The path between the trees was dark, barely illuminated by the faint light of the moon. As we walked, the air grew dense, as if an invisible presence enveloped us.
Kogorō floated nearby, his ethereal form moving effortlessly while Saria, Ardan, and I kept pace over the uneven terrain.
—So, Saria, Ardan —I said, breaking the silence—. Since we're traveling together, it would be good to get to know each other better. Why are you on this journey? What made you cross worlds?
An uncomfortable silence took over the group. Saria looked down, nervous, while her lips trembled.
—It's... complicated. Well, it's something familiar, actually.
Kogorō raised an eyebrow with curiosity.
—As familiar as what?
Saria looked away, clearly uncomfortable, while Ardan pretended to cough loudly, interrupting the conversation.
—You don't have to fake a cough —I said, rolling my eyes—. Look, I don't want to snoop into your business, but if we're going to be together in this, I need to know who I'm traveling with.
Ardan let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping.
—You're right, Jiro. If we're going to travel together, we need to be clear about our goals.
He raised his head, determined, and with a serious voice, he continued:
—Our mother has a curse… one so rare and dangerous that no one has been able to break it. It drains the mana from her body little by little, even affecting her soul. If we don't do something, she'll die.
Kogorō frowned, his expression reflecting some concern.
—A curse that no one has been able to break? That's rare… although, to be honest, it sounds familiar.
—I'm really sorry about your mother —I said sincerely—. What solution are you looking for?
Saria, still nervous, answered:
—We want to reach the Spirit Kingdom just like you. A few weeks ago, I heard a voice… I don't know who or what it was, but it said that the Vitality Peaches grow there. They restore life and nullify any anomalies in the soul.
My eyes widened in surprise.
—Vitality Peaches? Kogorō seemed just as shocked. —That sounds… incredible —I murmured—. Maybe we wouldn't have had to fight for the dimensional map if they had told me that earlier.
Saria shot an accusing glance at Ardan.
—It was his idea, not mine! —Ardan smiled arrogantly.
—Well, if you want something, you can't ask for it that simply.
Kogorō muttered to himself: If it had been me, I would've killed them to keep the map. I laughed lightly to ease the tension.
—Well, it looks like we have the same goal. I want to defeat the Spirit Lord and save my world. Also, I want to find my father... he disappeared when I was young. Saria smiled in relief.
—We'll be with you, Jiro. Ardan, uncomfortable, murmured:
—M-mind your own business, kid... Then, looking down with a slight blush, he added:
—But thanks.
Kogorō broke the emotional moment with a mocking expression.
—In my day, you would've killed each other.
—By the way, where are you from? —I asked, curious.
Saria stepped forward.
—We're from royalty. Our parents rule the Kingdom of Floridia. My steps stopped dead.
—Whatttt!?
Kogorō seemed equally impressed. We kept moving forward, but the forest grew increasingly darker. The shadows seemed to devour the landscape, leaving only small glimmers of moonlight.
—This forest is a joke —I said nonchalantly—. I think the elf exaggerated.
—You're right —Kogorō responded—.
Although if the sleep-inducing mana is real, it wouldn't affect me. I'm not a living being, after all. Saria sighed in relief.
—Then I count on you, Kogorō, in case the monsters come while we sleep. Time passed slowly as we walked.
—Not your babysitter —Kogorō grumbled.
After two long hours, a strange mist began to cover the forest. A dense energy floated in the air, and Ardan stopped suddenly, his breath heavy.
—This forest is huge, I said in a depressed voice as I kept walking.
—Hey… I think I… His eyelids began to close.
—It's starting! —I shouted. Saria fell to the ground, her body surrendering to sleep.
—No, no! —I said desperately—. I'm not leaving you here!
I tried to carry her, but the exhaustion began to affect me as well. My legs trembled, and my vision grew blurry.
Kogorō floated beside me, watching the scene seriously.
—This is a disaster… Finally, my strength left me, and I fell to the ground beside Saria and Ardan. Everything went dark.
Kogorō looked around, unharmed by the forest's mana.
—Now... what am I going to do?
Kogorō floated nervously, watching as everyone fell asleep in the Shadow Forest. Shadows danced around Jiro, Saria, and Ardan, as their bodies surrendered to the lethargy caused by the forest's mana.
—What a pathetic sight —said Kogorō with a sarcastic smile—. Never mind, I'm out of here.
Without wasting any time, he began to float upwards, zigzagging through the branches of the dark trees.
—Free at last —he hummed as he gained height—. No more babysitting sleepyheads.
However, before he could fully escape, Jiro's spear began to glow intensely. A beam of energy shot out from the weapon, wrapping around Kogorō.
—Huh? No, no, no!
