Chapter 336: Whispering Forest [1]

"Thank you, we really enjoyed it."

"I’m glad you did." Melina smiled warmly as she cleared the table. "You’re welcome back anytime."

"We’ll keep that in mind," Ethea replied with a small nod.

As Soren stood up and moved behind Ethea’s wheelchair, the kitchen door swung open, and Darian popped his head out. He waved enthusiastically, nearly knocking over a stack of plates in the process.

"B-Bye! Come again! I’ll try not to spill anything next time!"

Soren chuckled and gave him a small wave in return. "We’ll hold you to that."

With that, he wheeled Ethea out of The Morning Dew and back onto the street. The morning sun had risen higher now, casting long shadows across the ground.

"Where are we going next?" Ethea asked as Soren took out the car. "Somewhere far?"

"Yes," Soren nodded as he gently picked her up. "It’s a place you know very well."

"Is it famous?"

"Yes," Soren buckled her in. "Think of a movie theater, but a magical version."

"Magical theater..." Ethea pondered for a moment, and then her eyes lit up. "The Adamery Illusion Theater?"

Soren nodded with a grin.

"Oh! What are we going to experience?" Ethea asked, catching herself before she said ’watch’. At an illusion theater, you didn’t watch the story, but lived in it. The immersion was so complete that it was no different from reality. The only downside was that you always knew you were inside a story. No matter how real it felt, a small awareness always lingered in the back of your mind that none of it was truly happening.

"It’s a new one," Soren said. "Called The Whispering Forest."

"The Whispering Forest?" Ethea repeated, her interest piqued.

"It’s a mystery mixed with adventure," Soren revealed with a smile. "I heard it’s one of the best ones they’ve created recently."

"..." Ethea fell silent, her gaze becoming softer as she looked at him. ’He chose it based on my preferences...’

"...Thank you, dear."

Soren glanced at her briefly, a small smile on his lips. "You’re welcome."

They arrived at the theater a short while later. The building was a massive dome with silver panels that shimmered under the sunlight. Soren parked the car and helped Ethea out, then wheeled her inside, where a staff member led them to the private chamber Soren had booked in advance. It was a small, dimly lit room with two plush reclining seats in the center, each one designed like a capsule that would fully immerse the user in the illusion.

The staff then explained everything they needed to know, including the rules, setting, process, and how to start and exit the story. They listened quietly until he finished, then wished them a pleasant experience and took her leave.

Soren then gently laid Ethea down in one capsule before settling into the other beside her. He reached over and took her hand.

"Ready?" he asked.

Ethea squeezed his hand. "Ready."

The capsules hummed softly as the illusion magic activated. A gentle warmth spread through their bodies, and the world around them blurred. Soren felt his mind go blank for a moment, a strange emptiness settling over his thoughts like fog.

’Urgh...’

Soren felt a headache hit him as he slowly opened his eyes. However, he found himself surrounded by pitch darkness; even with his night vision, he was unable to see a thing.

’...’ He squinted and tried to move. ’...Am I tied up?’

His body wouldn’t budge. Something sticky and strange was wrapped tightly around him, binding his arms to his sides and his legs together from below his neck all the way down to his ankles. He tried to speak, but a strip of cloth stretched across his mouth, muffling any sound he could make.

’...I guess I’m the captive character.’

Sighing inwardly, thought about what to do. He could feel that he could use his mental power if he really tried it and perhaps even break through the illusion. However, where was the fun in that? He paid a lot of money to experience this story, and breaking it on the first scene would be a waste.

So he decided to play along and see where it would take him.

’But... Where is Ethea?’ He asked himself, as he recalled the setting they were given before starting. ’The staff said there are five main characters. Three are part of an adventurer party, and two are secret characters with hidden roles. The three’s mission is to uncover the secret of the Whispering Forest while saving the kidnapped children.’

He wondered which one he was.

’Hmm... Let’s think about my situation.’

He was being held captive in the dark, tied up and gagged... he wasn’t one of the kidnapped children, was he?

’...No. That can’t be right.’

He was too old for that, unless the illusion had altered his appearance to match the role.

’Hmm... What should I do then?’

"...*̫̊ͣ́&̨̫͚ͧ͗^̤̾%̸̺̣$̨ͨ̒ͪ#̵͚̖̜."

"....ẓ̄ų̲ͭ͗̒#̷ͥ̉$̇*̸͓̘͒͌͊*̶͛*̗͉́ͮͅ...."

’?’

Soren paused as strange sounds filtered into his ears. They were faint and distorted, like voices speaking through water. He couldn’t make out any words, just fragmented noises that didn’t sound human.

’What is that?’

The sounds continued, growing louder and clearer with each passing moment.

’...Hmm. I must be in the Whispering Forest. And these must be the whispers the story is named after.’

He focused on the sounds, trying to make sense of them. They were still disjointed, but slowly, words began to emerge from the noise.

"...new...."

"...toys..."

"...save..."

However, he still couldn’t understand anything, just speculate. That’s why he decided to wait and see while getting used to the whispers. Perhaps he could learn a thing or two or discover the forest’s secret that way. His only regret was not experiencing this with Ethea, and he hoped they would reunite soon.

───────

Meanwhile, right outside the Whispering Forest, four people stood at the edge of the treeline. The forest loomed before them, its trees tall and twisted, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. A faint breeze carried sounds that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end. Whispers drifted from between the trees, low and eerie, curling around their ears even though they hadn’t set foot inside yet.

"Is this the place?" A red-haired woman asked while trying to hide her uneasiness.

The plain-clothed man beside her nodded, his face pale and drawn. His hands trembled slightly as he clutched the hem of his worn tunic. "Y-Yes, Mrs. Adventurer."

The knight beside the woman frowned before asking, "How many children have been taken?"

"S-Seven..."