They were caught between two Mists. Behind them was the one advancing—thick, fast, relentless. Ahead lay the Mist of the Sacred Tree, seemingly motionless, though it had already spread considerably farther than before, and somehow felt far more threatening. Even without seeing it clearly, Kenzo could tell the air had changed, as though the space around them had become a trap. Naty stared into the Mist ahead, then glanced back, as if still searching for a solution that no longer existed.
— « So what do we do? You can still see that sea of red flames, right? Do we go back? »
Ophelia answered immediately, without hesitation, as though she had already made the decision long ago.
— « No. We head toward the Sacred Tree. I doubt that will can kill us outright, but we're definitely going to feel it. »
She inhaled, and her voice hardened, becoming more determined, almost like a promise she was making to herself.
— « I'm not meant to die here. We're crossing this Mist, and we're surviving. »
Kenzo clenched his teeth. He could feel fear rising inside him—not blind panic, but a cold tension that stiffened the back of his neck. He also knew charging in without a plan would be idiotic.
— « Alright, Miss Chosen One, but how exactly are we supposed to find our way through? Sorry, but I seriously doubt we can just go straight ahead without any problems. »
Ophelia turned her head slightly.
— « We'll use Madame. She's a Messenger of the Mist. She should be able to navigate through it… hopefully. »
Kenzo froze for a moment, as though he had misheard her.
— « Hopefully? »
— « Yes. Now, Lucian, tell Madame to take us to the other side of the Mist. »
Lucian did not look particularly happy with the situation either, but there was no other choice. His expression was tense and his hands hesitant, yet he gave the order. Madame responded, and the four teenagers entered the Mist atop the giant spider.
Madame plunged into it at high speed, and the instant they crossed the boundary, they all felt something. An immediate sense of discomfort. As though the air no longer belonged to them. As though their very presence was unwelcome, as though they had entered a place they were never supposed to set foot in. Kenzo felt as if they were standing in the palm of some immense hand, and for the first time he truly understood what Ophelia meant when she spoke of sensing the will of the Mist.
As they moved forward, Kenzo could feel the Hearts of Void Creatures around them. He could not see them, only perceive them, and somehow that was worse. Every invisible pulse carried the promise of something emerging from the fog at any moment.
— « Lucian, tell Madame to change direction. We're heading straight toward something. »
Madame altered her course. For nearly an hour, they continued like that, constantly avoiding the Void Creatures wandering through the Mist. Kenzo remained focused, tracking their presences, and noticed something else in the process: receiving 352 Hearts from Sir James had not strengthened his passive ability at all. That meant it was only nourished by the Hearts of Void Creatures.
Ophelia grew increasingly tense. She held her long daggers ready and had also drawn her whip, refusing to be caught unprepared.
— « I can't see them. It's frustrating. The will of the Mist is preventing me from seeing the will of the Void Creatures. »
Her frustration almost sounded like controlled fear—the anger of someone losing control because the Mist itself was imposing a limit on her.
Then something happened.
Lucian coughed up blood.
Ophelia noticed immediately.
— « It's starting. We seriously need to get out of this Mist before one of us dies. »
Kenzo could feel its effects as well. It was not a violent attack, but a constant pressure, as though simply remaining inside the Mist allowed it to attack their prana Hearts directly. The longer they stayed inside, the more precisely he could locate the exact point being targeted, as if the Mist were constantly pressing down on the same place.
He focused and felt the surrounding presences drawing closer.
— « Lucian, tell Madame to stop. We're surrounded. »
Lucian obeyed. Madame came to a halt, and everyone prepared for a possible fight. Kenzo stared into the emptiness ahead, unable to see anything but certain of what he could feel.
— « There are several Void Creatures blocking our path. They're Unstable rank, and probably a stage above the black spider… but they aren't moving. »
After killing the Unstable spider in the Palace of Webs, Kenzo now knew what kind of presence an Unstable creature gave off. He recognized that sensation. Ophelia, however, could not understand why they had stopped.
— « Why aren't they moving anymore? »
Naty answered, staring ahead as though trying not to tremble.
— « Probably because we stopped moving too. »
They waited, ready for anything.
But nothing came.
Instead, they heard singing.
Melodious. Gentle. Comforting.
Yet there was something horribly wrong about that softness, precisely because it had no place here. The songs were as beautiful as they were terrifying. Kenzo suddenly felt hands gripping him. Naty and Lucian. Lucian's hand was trembling.
Kenzo understood.
He felt a shiver of fear even stronger than the one the Mist itself had caused. Even Ophelia stepped back and moved closer to Naty, weapons ready, as though waiting for the horror surrounding them to finally reveal its shape.
The songs continued, laughter and crying woven together into the melody. Kenzo could feel the creatures circling them from every direction, over and over again. That invisible procession made it feel as though they were trapped at the center of something, unable to escape until the will of the Mist decided to release them.
After a while, Naty let go of Kenzo's hand and touched her nose.
She was bleeding.
Lucian was worse. Blood ran from both his nose and ears, and he was still coughing it up.
Ophelia finally made the decision, her voice firm.
— « We need to move. Now. »
Then Kenzo sensed a subtle change.
— « I think they're leaving. »
He felt the creatures stop circling them, then gradually move away. The singing grew more distant until silence returned—heavy, oppressive, but almost welcome compared to what they had just endured.
After several minutes, Kenzo spoke.
— « Let's go. »
They resumed their escape. Madame continued guiding them toward the Sacred Tree, while Kenzo forced her to alter course whenever he sensed something nearby. Lucian's condition was getting worse, but he still seemed capable of defending himself or getting off Madame if necessary. Kenzo kept his attention fixed on the Hearts surrounding them, on everything he could still perceive despite the oppressive will of the Mist.
Until he sensed something farther away.
And higher up.
Several different presences.
Multiple.
— « The spiders are here… »