"Are we sure we're on the right path?" Yoona asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"According to the map we got from the old guardian, yes," Hyunwoo replied.
"The castle should be around here, covered by thickets and magical illusions."
They continued walking until the afternoon, finally arriving at a small clearing surrounded by dense trees.
In the middle of the clearing stood an old stone gate, almost completely overgrown with vines.
Ancient carvings adorned the gate, and at the top, a symbol of an eye glittered in the sunlight.
"We need to solve a puzzle to get in," Seojun said, staring at the carvings.
Hana, the smartest among them, approached and carefully examined the carvings.
In the center of the gate, there was an inscription in an ancient language.
"I can read this," Hana said.
"It says: 'Only those who can see the truth in darkness can find the way in.'"
Yoona furrowed her brow. "What does that mean?"
"It seems related to the magical illusion covering the castle," Hyunwoo answered.
"Maybe we need to see differently to find the entrance."
Hana nodded and pulled a small crystal from her pocket.
The crystal had been given to her by an old wizard in a previous village.
"This is the Crystal of Enlightenment. It is said that this crystal can help us see through illusions." She held the crystal up and aimed it at the gate.
The crystal's light reflected off the carvings, and gradually, the stone gate faded, revealing a large wooden door behind it.
"There it is!" Seojun exclaimed.
Carefully, they opened the door and stepped inside the castle.
The interior was cold and gloomy, illuminated only by dim torchlight hanging from the walls.
The old stone walls and dusty floors gave the impression that the place had been abandoned for a long time.
They ventured deeper, passing through narrow corridors and empty rooms filled with broken old furniture.
Finally, they arrived at a large room that seemed to be the main hall.
At the far end of the hall, there was an altar with a thick book open on it.
Hyunwoo walked closer and examined the book.
"This is an ancient journal," he said.
"It might contain the clues we need." He began reading carefully while the others kept watch.
On the first page, there was a warning: "Those who seek the truth must be prepared to face great trials." On the next page, there was another puzzle.
"This puzzle reads: 'In a dark room, seek the hidden light. Only by finding the light will the way open.'"
"Hidden light?" Yoona wondered aloud, glancing around the dark room.
Hana again used the Crystal of Enlightenment, directing its light to various corners of the room.
Suddenly, the crystal's beam reflected off a spot on the wall.
There, they found the same eye symbol as on the outer gate, but this time it glowed with a brighter intensity.
"That's it!" Hana exclaimed.
"But how do we activate it?"
Hyunwoo tried pressing the symbol, but nothing happened.
Yoona then examined the symbol more closely and found a small indentation around it.
"Maybe it requires something specific," Yoona suggested.
"Do we have anything else from the wizard?"
Seojun pulled out a small medallion also given by the old wizard.
The medallion had an engraving similar to the eye symbol.
He placed the medallion into the indentation, and suddenly, the wall behind the symbol began to shift, revealing a hidden passage.
"Great!" Hyunwoo cheered.
"We found the way in."
They stepped into the passage, which gradually sloped downward.
The sounds of trickling water and a gentle breeze added to the passage's mysterious atmosphere.
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at a large room filled with bright light from massive crystals embedded in the walls.
In the center of the room stood a large stone table with a detailed map spread across it.
The map depicted the entire kingdom, marked with special symbols indicating important locations.
Beside the map was an old scroll sealed with red wax.
Hyunwoo picked up the scroll and broke the seal.
Inside, there was a message written in the same ancient language as on the gate.
Hana read it aloud, "To the seekers of truth, a great threat comes from the north. Prepare your armies and strengthen the defenses along the border. Only with unity can you face the darkness that approaches."
Seojun studied the map seriously. "This means we need to warn the king and mobilize the armies as soon as possible."
Yoona nodded. "But we also need to find more clues about our enemy. How they operate, what powers they possess."
Hyunwoo carefully stored the scroll.
"We need to return to the palace and inform the king. But before that, let's make sure there are no other clues left here."
They thoroughly searched the room, examining every corner and crevice.
After some time, they discovered a small chest hidden beneath the stone table.
Inside, there were several colorful gems and a ring bearing the same eye symbol.
"This must have an important use," Yoona said, pocketing the ring.
"Maybe the old wizard can tell us more about it."
After ensuring they had found everything, they decided to leave the castle and return to the village.
The journey back through the forest felt quicker, perhaps because of the excitement and relief after finding such important clues.
Upon reaching the village, they headed straight to the old wizard's house.
The wizard greeted them with a gentle smile.
"You succeeded," he said, pride evident in his voice.
Hyunwoo handed the ring to the wizard and recounted everything.
The old wizard examined the ring and said, "This is the Ring of Sight. With this, you can see things hidden from ordinary view, and it might prove very useful in the coming battles."
With new information and a valuable tool in hand, Hyunwoo and his friends felt more prepared to face the impending threat.
They knew their journey was far from over, but with each step, they were closer to the truth and victory.
Together, they would face whatever came their way and protect the kingdom from the looming danger.