The force of the spear pulled him back to the ground like a rag. Kogorō fell right next to Jiro, spinning in the air before crashing to the ground with a ghostly thud.
—Haaa... damn, that damn spear! —he shouted in frustration—. I forgot I was tied to it.
He floated back up, disheveled and depressed.
—What am I gonna do now? I was planning to leave, but I can't get away from Jiro...
He floated in circles, muttering to himself.
—I can't go look for help either, because I can't leave Jiro's spear... Repeating it just made his mood worse.
—Ugh, I'm dyingggg!
Then he stopped abruptly and sighed with irony.
—Oh, right... I'm already dead. He paused, thinking.
—I don't even know why I remember that. I don't even remember my past life.
The world suddenly faded, leaving me trapped in an endless white void. There was no sky, no ground, no horizon. Just emptiness. Every step I took echoed in that intangible space, but it left no mark nor did I move toward anything real.
—Where am I...? —I asked, though my voice had no echo.
I looked at my hands and then my body. Everything was intact, but something was missing.
—This must be a dream... —I murmured, trying to convince myself that I would wake up soon.
As the seconds passed, I noticed the obvious.
—My spear... I don't have it.
I tried to concentrate, attempting to summon any trace of magic, but nothing happened.
—I can't even use my magic here... —I said, frustrated.
I ran, desperate to find something, anything to break the monotony of that infinite emptiness.
—Come on, come on, there must be something!
But there was nothing. Only the same endless white space that made me question if this was really a dream or something much worse.
—This place is endless... —I said, panting as I stopped—. I don't see anything here.
My legs were trembling, and doubt began to invade me.
—I'm starting to think this isn't a dream...
Then, I saw it: a door. It floated in the air, with no wall or frame holding it up. It appeared out of nowhere, defying all logic.
—What a surprise... —I said ironically—. I thought there was just... well, nothing.
I walked cautiously toward the door.
—Let's see what's inside this thing...
I pushed it decisively, and a blinding light enveloped me. For a moment, I couldn't see anything. But when the light cleared, I was stunned.
—It can't be... —I whispered.
I was in my room.
Everything was exactly as I remembered: the wooden walls, the window with old curtains, and my slightly messy bed. The familiar smell of home flooded my senses.
—Am I home...? —I asked, not understanding anything—. But I was in...
Footsteps echoed from below, and the creak of wooden stairs.
—So, I came back to the village...? —I said, still incredulous.
I ran to the door I had crossed, but all I saw was the usual wall of my room. The door was gone.
—What...?
The footsteps grew louder. Someone was coming up the stairs.
The doorknob turned slowly, and when it opened, I saw him.
It was an Oni man, tall and strong, with long hair and a firm gaze. His deep voice broke the silence:
—Hurry up, Jiro. Come have breakfast now. Your mom's getting really mad, you know?
My heart stopped for a second. It couldn't be.
—Impossible...! —I whispered, my voice breaking—. It's you...
My eyes filled with disbelief and emotion.
—Dad...
Meanwhile, Kogorō was still floating in circles around Saria, Ardan, and Jiro, who were still deeply asleep.
—I'm freeee, I'm freeee... the ideal spirit is gone —he sang happily. But his enthusiasm quickly faded.
—Well, not so free now... He stopped, depressed, staring at the empty space around him.
—What a miserable life... well, death, I guess.
Suddenly, right in front of him, a rift in reality tore open in the air. Fragments of space floated like sharp crystals, leaving an opening that seemed to bleed pure darkness.
—Oh noooo! —Kogorō shouted, horrified—. A Void Wound Phenomenon! His mind began to wander.
—Wait... what if a dimensional monster comes and eats Jiro? He rubbed his chin, evaluating the situation.
—Would that be good or bad for me...? Well, if it devours him, that means there won't be any more Jiro in the world, but also... no one will take the spear. That means it'll remain sealed.
A chill ran through his spiritual body.
—So scary!
He screamed at the negativity of his own thoughts, but then he heard some familiar voices.
—But what a surprise...? —Kogorō said, curious—.
From the depths between the dark trees in the Shadow Forest, more small rifts opened.
And Kogorō nervously exclaimed —This can't be happening!
From the deepest depths of Ardan's dreaming mind, the landscape was an infinite white canvas, devoid of any form, structure, or visible end. Ardan, always meticulous and analytical, observed his surroundings with a serious expression as he muttered to himself:
—Mmm... I must be dreaming now. Surely everyone else is sleeping too...
—I don't even know what time it is or when it is... Tch... this is very frustrating for a dream...
He took a few steps forward, his boots making no sound on the nonexistent ground. Nothingness stretched in all directions.
