Chapter 63 – Whispering Forest

Chapter 63

Whispering Forest

Date : Day 3 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.

Hyoren and Elise reached above ground. The light from the warehouse felt dim but welcome after the basement's oppressive darkness.

Hyoren took a very deep breath. Finally he could breathe fresh air. The warehouse was still a bit dusty. But it was starkly different compared to the stale air in the basement. That air had carried the weight of death. Of suffering. Of unspeakable horror.

Elise did the same, before starting to move towards the exit. Her steps were quick. Eager.

They exited the warehouse. Hyoren looked up. The dual suns were already reaching their zenith. Time had passed without them noticing.

"It seems we spent half a day investigating this. It provides a clear result though."

Elise nodded. Her silver hair caught the light from above.

"Yeah. The truth is finally known. It was really horrifying. But at least, the truth is not buried anymore."

They then moved quickly to their camp in the village chief's house. The silence of the village pressed down on them. Every house was empty. Every door was closed. A ghost town with a terrible secret.

Elise sat on a nearby chair. The wood creaked under her weight. Hyoren dragged another chair to sit beside her, then offered waterskins to her. The motion was automatic. Comforting.

She took it and drank it, and gave it back to him. The water was cool. Refreshing.

"Thanks, Hyoren..."

Hyoren took it back and drank it. After he was done, he put it back in his storage bag. The familiar gesture grounded him. Reminded him of the world beyond this place.

"Now, what to do, Elise? We already know what happens in this village. And the culprit behind them."

His eyebrows furrowed. Thoughts swirling in his mind. Connections forming.

"We didn't get any names though. Only someone named Head. It can be anyone."

Elise nodded. Her expression was thoughtful. Serious.

"Yeah. It's a shame. But even getting those clues is already good enough, Hyoren. Voided Covenant usually didn't leave much trace behind them. They are so elusive. Giving this kingdom a massive headache."

Hyoren then looked around their camp. On the disheveled sleeping bag on the floor. Now an empty fireplace. The four ward stones on the corner. The portable stove and cookware.

Then faced Elise again.

"So, what's the plan next, Elise? It's already midday, but we are mostly done investigating this village right? Should we depart... or spend another night here?"

Elise put her fingers on her chin. Her pointed ears twitched. A habit when she was thinking deeply. Considering options.

"To be honest, I kinda don't want to spend another night here. This village gave me eerie feelings. And after knowing what happened here and in those basement warehouses..."

Words trailed off from her mouth. But Hyoren already understood it without her saying it. The memory of the cage. The four girls. The Voided Covenant. It was too much to bear sleeping in the same village where such horrors had occurred.

"I feel the same. So let's pack and move."

Elise nodded, then stood. The decision made. Relief was evident in her posture.

"Yeah. I would rather camp using tents in the forest, than spend another night here... before church going to purify this land."

Hyoren gave a weak smile. Before he also stood. The thought of the church purifying the land—of rituals and prayers to cleanse the spiritual corruption—was comforting. But they wouldn't be here to see it. They had other tasks ahead.

Both of them then worked to pack their camps. They divided their roles. Hyoren gathered the ward stones while Elise rolled up the sleeping bags. They worked in silence—efficient and synchronized. Not long after, everything was already packed back into Elise's storage bag. The room looked as though they had never been there. Except for the lingering sense of sorrow.

Elise scanned the now empty room. Her eyes lingered on the corners where shadows still seemed to gather. Before walking towards the exit.

"Let's go, Hyoren. Time to depart."

Hyoren nodded, then followed her closely. They went out of the reception room. Walked over the corridor. Before finally exiting the village chief's house. The door closed behind them with a soft thud.

Outside, Elise looked around. Trying to see the directions. The forest loomed ahead—dark and mysterious but somehow safer than the village behind them.

"Let's depart through the Forest, Hyoren. Our next quest, gathering herbs, is inside Whispering Forest. That forest is near Akela. But instead of going back to Luin and going via road, it's better to go through those forests first to cut our journey time."

Hyoren nodded. Trusting her expertise. She knew the terrain around here.

"Okay. Now I will follow your lead, Elise."

Elise nodded. Then turned around to the direction of the forest. Her steps were steady. Confident. Determined to leave this place behind.

Hyoren followed quietly beside her. Matching her steps. His hand gripped the shaft of his Iron Spear—ready and alert. Even though the village was empty, he felt uneasy. As though unseen eyes watched them from the windows of the empty houses.

