave the reins a light pull.
"Don't worry."
The horses continued forward.
But the forest was changing.
The trees were becoming denser.
The road narrower.
The sunlight almost completely disappeared beneath the enormous canopy.
A thin layer of mist began creeping between the trees.
Eyal's smile slowly faded.
He looked around.
"Was it always this dark?"
James looked upward.
"Not this dark."
Yaman remained silent.
His eyes moved from the road to the trees.
Then toward the faint mist ahead.
Something about the atmosphere had changed.
He couldn't explain what.
But his instincts noticed it.
The farther they traveled—
The quieter the forest became.
The crows disappeared.
The insects disappeared.
Even the wind seemed to have died.
Only the creaking of the wagon remained.
Then—
The trees finally began to thin.
The road started climbing.
The darkness slowly gave way to a pale, open sky.
Sam looked ahead.
"There."
Everyone looked forward.
They were almost out.
A few more minutes passed.
Then they emerged from the forest.
And stopped.
Before them stood two enormous mountains.
They rose on either side of a vast valley, their rocky peaks stretching toward the sky.
Between them lay Illusion Valley.
It was enormous.
Wide.
Deep.
And strangely silent.
The road descended into the valley, disappearing beneath a thick blanket of fog.
But the fog was so dense that they couldn't see what lay below.
No buildings.
No travelers.
No sign of civilization.
Nothing.
Only white-gray mist stretching endlessly through the depths.
Then—
A strange sound echoed from somewhere below.
It wasn't loud.
But it was enough to make everyone stop.
Eyal's smile vanished.
James stared into the valley.
Sam's hands tightened around the reins.
Even Yaman narrowed his eyes.
Another strange sound came from below.
The horses suddenly reacted.
They raised their heads.
Their ears went back.
Then—
"Whoa!"
Sam pulled the reins.
The horses began neighing nervously.
"Come on!"
He tugged harder.
"Move!"
The horses refused.
They planted their hooves firmly into the ground.
One of them began trembling.
Sam frowned.
"What is wrong with you?"
Yaman walked toward them.
He crouched beside the nearest horse.
The animal was visibly frightened.
Yaman placed a hand against its neck.
The horse trembled beneath his touch.
He looked toward the valley.
"They're scared."
Sam frowned.
"Of what?"
Yaman stood.
"Something down there."
James looked at the fog.
"You can tell?"
Yaman nodded.
"Animals sense danger before humans do."
He looked back at the horses.
"No matter how hard we try, they're not going in."
Sam stared at the wagon.
Then at the valley.
Then back at the horses.
He sighed.
"Fine."
He rolled up his sleeves.
"Then we'll pull it."
Eyal stared at him.
"You're serious?"
Sam grabbed one of the ropes.
"Completely."
Eyal looked at James.
James sighed.
"Let's just do it."
Yaman grabbed the rope.
The others followed.
"One..."
Sam pulled.
"Two..."
Everyone leaned forward.
"Three!"
They pulled.
The wagon barely moved.
Eyal's face tightened.
"What the hell is in this thing?"
They pulled harder.
The wheels finally began moving.
Slowly.
Painfully slowly.
Eyal gritted his teeth.
"Is this wagon made of stone?"
Sam laughed.
"No."
"Then why is it this heavy?"
"Because it's full."
Eyal stared at him.
"That doesn't answer my question."
Yaman continued pulling without saying anything.
After several minutes, they finally managed to move the wagon closer to the beginning of the slope.
Then—
They stopped.
Everyone looked down.
The slope into the valley was much steeper than it had appeared from above.
If the wagon began rolling—
It would be nearly impossible to stop.
James frowned.
"We can't take it down like this."
Sam nodded.
"Then we secure it first."
Yaman crouched beside the wheels.
His eyes carefully examined the ground.
"We need to make sure the wheels can't move."
James looked around.
"What about tying the wagon to a tree?"
Yaman shook his head.
