Before Grey left the village, he had paused at a crossroads, faced with a decision about the path ahead. He sought the guidance of a village elder, an old man who sat quietly on a weathered wooden bench, his face etched with the lines of a hard-lived life. Grey, with his calm and composed noble bearing, approached him.
"Excuse me,"
Grey said with a polite nod, his voice steady.
"I'm headed to Veridell. Could you tell me the quickest way?"
The old man looked up slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied Grey. After a moment, he gestured toward the main road, a well-trodden path that wound through the hills and farmlands.
"That road will get you there," the old man muttered, his voice hoarse with age. "It'll take you three days at least. Long, but safe."
Grey frowned slightly at the time it would take.
"Is there a quicker path?"
The old man hesitated, his eyes darting to the side. His silence lingered, and Grey could see the man weighing his words carefully. Eventually, he sighed and nodded toward the dense forest that lay in the distance, shrouded in an emerald haze.
"...There's a shortcut through the Greythorn Forest,"
the old man finally said, his tone dropping. "If you're in a hurry, it'll cut the time down to a day and a half—maybe less if you're quick."
Grey's eyes followed the direction of the man's gesture, considering it for a moment. It was clear that the forest offered him the speed he needed. However, the old man's voice grew more serious as he continued.
"But listen, young man. Only the Awakened folk go that way,"
he warned, his brow furrowed in concern. "It's not a place for ordinary people. Monsters lurk in that forest—creatures no one's been able to track. Lately, hunters and even some Awakened who've ventured in there have disappeared. Some say the forest has grown restless."
Grey glanced at the forest again, his decision forming. He needed to reach Veridell quickly. The World Academy awaited him, and every minute counted.
Before he could reply, the old man raised a hand, as if to stop him.
"If you're not Awakened, don't even think about going in there. It's a dangerous place, lad. You don't want to gamble your life for a bit of saved time."
The warning hung in the air, but Grey, as resolute as ever, simply gave a small nod of acknowledgment. He had already made up his mind.
"Thank you for the advice,"
he said, turning his gaze toward the dark outline of the forest. The old man's words had only solidified his decision.
Grey adjusted the strap of his pack, his expression unchanging as he prepared to leave. He didn't have the luxury of time, and danger had never been something he shied away from. The path through Greythorn Forest was a risk, but it was one he was willing to take.
With a final nod to the old man, Grey headed toward the forest, the vast expanse of trees looming ahead. His steps were steady, his mind already focused on the journey through the shadowed wilderness that awaited him.