By the second morning after leaving the capital, the road had quieted into a hush of soft birdsong and the faint sweetness of damp earth. Sunlight spilled down through the leaves in loose golden ribbons, scattering across our boots as we followed the thin dirt path winding through the forest. The air was cool and clean. Each breath felt like it rinsed something heavy off my chest.
Mariona walked in front, her steps steady, robes brushing low grass with a quiet swish. Every so often, she glanced back over her shoulder, her sharp amber eyes catching bits of light as she spoke about old histories like she was naming ghosts.
"The Valley of Seals holds what the Zelva Kingdom once marked as forbidden," she said. "Some scholars believe the kingdom conducted a kind of 'selection' there… though what that means has never been proven."
"Selection…" I murmured, the word sticking in my throat. "You think it ties to the selection function in the app?"
"That's what you're going to find out, isn't it?" Her voice was low, like stone cracking under frost. "If you plan to go in with soft thoughts, then turn back to the capital now."
"Still scary as always, Grandma," Lilis said, lips jutting out in a pout—but her green eyes glittered like she was having fun. She'd started out calling Mariona a cranky old hag, but walking beside her now, she looked almost… fond.
"I'm not your grandma," Mariona said without turning. Her hand dipped into her pocket, and when it came out, a tiny wrapped bundle sat in her palm. "Here. For you."
"Uh—what?" Lilis blinked, caught off guard.
"It's honey candy. Sweet things are good for pulling off travel fatigue."
"Wait, why just me? What about Leon and the others?"
"You're special. Like a granddaughter."
Lilis froze. Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. She stared down at the bundle as if it were about to vanish, and then, very slowly, her cheeks flushed pink. She whipped her head away in a hurry. "That's unfair! I mean—uh—thanks, though!"
"Heh. Predictable," Caina chuckled softly, her eyes flicking up from the map she was marking. "Guess even you can't win against sweets, huh?"
"Shut up," Lilis muttered, stuffing the candy deep into her pouch, but the corners of her lips twitched.
I couldn't help smiling. Even Mariona's face had softened around the edges. That harshness of hers—it wasn't coldness. It was armor, hammered over years of trying to protect someone.
"…Mariona. Have you always been like this?" I asked quietly.
Caina answered first, nodding. "Yeah. Sharp as a scholar, but… kinda soft on the ones she sees as family. Especially types like Lilis."
"Oh? Then maybe you should learn properly too," Mariona's voice cut in like a blade.
Caina jolted. She looked up, and she was already staring at her, eyes like sharpened amber glass. "Uh—I, um—"
Her words tangled up, and for once, the unflappable Caina looked like a kid caught sneaking out after curfew.
Then—rustle.
The sound was small, but wrong. No wind stirred, yet the leaves ahead shivered like something had breathed on them. My hand slid to my sword's hilt on instinct as I narrowed my eyes at the bushes.
"…Something's there," I said.
The next moment, a black blur burst from the thicket.
"Monster!" Lilis shouted.
It landed with a heavy thud—wolf-shaped, but its body was soaked in pitch-black fur that swallowed sunlight instead of catching it. Its eyes blazed, wild and hungry, and its lips curled to bare teeth like knives. The snarl that rumbled from its throat scraped through the air and left my ears aching, like pressure under deep water.
The creature dug its claws into the soil, long black nails biting down with a sharp crunch. Its shoulders sank, muscles tensing as it coiled low to the ground, ready to spring.
I held my breath. My fingers clenched hard around the hilt, slick with sudden cold sweat. Every part of me was coiled tight as a drawn bowstring.
"Stay back. This one's mine."
Mariona stepped forward.
Heat shimmered from her hand as fire bloomed at her fingertips, twisting and dancing like it had a will of its own. Her voice rose in a low chant, the ancient syllables vibrating through the air. The flames swelled, coiling tighter, then shot outward with a whipcrack roar.
"Enbind."
The fire struck like a serpent, wrapping around the beast's limbs in burning coils. The monster shrieked, thrashing, but the flames clung like iron bands. In seconds, the fire climbed its body, and with one last broken howl, it crumpled to the dirt and went still.
Mariona exhaled slowly, the glow fading from her hand. Behind her, the last embers flickered out in the grass as she turned to face us again.
"S-so cool…" Lilis breathed, eyes wide as saucers. "Guess you really were the Flame Witch…"
"Not bad," I admitted, blinking.
Mariona gave a quiet laugh, just a breath of sound. "I've dulled, but I can still manage that much."
Then she turned away. "We've wasted enough time. Let's move."
We nodded, one by one. And then, together, we started forward again, our shadows stretching long across the sunlit path. The breeze carried a soft edge of tension, like it knew what waited for us ahead in the Valley of Seals.
Notes:
• Mariona - 'Flame Witch' scholar (v2c1) — Lilis's strict but warm mentor, holds deep Zelva lore and fire magic. Small, long white hair, keen amber eyes. Reminder: Stern teacher, secretly cares deeply.
• Lilis - Agile rogue/thief — Leon's close friend and playful teaser. Strikes fast with twin daggers and vanishes into stealth. Petite, light-blonde hair, mischievous green eyes. Reminder: Playful trickster hiding sharp instincts.
• Caina - Calm, brilliant mage — the group's strategist and analyst. Uses lightning magic with precise, logical focus. Slender, silver hair, calm blue eyes. Reminder: Stoic thinker and precision spellcaster.