"Too far."
Sam pointed toward several large rocks.
"We could wedge the wheels against those."
Yaman examined them.
"No."
"Why?"
"They're loose."
James thought for a moment.
"What if we position the wagon differently?"
Yaman looked at him.
"Explain."
James pointed toward the wheels.
"If we angle it slightly, the weight should push the wheels against the ground instead of toward the slope."
Yaman studied the position.
He nodded.
"That could work."
Sam immediately agreed.
"Then let's do it."
The four of them repositioned the wagon carefully.
It took several attempts.
But eventually—
The wagon appeared stable.
Yaman stood.
"Check your wheels."
James crouched down and inspected his side.
He pushed against the wheel.
"Mine's stable."
Sam checked his side.
He gave it a light kick.
"Mine too."
Yaman nodded.
Then looked toward Eyal.
"Your side."
Eyal walked over.
He stared at the wheel.
Then looked at Yaman.
"Do you know..."
He smirked.
"For someone who barely talks, you sure like giving orders."
Yaman stared at him.
"Check the wheel."
Eyal sighed.
"Fine."
He crouched down.
He inspected it carefully.
Then gave it two light knocks.
Tap.
Tap.
"Solid."
He stood.
Then, for absolutely no reason, he gave it one final hit.
THUD!
The wheel shifted.
Barely.
Eyal didn't notice.
He turned around.
"So..."
He spread his arms.
"What do we do now?"
Nobody answered.
Yaman's eyes suddenly moved toward the wagon.
His expression changed.
"...Eyal."
Eyal looked at him.
"What?"
Yaman stared at the wheel.
"It moved."
Eyal blinked.
"What moved?"
The wagon rolled forward.
Just a few inches.
Everyone froze.
James's eyes widened.
Sam's face went pale.
Yaman stared in disbelief.
Eyal slowly turned around.
The wagon moved again.
This time—
Faster.
Eyal's eyes widened.
The wagon began rolling down the slope.
"OH."
The wagon accelerated.
Eyal stared at it.
Then slowly turned back toward the others.
He gave them an awkward smile.
"...Looks like the rear wheels need some work."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Yaman's eye twitched.
James stared at Eyal.
Sam's mouth fell open.
Then—
"RUN!"
All four of them immediately sprinted down the slope.
The wagon was already gaining speed.
"STOP IT!"
Sam shouted.
"HOW?!"
Eyal yelled back.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO HIT THE WHEEL!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD MOVE!"
James shouted:
"STOP ARGUING AND CATCH IT!"
Yaman was already running ahead of them.
His expression had finally lost its usual calm.
The wagon raced toward the fog.
Eyal struggled to keep up.
"WHY IS IT SO FAST?!"
James yelled:
"BECAUSE IT'S GOING DOWNHILL!"
"I KNOW THAT!"
"THEN WHY DID YOU ASK?!"
"I PANICKED!"
Sam shouted from behind them:
"JUST STOP THE WAGON!"
Yaman's eyes remained fixed on it.
The wagon disappeared deeper toward the fog-covered valley.
The strange sounds from below grew louder.
Yaman's expression hardened.
This mission had stopped being a simple delivery the moment they reached Illusion Valley.
They finally reached the entrance of Illusion Valley.
The four of them stopped almost simultaneously.
For several seconds, nobody said a word.
They were too busy trying to breathe.
Eyal collapsed onto his back, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Haah... haah..."
Sam dropped to the ground beside him, clutching his chest.
"My... my wagon..."
He struggled to catch his breath.
"My poor wagon..."
James bent forward with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
Yaman remained standing.
He was breathing harder than usual, but his eyes were fixed on the valley ahead.
The wagon was gone.
It had disappeared completely into the thick fog below.
Yaman narrowed his eyes.
The mist seemed to swallow everything that entered it.
Sam finally managed to stand.
He stared into the valley in disbelief.
"I can't believe it..."
