Soft yellow sunlight streamed through the window into the room. A ray of light fell across Raijin's face from one corner of the window, causing his eyes to open. He abruptly sat up in bed.
"It's already too late…"
His breathing was slightly rapid. His chest rose and fell visibly, but his steps did not stop. It was as if he was more troubled by the thought that he might miss something than by the fact that the others were waiting for him.
Everything was ready. And yet, there was a strange uneasiness inside him. It wasn't simply the thought that the others might be waiting for him. He felt as though if he arrived late today… he might miss something that he would never get another chance to find again.
He couldn't understand the reason behind this feeling. So, he stopped thinking about it and left the room.
He didn't even have time to freshen up. The moment he put on his shoes, he rushed toward the Guild.
A little while later—
"Kade, Ishan… did you take all the supplies?" Sofiya asked.
Ishan, who was holding a small wooden box in his hands, replied, "Yeah, everything's here. We're just waiting for Raijin."
As he said this, he placed the wooden box beneath the seating area of the horse carriage, where several other boxes had already been placed.
Kade looked at the box and frowned.
"What's inside?"
Ishan answered without looking at him, "Important supplies."
"How important?"
"Important enough that if they get lost, Sofiya will kill me."
Sofiya heard them from a distance.
"Not just me," she said calmly. "The Guild won't pay you to get killed either."
Kade laughed.
"See? I told you. It's important."
After waiting for a few moments, a familiar voice reached them.
"I'm here. Sorry for being late."
The voice was deep, yet there was a strange sweetness to it. It sounded like the voice of a young man who had lived a very long life in a very short amount of time.
Within moments, everyone's attention unconsciously turned toward him.
A wide smile appeared on Kade's face.
"Look, Raijin's here."
Raijin was still a little distance away. Not far enough that he couldn't hear them, though. When he saw that the others were still busy with a few small preparations, he stopped running and began walking toward them.
Sofiya was sitting on a tightly tied pile of hay. Her eyes were fixed on Raijin. There was no particular sparkle in them, unlike usual. It almost seemed as though she had grown tired of waiting for him.
But there was more than just impatience in her gaze.
She was watching Raijin carefully, as if trying to read every movement and expression on his face.
Only a few days ago, this same boy had been lying before her, covered in blood. At that time, she had thought that perhaps she would never see him open his eyes again.
But today, that same Raijin was standing in front of her.
There was still a slight weariness in his steps as he walked, but the old calmness had returned to his eyes.
Sofiya unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
Then she immediately looked away, as if she didn't want anyone to notice the small trace of relief that had appeared on her face.
Raijin slowly approached Sofiya.
He looked around.
They were standing directly behind the Guild.
This was the stable, where horses were kept and raised. There was also a designated area nearby for horse carriages.
Raijin reached them within a few moments.
Kade stood leaning against a wooden post with his arms crossed, while Ishan was helping the coachman prepare the horse carriage.
Raijin reached Sofiya and took a deep breath.
"Sorry I'm late. I went to the Guild first, but I couldn't find you there. So I had to find Emi first, and then she sent me here."
"No," Sofiya replied softly. "You arrived at exactly the right time. Things would have been a little easier if you had come earlier, but forget it. Everything is ready."
Raijin sighed in relief.
"I thought I was late. I'm really sorry."
Kade, who was leaning his back against the wooden post, laughed.
"It's fine. Being a little late is understandable. Just tell us one thing—you're not planning to stay here forever, are you?"
Everyone laughed.
In this strange atmosphere, where everyone carried an unspoken burden regarding the mission, Kade's joke managed to lighten the mood a little.
Ishan, who had finished preparing the horse carriage with the coachman, gestured for everyone to get inside.
One by one, they climbed into the carriage.
Two horses stood at the front, ready to pull it forward. The top was covered with a green cloth canopy.
The carriage slowly began moving.
The wheels pressed into the dirt road, while the steady sound of the horses' footsteps echoed around them.
At first, no one said anything.
Everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Raijin looked outside.
The streets of Eldhavn slowly disappeared behind them. The shops, houses, and voices of the people gradually faded away.
For the first time, he realized that he was leaving this city and heading toward a completely new place…
Without knowing what was waiting for him there.
The strange silence that had existed before their departure still hadn't completely disappeared.
No one said anything, but everyone had the same question in their minds—
Would they really be able to return?
Ishan reached forward and pulled down the wooden panel above the place where everyone had climbed inside. The cloth attached to it came down, and the carriage was now almost completely covered, protecting them from the harsh sunlight.
The side where the coachman was sitting remained uncovered, allowing him to keep a clear view of the road ahead.
Any attack could be noticed immediately.
After some time, Eldhavn City's border came into view.
Tall walls and massive gates stood around the city, enclosing Eldhavn from every direction.
A few moments later, their horse carriage was stopped at Gate Number 2 of Eldhavn City.
A soldier approached them.
He was wearing silver-colored armor with black marks scattered across it, almost as if parts of it had begun to rust. In his right hand, he carried a spear whose upper section was silver while the lower part was made of wood.
He asked the coachman for his ID card and then began inspecting the carriage.
