It was one of the quiet nights within the month since the Prince's escape. An hour when even the patrolling knights were asleep, the stillness between midnight and dawn.
Armeria moved stealthily, careful not to make a sound. In the large library, her husband, Lelloid, slept soundly, a book by Rose Risemann resting in his hands.
She slipped out of the castle, through the silent city streets, and past the fortress borders. But as she rode her steed, she felt a lingering sense of…
"No one should be awake at this hour, right?Sigh,must be worry playing tricks."
She reached the field of grass between the kingdom and the Grand Barrier. She led her horse on foot for a distance, then mounted again, riding until she reached the shimmering wall.
"No one knew it was possible to leave," she murmured. "That boy…what is actually in the outside world? What are our people doing out there?"
She dismounted and approached the barrier. Extending her arm, she found it passed through the pink haze as if it were nothing. She withdrew her hand, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
"What are you even waiting for? That boy of yours leaves into the unknown, Lelloid," she said, looking at her palm.
A sudden realization struck her, a wave of anxiety washing over her. She took a step through the barrier.
Turning back, she repeated her action, extending her hand. This time, to her shock, it was solid. She felt a surge of fear and confusion. She had managed to step back inside…
***
"It managed that?!" Lydia exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
"If this gets to the public, it would pose a significant problem," Armeria said, rising from her seat. "All this time, it wasn't protecting us. It's just a mere…horizon line."
"So, we're calling them back? My lady, why are you revealing this now…?" Lydia sighed, massaging her temples.
"I informed Lelloid immediately after that day," Armeria explained. "I convinced him to recruit the expedition squad. While they search for answers on 'The Other Side,' we have our own tasks. There could be hidden secrets left by our ancestors here. Our search starts now, Lydia, to uncover the truths of our world."
***
"So this is 'The Other Side.' Beyond my expectations," Sandro murmured, his gaze sweeping across the landscape.
Two days had passed since their departure. They had traversed the dense forest, and now, from a newly discovered high ground, they could finally survey the surrounding terrain. More trees, more mountains, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was breathtaking. But something else caught their attention, something that made their jaws drop.
"No way that's natural…" Ivan suggested, his voice hushed.
"Yeah, and whatever's responsible for those three peakless mountains is something that'll disturb our sleep from now on," Keith added, stepping beside him.
The mountains, though distant, were undeniably unnatural in their formation, a sight impossible to see from within the kingdom.
"We won't be going in that direction," Lelloid declared, turning his horse eastward. "Because they aren't."
"Your confidence is admirable, my lord," Ethan remarked.
"Look at the routes we've been taking," Lelloid explained. "The trail must be gone, but this is the only road suitable for a cart. And moreover…" He pointed his spear toward a tree.
Carved into the bark of one of the trees was an 'X' with a description under it stated 'For my clown buddy.'
"Will.They knew we'd be following," he concluded.
The squad continued their journey, navigating the obstacles of the natural terrain. Following the marks, cutting through the dense undergrowth, their journey seemed endless. For eight nights, they ventured deeper into the unknown. Until, finally…
"The marks stop here…" Lelloid announced, inspecting the last carving.
"They should be nearby," Keith said. "Or something happened that made them stop giving signals. Squadron 3 and 4, scout further north. The rest of us will stay here for inspection."
The group dispersed as ordered. Keith, Alex, Diana, and Lord Lelloid, leading Squadron 1, scattered through the forest, searching for clues.
"Miss Diana, any handy skills would be helpful, you know," Alex said, wandering alongside Diana and Keith.
"Casually, just Diana," she replied. "And, like your address on me, survival and stealing are separate."
"Reduce talk, double effort," Keith called out, gesturing with his hand. "Look what I found."
Alex, Diana, and two squadron members approached Keith, where he stood examining a clue.
"What kind of animal would do this?" one of the squadron members asked.
"This is beyond animal," Diana replied. "This is a remnant of a brawl."
They surveyed the scene: several damaged trees with deep cuts, some clawed, some fallen and broken, and one tree with a gaping hole.
"So a fight occurred… Let's call the Lord back and regroup with the others," Keith suggested.
They returned to the central point of dispersion, finding Lelloid sitting and leaning against one of the resting horses, staring into the distance.
"Waiting for quite some time makes you dive into thought," Keith remarked, causing Lelloid to turn his head.
"Lord Lelloid, we found something," Keith reported.
"Good work. Lead me," Lelloid said.
"LORD!!!" A voice echoed through the forest, huffing and tired, revealing a squadron member running from the north.
"…We found a lead!" he gasped.
"Same here, we'll che—" Keith began.
"Ours is more vital. A bad news," the man interrupted.
Hearing the urgency in his voice, they followed him north, wondering why he was so hasty and worried, as if crucial evidence was about to vanish.
After about twenty minutes, they reached a shallow river. Crossing it was the final step. A few steps further, they met the rest of the squadron: Sandro, Ivan, Ethan, and Oscar.
Their reactions were immediate and visceral.
"What are we even up to…" Sandro muttered, his voice filled with dread.
"No way…" Keith clenched his fist.
Lelloid let out a deep sigh, his spear slipping from his grasp in shock.
Diana stood speechless, frozen in place.
"We want to say our eyes are lying," Ethan said, his voice trembling, "but that is truly his…"
Two black spears, planted like pillars in a mound of dirt.
"General Will Blake."
-To be Continued-