"My wagon..."
He grabbed his head.
"Do you have any idea how much that thing is worth?!"
Eyal slowly sat up.
"Sam, I'm sorry."
"Sorry?!"
Sam turned toward him.
"That wagon contained my entire shipment!"
Eyal raised his hands defensively.
"I know! I made a mistake."
"You destroyed my business!"
"I said I'm sorry!"
James stood straight.
"Sam, we'll retrieve it."
Sam stared at him.
"Retrieve it?"
James nodded.
"Yes."
Eyal stood beside him.
"We'll get it back."
Sam looked between the two young men.
"You'd better."
He pointed toward the valley.
"That wagon is worth more than you think."
Eyal sighed.
"We understand."
But Sam continued complaining.
"And if anything happens to the goods—"
Yaman's expression slowly darkened.
"And if the wagon is damaged—"
"Enough."
Nobody listened.
Sam continued.
"Do you know how long it took me to—"
BANG!
Everyone froze.
Yaman had slammed his fist against the rock beside him.
The impact left a small crack in the stone.
A thin line of blood appeared across his knuckles.
Yaman didn't even look at his hand.
He stared at Sam.
"Enough whining."
His voice was cold.
"You've made your point."
Sam fell silent.
Yaman looked at Eyal.
"This idiot made a mistake."
Eyal's face twitched.
"...I know."
"But we're going to retrieve the wagon."
Yaman turned toward the valley.
"So stop wasting time."
He looked back at them.
"Come on."
His eyes narrowed.
"We're going into this damn valley."
Eyal looked at the fog.
"...You're really not going to give us a chance to change our minds, are you?"
"No."
James sighed.
"Fine."
Sam stared at the valley for several seconds.
He clearly didn't want to enter.
But eventually, he followed them.
"Wait for me."
One by one, they stepped into Illusion Valley.
---
The moment they crossed the entrance—
The temperature seemed to drop.
The fog surrounded them immediately.
It was thick.
Far thicker than it had appeared from above.
Within a few dozen steps, the outside world had almost completely disappeared.
The mountains were no longer visible.
The entrance behind them faded into the mist.
Eyal looked over his shoulder.
"I can't even see where we came from."
James raised his hand.
"Stay close."
Yaman continued walking ahead.
The deeper they went—
The darker the valley became.
The fog seemed to absorb what little light remained.
Strange sounds echoed through the mist.
Sometimes they sounded like distant whispers.
Other times they resembled footsteps.
Then silence.
Then another strange noise.
Eyal reached into his pocket.
"Hold on."
He pulled out a small lantern.
With a flick of his fingers, he activated the magic inside it.
A warm light illuminated the fog around him.
James immediately did the same.
Two lights appeared in the darkness.
Yaman glanced back at them.
"Better."
They continued.
Step after step.
The ground beneath their feet became uneven.
Roots emerged from the earth.
The trees around them appeared distorted through the fog.
Their branches looked almost like silhouettes of enormous hands reaching toward the travelers.
Eyal swallowed.
"I officially hate this place."
Sam said nothing.
For once, he wasn't complaining.
Yaman continued walking.
But something was beginning to feel wrong.
He hadn't done much physical work compared to the others.
Yet his body was beginning to feel heavy.
A thin layer of sweat formed across his forehead.
His breathing became slightly faster.
Yaman frowned.
Why am I tired?
He slowed down.
His hand briefly touched his chest.
His heartbeat felt strange.
Not faster.
Just...
different.
He looked around.
The fog.
The trees.
The darkness.
Something was affecting him.
Yaman narrowed his eyes.
Then he heard it.
A sound.
Soft.
Almost impossible to notice.
A melody.
Yaman stopped.
The others continued for a few steps before noticing.
The sound became clearer.
Someone was singing.
Yaman slowly turned his head.
Through the fog—
There was a woman.
She stood beside a tree.
Her back was facing them.
Long hair fell down her back.