The soldier's eyes rested on Raijin for a few moments.
Raijin met his gaze.
The two stared at each other for several seconds.
There was no obvious emotion in the soldier's eyes—neither suspicion nor recognition.
And yet, his gaze remained on Raijin slightly longer than necessary for a routine inspection.
Raijin narrowed his eyes slightly.
But the soldier said nothing.
He simply returned the ID card and signaled for the carriage to proceed.
Raijin continued looking back at him for a few moments.
"Strange…"
Normally, ID cards were checked and searches were conducted when entering the city. But horse carriages were inspected both when entering and leaving.
The soldier thoroughly checked the inside of the carriage and verified the ID card provided by the coachman.
After the inspection was completed, the massive iron gate ahead was opened for them.
Once the carriage crossed Eldhavn City's border, Ishan asked curiously,
"What kind of place is Mournvale?"
Raijin gave him a slightly cold look before answering.
"It's located near the mountains."
When Kade had told him that there was no cemetery around the area, Raijin had gathered all the information the Guild had about the place.
He knew only as much about Mournvale as the Guild did.
Raijin was still lost in his thoughts when a voice reached his ears and pulled him back to reality.
"I'm really excited," Ishan said.
Raijin looked at him.
"Lower your excitement a little. This place isn't anything like what you're imagining."
"What do you mean?" Ishan immediately asked.
"Because it's near the mountains," Raijin muttered, "there's a cold fog covering the area almost all the time. There's very little greenery as well. If you think about it… this place is nothing short of hell for people who don't like the cold."
Kade immediately spoke up.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier? We could've brought warmer clothes."
Ishan looked at Kade.
"You get cold that easily?"
"I don't get cold," Kade immediately replied. "I just… respect my body."
Sofiya let out a small laugh.
For the first time during the journey, Raijin openly smiled.
Then he looked at Kade and said,
"Don't worry. It won't be as cold as you're imagining. The weather is simply a little chilly. You'll have to wear another layer over those clothes, but how cold you actually feel there is up to you."
Everyone nodded.
"If the fog clears," Raijin continued, "the place can look completely normal."
Kade let out a long sigh.
"Explain things properly next time. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest."
Just then, the coachman's voice came from the front.
"Sir, the horses are getting tired. Can we stop somewhere for a while?"
Sofiya replied,
"Yes. Find a suitable place and stop the carriage."
A short while later, the carriage slowed down and eventually came to a stop.
"That quickly?" Kade asked in surprise.
Everyone began climbing down.
Raijin was the first to step out.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he turned his head and looked around.
The place looked completely safe.
And yet…
Something didn't feel right.
There was greenery everywhere.
Grass, scattered stones, trees standing at irregular distances, and a narrow path winding between them.
Soft yellow sunlight fell over everything, making the place look even more beautiful.
The scenery filled everyone with a warm and pleasant feeling.
But something was strange.
Despite the overwhelming silence, there were no sounds of birds.
Even the wind didn't rustle through the trees the way it should have.
It was as if this place was alive…
but not completely alive.
For Sofiya, Ishan, and Kade, the scenery itself wasn't unfamiliar. They were from the Elf Continent, where such greenery was common.
But there was something different about this place.
There was something strange in the air.
Raijin took a few steps forward, but suddenly stopped.
Something had changed in the air.
Very slightly.
So slightly that perhaps no one else would have noticed it.
His hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his sword.
"What happened?" Sofiya asked from behind.
Raijin immediately lowered his hand.
"Nothing."
He continued staring in the same direction for a few moments.
Then his eyes fell upon a stone in the distance.
It looked like an old statue.
Raijin slowly walked toward it.
His eyes suddenly widened in surprise.
It was a statue of a girl.
Her body was slightly bent forward, as if she were about to attack at any moment.
She held daggers in both hands, while one of her legs was positioned behind her.
The stone was old.
Cracks covered it in several places, and moss had grown across its body.
Part of the face had broken away, yet the shape of its eyes was still clearly visible.
The strange thing was that despite being so old and damaged, the statue's posture possessed an unusual sense of life.
As if it wasn't stone…
but a human being who had been frozen in place for a single moment.
Raijin stared at it carefully.
Suddenly, his heart began beating faster.
For a brief moment, several blurry images flashed before his eyes—
Blood…
Broken ground…
And that same figure…
But before he could understand anything, everything disappeared.
Raijin frowned.
"I've seen this somewhere…"
He closed his eyes for a few moments.
"Where…?"
He couldn't remember.
An inexplicable uneasiness rose inside his chest.
He looked at the statue once again.
And this time…
he felt as though the stone eyes were looking directly at him.
Raijin took a step backward.
He closed his eyes and opened them again.
The statue was exactly the same.
Its stone eyes remained motionless.
He didn't smile.
He didn't show fear either.
He simply stared at it for a few moments.
"Maybe… I'm thinking too much."
He turned toward his companions.
Sofiya was watching him from a distance.
Raijin looked at the statue one last time.
Then he slowly walked back toward his companions.
But one question remained stuck in his mind—
Where had he seen that statue before?