Part IV – Kayla's Warning
The edge of the Forest stood just a few steps away.
The wall of interwoven trees seemed to breathe, as if it were alive.
A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of cherry blossoms, yet beneath that fragrance, Yuri sensed another scent—the scent of danger.
Kayla stopped, stepping in front of the group, her hat adorned with flickering flames that seemed to challenge the mist.
With a fluid motion, she raised a hand, signaling a halt.
"Before we cross this boundary," she began, her tone serious and stripped of her usual irony, "you need to know what truly awaits you."
Lucen came to a stop beside Yuri, silent, but visibly alert.
Kayla crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the living wall of trees.
"Beyond that threshold, the world will change. Not just to your eyes, but within you. The Forest of Illusions is ancient—older than many of the kingdoms we know. It was not created by human hands, but by forces that sought to protect… or deceive."
At that moment, Yuu crouched beside Yuri, ears low, as if he too could feel the weight of the sorceress's words.
"Inside, you will find stone paths," Kayla continued, her voice now barely a whisper,
"houses painted in a thousand colors, cherry trees that never shed their blossoms, and a castle that towers above everything like a dream carved in white marble."
Yuri's eyes widened at her words, a mix of wonder and fear.
"But remember," Kayla concluded, stepping close and touching Yuri's forehead with a single finger,
"nothing is as it seems. Not even your own thoughts will be safe.
The Forest listens, watches—and sometimes… it answers."
For a moment, there was absolute silence.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Then, slowly, Kayla lowered her hand and turned toward the massive Torii gates, just barely visible through the mist, like the entrance to another world.
"If you're ready," she said at last, with an enigmatic smile, "tomorrow we step through its gates."
Yuri clenched her fists, feeling her heartbeat quicken.
Lucen bowed his head slightly, as if accepting the challenge in silence.
And Yuu, jumping up on his hind legs, let out a brief, spirited bark—promising he would stay by their side.
Night was falling.
And with it, the illusions had begun to awaken.