She didn't move.
She simply stood there.
Singing.
Yaman stared.
His breathing stopped.
He knew that song.
His eyes widened.
It was an old traditional song from his homeland.
A song he hadn't heard since the destruction of his island.
A song from his childhood.
A song his people used to sing.
Yaman's face lost its color.
The woman continued singing.
The melody was exactly the same.
Every note.
Every rhythm.
Every detail.
Impossible.
No...
Yaman took one step forward.
"That's..."
His voice barely escaped his throat.
The woman slowly stopped singing.
Silence.
Then—
She turned her head.
Her face remained hidden behind her hair and the mist.
Only her mouth was visible.
A smile.
A terrifyingly familiar smile.
Then she spoke.
"Yaman."
His entire body froze.
His eyes widened.
His breathing became ragged.
"No..."
The world around him seemed to distort.
The trees twisted.
The fog became darker.
His ears rang.
His chest tightened.
Yaman stumbled backward.
His knees gave way.
He fell to the ground.
"Yaman!"
James immediately turned around.
His eyes widened.
Yaman was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
Sweat covered his face.
His eyes remained fixed on something ahead.
James rushed toward him.
"Yaman, what's wrong?"
Eyal and Sam followed.
"What happened?" Eyal asked.
Yaman didn't answer.
James looked in the direction Yaman was staring.
There was nothing.
Only fog.
A tree.
And darkness.
James frowned.
"What are you looking at?"
Yaman finally spoke.
"There."
He pointed.
"There's a woman."
Eyal looked.
Nothing.
"Where?"
"There!"
Yaman's breathing became heavier.
"She's right there!"
Eyal looked again.
"There isn't anyone."
Sam also stared into the fog.
"I don't see anyone."
Yaman's expression hardened.
"You idiots!"
His finger remained pointed toward the tree.
"She's right there!"
But there was nothing.
James looked back at Yaman.
His eyes narrowed.
Something wasn't right.
Yaman wasn't simply imagining things.
His pupils were dilated.
His breathing was abnormal.
His entire body was reacting as though he were facing a real threat.
James approached him.
"Yaman."
Yaman looked at him.
James raised one hand.
A faint magical aura surrounded his palm.
He placed it firmly against Yaman's shoulder.
"Release."
A pulse of magic passed through Yaman's body.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then Yaman's eyes widened.
The woman disappeared.
The song vanished.
The strange pressure inside his head disappeared with it.
The distorted trees returned to normal.
The fog was simply fog again.
Yaman remained still.
He took a deep breath.
Then another.
His breathing gradually stabilized.
He sat there for several seconds.
James kept his hand on his shoulder until he was certain the effect had passed.
Yaman finally looked around.
Nothing.
No woman.
No song.
Nothing but the three men staring at him.
Yaman reached for the bottle of water hanging from his bag.
He drank deeply.
Then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
He stood.
"Let's keep moving."
Eyal stared at him.
"Hold on."
Yaman looked at him.
"What?"
"What the hell was that?"
Yaman didn't answer.
Eyal pointed toward the fog.
"Who was that woman?"
James asked the same question.
"And what did you do?"
James shook his head.
"I didn't do anything to the woman."
Eyal frowned.
"Then what happened?"
James answered calmly.
"I released him from the illusion."
Eyal blinked.
"The illusion?"
"Yes."
Eyal looked around.
"But there wasn't anyone there."
"Exactly."
Eyal frowned.
"So someone created an illusion?"
James nodded.
"Apparently."
Eyal looked increasingly confused.
"Who?"
Silence.
Yaman finally spoke.
"Shut up, idiot."
Eyal turned toward him.
"What?"
Yaman pointed toward the fog.
"This mist."
Everyone looked at it.
"It's magical."
Sam's expression changed.
"What do you mean?"
Yaman looked at the fog.
"When we entered the valley, the mist began entering our bodies."
Eyal frowned.
"How?"