They exited the village. Elise looked back for the last time at Stonewell Village. A place where a horrible incident happened. A place that would be remembered in whispers and fearful tales for generations to come.

Hyoren also followed her gaze. His expression was still grim. The images from the basement were seared into his memory. The four girls. The Voided Covenant. The letter. It was a puzzle with missing pieces—but the outline was becoming clearer.

After a while, Elise seemed satisfied. She turned around, then she started walking. Entering the forest. Leaving the Ghost Village behind them. The trees welcomed them—tall and silent. Shadows lengthened as the dual suns began their descent. A new chapter of their journey was beginning.

***

They walked through the forest. The forest didn't feel oppressive. The trees were sparse. The trees were not towering. Dark Oak trees were scattered around—their bark rough and dark.

The undergrowth was also manageable. Ferns and small bushes dotted the landscape. Wildflowers peeked through the green. It was a stark contrast to the Forest of No Return. A place where Hyoren first was thrown into this world. That forest had been dense and suffocating. Every step had been a struggle. Every shadow had concealed danger.

He smiled when thinking about the difference between these two forests. The memory was bittersweet. Terrifying at the time. But it had brought him Elise.

Elise on his side noticed, and turned her head towards him while walking through the animal trails. Her emerald eyes were curious.

"What happened, Hyoren? Why suddenly your mood seems to have improved?"

Hyoren chuckled. The horror of the village was still on his mind. But now it was masked with the nostalgic feeling of walking through the forest with her.

"Nothing much, Elise. Just walking through the forest with just the two of us reminds me about our time in the Forest of No Return. The forest is clearly different. This forest doesn't feel oppressive. But it was still a forest nonetheless."

He stepped over a root that crossed the path. The wood was gnarled and thick.

"This forest felt like walking in the park compared to back then. But, walking with you, in the forest... still makes me happy."

Elise's pointed ears twitched. A shade of tint pink could be seen on her cheeks. The color rose softly against her pale skin.

"I see. Now that you mention it. Our first meeting is in the forest. And our first journey together also started in the forest."

She nodded. A smile started to creep on her face. Replacing her sorrowful expression from before. The transformation was gradual but noticeable.

"It's weird, isn't it? It only happened a few days ago. But we already felt nostalgic about it. A lot of things happened. And things which happened just recently felt distant."

Hyoren chuckled. The sound was light. Easy. A contrast to the weight they had been carrying.

"That's right..."

They enjoyed their walk in the forest. The dual suns filtered through the leaves. Life surrounded them. Normal. Peaceful. A stark contrast to the death they had witnessed.

After a while, the mood sombered. Every trace of dread because of the ghost village started to disappear. Not completely. It still latched on their minds. The images of the cage. The mummified remains. The letter with its terrible revelations. But at least, it was on the back of their mind. The horror had faded to a dull ache.

Elise walked confidently at the front. Parting the underbush. Jumping over roots. Her movements were graceful. The forest was her domain. Hyoren followed closely beside her. His steps were less sure but he kept pace.

Hyoren then remembered something which occupied his mind since they found the letter. The symbol. The Voided Covenant. The questions that burned inside him.

He called Elise.

"Hey, Elise, can we discuss what we found while walking?"

Elise slowed down her steps a bit, then turned. Before nodding. Her expression shifted to attentive.

"Sure, let's talk. What do you want to talk about first, Hyoren?"

Hyoren caught up with her. Now they walked side by side. Animal trails opened before them. Making their walk pleasant. The path was clear and wide enough for two.

He then faced Elise.

"I want to know more about the culprit behind the incident. The Voided Covenant."

Elise put her fingers on her chin. Thinking. She was not slowing down her steps. Her steps were automatic. Following the animal trails. Her body knew the forest even when her mind was occupied.

"Where to start... To be honest, I'm not truly knowledgeable about them either. But I will try to explain what I know."

A wind blew from their side. Fluttering Elise's silver hair. The strands danced in the breeze. After it receded, she slowly combed it with her fingers. The gesture was absent-minded. Routine.

"You already know about Noctynara's true teaching, right, Hyoren?"

Hyoren nodded. Dark Goddess was one of his patrons. And he also felt a closer connection to her compared to Luminara, so he remembered it all. The teachings. The domains. The philosophy.

"Yes, Elise. Noctynara, the Goddess of Darkness. Her original teaching is about Dark Magic, Knowledge, Ambitions. And Dark Magic aspects are Curse, Necromancy, Time-Space, and Gravity. And the only place where the true teaching is practiced is on Duke Qwentinus territory."

Elise smiled. The expression was approving. Pleased.