—Everything is white... there's nothing... and it doesn't seem to have an end —Ardan said, evaluating the environment with a calculating gaze.
Determined, he thought of exploring the place once again. However, his focus was broken when he heard a familiar voice.
—Hey, Ardan! —shouted Saria, blinking in confusion a few meters away. Ardan squinted his eyes, surprised.
—Saria...? —he murmured incredulously—. This has to be an illusion... How is it possible that you're here?
Saria frowned, offended.
—Illusion? I'm the real Saria!
—That's impossible... —Ardan said, taking a step back, his mind searching for rational explanations—. This must be a trick from the forest.
—Why are you shouting so much? —protested Saria, crossing her arms—. We're sleeping, right?
Ardan watched as Saria repeatedly touched her cheeks, as if trying to check if she was dreaming.
—This feels very real... —Ardan said gravely—. But... how is it possible that we're sharing the same dream?
Saria sighed and responded:
—I don't know... I just opened my eyes and I was already here.
—This doesn't make sense —grumbled Ardan—. Kogorō said the forest's mana wouldn't affect him, so he's still awake... but that doesn't change the fact that we're in danger. Our bodies are still in reality...
—So... what do we do now? —Saria asked with obvious concern.
—Jiro must be in trouble.
—I've tried using magic here, but it's useless —Ardan replied—. Time doesn't even seem to exist in this place.
—How do you know that? —Saria asked, confused.
—I've been walking around here, trying to cast time magic to wake myself up. Nothing works. It's like the concept of time doesn't exist in this space.
Saria turned pale.
—So... are we stuck here forever?
—It seems so —Ardan admitted seriously—. This dream has no end... We won't wake up unless the forest stops spreading that damn mana.
While Ardan was speaking, Saria, distracted, noticed something in the distance. A door had materialized suddenly on the horizon, floating in the void.
—Hey, Ardan... —she said, interrupting him—. That door... has it always been there?
—What door? —Ardan asked, confused, as he turned his head. Upon seeing the door, his eyes widened—. How...?!
They both fell silent, stunned by the impossible appearance in the middle of a space that, until that moment, had shown nothing but an infinite void.
—Wait, said Ardan, extending his arm to stop Saria. —It could be a trap.
Saria, her eyes fixed on the door floating in the middle of the white void, didn't take a step back.
—It doesn't look like a trap, she replied calmly.
—That's what they say before everything goes wrong, Ardan muttered, frowning. —I've been wandering here for… well, I don't know how long, but a door never appeared. Something's off.
Saria crossed her arms, appearing skeptical.
—I'm starting to doubt this is a dream, she confessed firmly. —Maybe that door is the key to getting out of here.
—And what if it leads to something worse?
—There's only one way to find out.
Without waiting for a response, Saria took a determined step toward the door and crossed the threshold.
—Tsk! Ardan clicked his tongue, quickly following her. —She never wants to listen…
—Wait —said Ardan as he extended his arm to stop Saria—. It could be a trap.
Saria, with her eyes fixed on the door that seemed to float in the middle of that white void, didn't take a single step back.
—It doesn't look like a trap —she replied calmly.
—That's what they say before everything goes wrong —grumbled Ardan, frowning—. I've been wandering here for… well, I don't know how long, but a door never appeared. Something's wrong.
Saria crossed her arms, showing skepticism.
—I'm starting to doubt that this is a dream —she confessed firmly—. Maybe that door is the key to getting out of here.
—And what if it leads to something worse?
—There's only one way to find out.
Without waiting for a response, Saria took a determined step toward the door and crossed the threshold.
—Tsk! —Ardan clicked his tongue, quickly following her—. She never wants to listen…
Meanwhile, in the Shadow Forest, Kogorō nervously floated around the sleeping bodies of Jiro, Saria, and Ardan. His expression, which usually showed indifference, was now marked by exhaustion.
—Ha! These damn shiketsus never stop! —he shouted as he launched several shadow barriers towards the dimensional rifts.
The small monsters kept emerging nonstop, misshapen creatures with sharp claws and glowing eyes that seemed to feed off chaos. Kogorō waved his incorporeal hands, raising walls of shadows that repelled the creatures back into the cracks.
—Stop coming out already! —he bellowed, throwing several beasts back into one of the Shinketsu that remained open—. I'm not their babysitter!
Despite his usual sarcasm, a drop of worry crossed his mind.
—If this keeps up… even I could disappear if I drain all my spiritual energy —he murmured to himself, watching as the rifts began to expand even further.
The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous, but Kogorō had no intention of giving up.
—Tch, I'll have to manage on my own —he said with determination—. After all, if something happens to that idiot Jiro, I'll be stuck with this damn spear forever… And that would really be hell!