"Through breathing."
Yaman touched his nose.
"Through the nose."
Then his eyes.
"Through the eyes."
And finally his mouth.
"Through the mouth."
He looked at them.
"Once it enters your body, it interferes with the flow of Ethernano."
James nodded slowly.
Yaman continued.
"The mist doesn't simply make you see things."
"It affects your senses."
He paused.
"It can affect your hearing."
"Your vision."
"Your sense of touch."
"And if the effect becomes strong enough..."
He looked down at his hand.
"...even your perception of your own body."
Eyal stared at him.
"So that's why you were exhausted?"
Yaman nodded.
"I hadn't done enough physical activity to explain it."
He clenched his fist.
"The mist was interfering with me."
James finally understood.
"The hallucination wasn't random."
Yaman looked at him.
"No."
His expression became darker.
"It used something that already existed inside my memories."
The song.
The woman.
His homeland.
Everything had been connected.
Eyal looked between them.
"Then why didn't it affect us?"
Yaman turned toward him.
"That's what I don't understand."
His eyes moved to James.
"You said you're trained in controlling Ethernano?"
James nodded.
"Of course."
Eyal looked surprised.
"That's basic knowledge for any mage."
Yaman raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
James sighed.
"Every mage has Ethernano flowing through their body."
He raised his hand.
A small magical aura appeared around it.
"Ethernano is the fundamental magical energy present in the atmosphere and within living beings."
He lowered his hand.
"A mage doesn't simply possess magic."
"They have to control how that energy moves through their body."
James continued.
"Think of the body as a network of channels."
"The Ethernano enters, circulates through those channels, gathers around the areas being used for magic, and then returns to a stable flow."
Eyal nodded.
"It's one of the first things we're taught."
James continued.
"If your control is poor, the flow becomes unstable."
"Too much energy can gather in one place."
"Too little can reach another."
"And external magical influences can interfere with the circulation."
Yaman listened carefully.
James pointed toward the fog.
"That's probably what happened to Yaman."
"The mist entered his body."
"Because his Ethernano circulation wasn't properly stabilized against the foreign magic, the mist interfered with his natural flow."
Yaman nodded.
"Exactly."
Eyal frowned.
"But you said we should have been affected too."
"Normally, yes."
James looked at Yaman.
"But our Ethernano circulation is already controlled."
"We're constantly regulating it."
Yaman added:
"So when the mist entered your bodies, your magical systems resisted it."
James nodded.
"Exactly."
Eyal finally understood.
"So when you touched Yaman..."
"I used my own magical energy to stabilize his Ethernano flow temporarily."
James looked at Yaman.
"I essentially forced the chaotic flow back into its normal pattern."
Yaman nodded.
"And once the flow stabilized..."
"The illusion lost its hold."
Eyal stared at Yaman.
"So the reason it only affected you..."
Yaman finished the sentence.
"Is because I couldn't control my Ethernano well enough to resist it."
Eyal became quiet.
For the first time since entering the valley, he wasn't joking.
James looked concerned.
"Are you feeling better?"
Yaman nodded.
"Yes."
He looked ahead.
"But we should assume the mist will keep affecting us."
James agreed.
"Then we need to remain close."
Yaman nodded.
But something still bothered him.
He slowly turned around.
Sam was walking behind them.
Quietly.
Calmly.
Almost too calmly.
Yaman's eyes narrowed.
How?
If the mist interfered with Ethernano...
If it entered through the lungs, eyes, nose, and mouth...
Then Sam should have been affected too.
Unless—
Yaman watched him carefully.
Sam continued walking.
His expression was completely normal.
No sweating.
No confusion.
No hallucinations.
No difficulty breathing.
Nothing.
Yaman's gaze remained fixed on him.
He's just an ordinary merchant...
At least, that's what he claimed to be.
Yaman said nothing.
He simply continued walking.
But from that moment onward—
He never stopped watching Sam.