"You remember. Good. Then for Noctynara Heretics. They discarded the Knowledge and Ambitions. And only worship her as Dark Goddess. And they mostly only practiced curse and necromancy magic. For them, her other aspects are irrelevant."

Elise tucked a strand of her hair over her ears. The motion was automatic. Keeping the silver strands from her face.

"Those heretics practiced dark magic with reckless abandon. They did human experiments. Kidnapping. Sacrificing innocent people to fuel their Ritual Magic. To test their curse and necromancy."

Hyoren shuddered. The implications were horrifying.

"Those are... evil! How do those people actually do that? Did they not have any... morals?"

Elise smiled weakly beside him. She parted the stubborn vines which blocked their path.

"It seems morals are the least on their minds, Hyoren. They give Dark Magic and Goddess Noctynara bad names. They were hunted by the Kingdom. But they are elusive. Practiced and experimented on the mountain, abandoned places, or secluded places."

They continued walking. The animal trails continued forward. The forest opened slightly ahead. And then they met a sparkling small stream. The water was clear. Running over smooth stones. Catching the light from above.

Elise's eyes wandered through the stream. And smiled, before continuing her story. The water seemed to lighten her mood. A moment of beauty in a heavy conversation.

"Dark Magic or Noctynara worship is actually not banned in this Kingdom. It is just because of those heretics, people would lump you together with them if they know you worship Noctynara. True teaching or not. It is because the heretics have already left too many scars on people's hearts."

Hyoren nodded in understanding. The prejudice made sense. The fear was justified.

"I see. That's really understandable. What the Heretics did in Stonewell Village is already horrible enough. And they did those things all over the place?"

Then revelation dawned over him. The scale of their horrifying deeds. The letter. The words. Hundreds of specimens.

"Wait a minute. The letter mentioned hundreds... new... specimens... don't tell me..."

His words trailed off. He was too scared to even mention them. The implications were too terrible to speak aloud.

Elise nodded weakly beside him. Her expression was grim. Her emerald eyes were dark with the weight of knowledge.

"Yes, Hyoren. The fate of the rest of the villagers will be as bad, or even worse, than those four we found in the basement."

A small splash of water caused by fish caught them off guard. But they continued walking. The stream ran parallel to their path for a while. The sound of running water was soothing. A contrast to the darkness of their conversation.

"That Ritual Magic performed in the village is not their goal. From the name, Curse of Nightmare... it seems they used that magic to make the whole village sleep deeply. Then kidnap them without any struggle. The villagers were then transported somewhere to their base. To become... their..."

Another word trailed off. Elise couldn't bear to say it. The horror was too close. Too real.

But Hyoren nodded. He already knew without her saying it directly. Subjects. Experiments. Victims.

"I see. That was truly... horrible. So, this Voided Covenant. Is it the biggest Heretics?"

Elise turned around to face Hyoren beside her. Her silver hair swayed with the motion.

"That's right. Most small-scale Heretics have already been purged with the combined effort of the Kingdom and Luminara's church. So mostly the only Heretics left is the Voided Covenant."

Elise's face turned grim. Her emerald eyes darkened. The weight of the knowledge pressed down on her.

"They are so elusive. Have so many cells scattered through kingdoms. And rumor said they are backed by some nobles and wealthy merchants."

Hyoren's eyes widened. The revelation was shocking.

"What? How... why do they even work with those heretics?"

Elise shrugged her shoulders. The motion was helpless. Frustrated. It seemed the minds of those people were truly incomprehensible for her.

"I don't really understand either. But rumor said, they chase... prolonged life. With curse and necromancy."

Elise spat. The sound was sharp with disgust. A physical rejection of the very idea.

"That was kinda bullshit, though. Scholars in the Academy and Clergy of Noctynara's true teaching have already reached consensus. Dark Magic can't achieve that. It's a futile endeavor."

Hyoren was deep in thought. It seemed the ritual to prolong life was really tempting for some. Not on Earth. Not in stories. Not in Kresneger here. But the desire was universal. The fear of death. The hunger for immortality.

Many people sold their hearts to even demons, to reach it.

"That was. Really... uncanny. Unsettling. People do those horrible things... to chase something which is not even reachable."

The weight of their discussion dawned upon them. The forest seemed darker now. The shadows deeper. They continued walking through the forest silently after a while. Each lost in their own thoughts. The horror of the Voided Covenant. The fate of the villagers. The corruption that lurked in the kingdom. The world was larger and darker than Hyoren had imagined.

***

After walking in silence for a while, Hyoren shook his head. Tried to dispel all lingering dread. The images of the cage. The mummified remains. The letter with its terrible revelations. They clung to his mind like shadows. But he pushed them back. Focused on the present. On the forest around him.

Elise beside him smiled. The weight of revelation about the Voided Covenant truly shook his mind. She let him process it. She guided him through the forest in silence. Her presence was steady. Grounding. A reminder that he was not alone.

She looked up at the sky. The dual suns of Kresneger started to descend. The now-small Golden Sol was already touching the horizon. The bigger Silver Luna hung higher in the sky—pale and ghostly against the fading blue. Night was going to arrive in a few hours. The light was shifting. The shadows were lengthening.

They had already walked far in the forest. And the scenery started to change. The transformation was gradual—subtle—but unmistakable.

Hyoren finally noticed the change, and his mind started to become clear again. The fog of horror lifted. Replaced by curiosity and wonder.

"The forest starts to change, Elise..."

Elise stopped walking, and smiled. Her green eyes sparkled with anticipation and joy.

"Yes, we already arrived on the edge of Whispering Forest, Hyoren."

Hyoren scanned the surroundings. The stubborn undergrowth was gone. Replaced with grass and colorful and glowing flowers scattered throughout the landscape. Blue. Purple. Pink. White. The colors painted the forest floor like a tapestry. Some flowers glowed faintly—soft light that would brighten as the day faded.

"Elise... this place is... beautiful."

Elise let Hyoren enjoy the scenery in silence. Still smiling. Her expression was soft and content. As though she was sharing something precious with him.

Hyoren looked at the trees. The dark oak trees were already gone. In their place, he saw thin straight trees scattered around. But they were sparse. Not dense. The forest was not oppressive. It felt welcoming. Open.

The trees in this forest resembled pines on Earth. But the leaves were sparse. And the bark was really smooth—almost reflecting in the fading light. Pale and elegant. The trunks rose straight and tall. Clean. Unmarked by the gnarls and knots of the dark oaks.

The forest ground was also mostly flat grass. No overgrown roots. No tangled vines. Easy to traverse. The path was clear and inviting. And when he focused, he could hear it.

He focused on his ears. The wind constantly blew through the forest. It was not strong. Calm. And pleasant. A gentle breeze that carried the scent of flowers and fresh grass. And when the winds passed through the leaves of the trees, it produced whistling sounds.

A low humming sound. Calming down his mind. Soothing his heart. The melody was soft and constant. Like a lullaby sung by the forest itself.

"Elise. The forest is like... whispering."

Elise smiled beside him. The expression was proud.

"That's right. The sound of those Humming Pinewood leaves is the origin of the name of this forest."

Elise moved forward and turned to him. Her hands were open. The gesture of welcoming. She smiled widely. Full of happiness. It was like she had come back home. Her whole demeanor had changed. More at peace.

"And to make it better, there's no monster at all in this forest, it seems they avoided this. Not even weak monsters like Horned Rabbit go inside. This forest is one of my favorite places near Akela to relax. I often go here alone just to relax, before."

Hyoren nodded. Understanding. The forest seemed peaceful and relaxing. And for an elf like Elise, she would feel like she was in nature surrounded by her element. A sanctuary. A place of refuge from the darkness of the world.

Elise then took Hyoren's hands, then started walking forward. Urging him to move too. Her grip was warm. Eager. The pull was gentle but firm.

"Let's go, Hyoren. I want to reach my favorite place. Our destination, before night truly comes."

Hyoren finally smiled from the bottom of his heart. The first genuine smile since they had entered the basement. Since they had discovered the cage. The horror was still there—would always be there—but it was softened by this moment. By her. By the beautiful forest. He then followed Elise's lead. Letting her pull his arm.

"Okay, Elise. Let's go. To your favorite place."

Both of them then started walking towards their destination. Elise's favorite place. Inside the peaceful and relaxing Whispering Forest. The path wound through the trees. The flowers glowed brighter as the suns descended. The humming of the Pinewood leaves grew more melodic.

Their minds were finally clear. Their hearts were at ease. Their steps were light. The weight of the investigation. The horror of the Voided Covenant. The tragedy of Stonewell Village. All of it faded into the background.

For a while, the dread about the tragedy in Stonewell Village, the talk about Voided Covenant, disappeared into the back of their minds. The forest embraced them. The whispering leaves sang to them. The glowing flowers lit their path.

They left those dread feelings alone—replaced with the excitement of enjoying the beautiful forest—for now.