By offering 1,000 Mana Stones at the Altar of Purity, the Sanctum of the Wayfarer would transform into a Safe Zone for the next eight hours. This ritual was crucial, especially if anyone in the team was afflicted with Doom, a curse that guaranteed death after eight hours, no matter how strong the victim was, as long as they remained in the forest.

I had learned this the hard way.

The first time I entered this cursed forest, my main characters died to Doom. I had no idea how to counter it, no way to stop the inevitable countdown. But after many trials, I discovered the secret. I could reset the timer by offering Mana Stones at this altar.

Yet, there was another layer to this mystery.

Another secret buried beneath a secret.

With the right conditions met, I could summon something hidden deep within the forest. A being that few had ever seen.

The first requirement was to offer 5,000 Mana Stones instead of 1,000. The second was much harder. Defeat all five Guardians of the forest.

At least, that's what I had believed at first.

It turned out that defeating all the Guardians was helpful, but not absolutely necessary. There was another way to satisfy the second condition. But for now I kept it to myself.

We had done it.

The air trembled with an unseen force as a radiant golden light burst forth from the Altar of Purity. The moment was surreal. From above, a figure descended gracefully, wrapped in a glow so pure and divine that it cast long shadows across the moss-covered ground.

And then, we saw her.

A fairy.

But unlike any fairy we had ever encountered.

She was an embodiment of contradiction, a paradox of youth and age, beauty and decay.

Her body was small and delicate, her translucent wings shimmering like woven moonlight. She should have looked ethereal, like a being plucked from a dream. Yet, her face told a different story.

Her skin was weathered and lined with age, marked by centuries of wisdom and sorrow. Unlike the fairies of legend, who were always described as enchanting and radiant, her features were rough, worn, and unkind to the eye. The soft silver glow of the forest only emphasized the deep creases in her face, accentuating the burden of countless years.

Yet, despite her fragile appearance, there was an undeniable strength in the way she moved.

Her wings, though delicate, beat with deliberate power, carrying the weight of the entire forest's protection. Faint, ever-shifting patterns glowed along their surface, like veins of starlight woven into the fabric of night itself.

In her hands, she held a golden harp, its strings glowing faintly, humming with an ancient power older than the trees themselves.

A stunned silence fell over the group.

"What… what is that creature?" Muradin muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

The fairy ignored him entirely.

Orin, who had initially squealed in delight upon seeing the small, glowing figure, let out a second shriek when she finally saw the fairy's aged and wrinkled face.

Elena, realizing how insensitive that reaction was, quickly clamped her hand over Orin's mouth before she could say anything that might offend their mysterious visitor.

And then, without warning, the fairy began to play.

Her fingers gracefully plucked the strings of her harp, sending a melody so hauntingly beautiful into the air that time itself seemed to slow. And as she played, she sang. A voice as youthful and enchanting as the heavens themselves, in stark contrast to the aged face that wore it.

"Through the mist and ancient trees, I guard the forest, wild and free.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Small of frame, yet bound with might, I stand as guardian through day and night.

Grindella's my name, old and wise, Watch the forest, hear its cries. Wanderer, beware and know, In my arms, the forest grows."

Her voice was unlike anything we had ever heard. A sound so pure, so divine that it sent shivers down my spine.

It was the voice of youth eternal, of legends long forgotten, a voice that carried the weight of countless ages and the secrets of the forest itself.

The notes from her harp danced through the air, wrapping around us like threads of celestial music, as if heaven itself had descended into the mortal world.

For the first time in a long, long while.

We stood, speechless.

Before we could even fully process what we had just witnessed, Grindella smiled, a small, knowing smile, as if she had been expecting us all along. Then, with a soft strum of her golden harp, she continued her song:

"Five hearts pure, five minds bright, You've crossed the mist, embraced the light. To the Sanctum's gate, you've found your way, A grand achievement, on this day.

As the True Guardian, I stand with pride, In this forest, I shall forever guide. Your journey's bold, your spirit true, The forest's blessing now bestowed on you."

Her melodic voice echoed through the Sanctum of the Wayfarer, resonating deep in my bones. The lyrics… they held the answer.

This was the true requirement to unlock the forest's greatest secret. It wasn't just about defeating the five Guardians. It was about having five people who had fully overcome the effects of the purple mist, entering the Sanctum of the Wayfarer together and activating the Altar of Purity. Only then would Grindella reveal herself.

And as if to confirm the significance of the moment, a massive portal erupted into existence behind the altar.

A towering arch of swirling blue energy, pulsing with an ancient, living force, materialized in the air. The ground beneath it hummed with power, the moss and roots shifting subtly as if the very forest itself was reacting to its presence.

Grindella ascended, her wings shimmering as she floated higher. Her fingers danced across the strings of her harp, filling the sanctum with one final melody.

Then, as she passed through the open canopy, the interwoven branches of the towering trees above suddenly moved, closing off the golden light that had been illuminating the space.

The sacred radiance was gone.

Darkness reclaimed the sanctum, leaving behind only the beams of light that occasionally break through the canopy and the dim glow of the portal's energy.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

"What… just happened?" Darwyn finally broke the silence, his voice filled with disbelief.

Orin and Elena exchanged glances, their eyes wide with confusion before both of them turned toward the portal that had materialized out of nowhere.

Muradin let out a deep sigh and rubbed his temples. "I'm not drunk, right?" he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.

"S-So, that portal… it's going to take us to…" Elena hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper.

I turned to her with a knowing smile, letting the suspense linger for a moment before finally answering, "Yes. To Frostfang Tundra, our next destination. It's time to fulfill my promise."

Elena's lips parted slightly in surprise, but before she could say anything, I stepped forward toward the swirling blue vortex. The air around it pulsed with raw energy, distorting the space like ripples on the surface of a pond.

The others gathered behind me. Muradin crossed his arms, exhaling a breath that billowed like mist in the cold air. "I hope whatever's waiting on the other side isn't as nasty as that bloody mist," he grumbled.

Darwyn cracked his knuckles. "Wouldn't count on it."

Orin tugged at her sleeves nervously. "I swear, if there are frost wraiths or something worse in there…"

I glanced back at them, then nodded once. "Stay close. We're going in."

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the portal.

At once, a familiar sensation enveloped me, the same unsettling feeling that came with entering Andrheus Rift or stepping through the massive doors of the Tower. A feeling of weightlessness, of my body being stretched and pulled through unseen forces.

My stomach twisted violently, as if I were being spun in all directions at once. The world around me blurred, a whirlwind of colors bleeding together in a chaotic dance. Wind roared past me, pressing against my skin from every possible angle, threatening to tear me apart.

And then, suddenly, it was over.

I staggered slightly as the world snapped back into focus.

A bitter, merciless cold slammed into me like a solid wall. The air was razor-sharp, each breath feeling like a thousand needles stabbing my lungs. No matter how thick our clothing, the cold seeped into our very bones, relentless and unforgiving.

Behind me, the others emerged from the portal one by one.

Muradin's beard was already frosted over. "By the gods… this is unnatural." He shivered, hugging himself.

Darwyn cursed under his breath. "This is worse than I thought."

Orin clutched her arms, hopping on her feet as if trying to ward off the chill. "Why does it feel like my soul is freezing?!"

Elena, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself., exhaled slowly, watching her breath crystallize in the air. "F-Frostfang Tundra… we're really here."

I gazed ahead. The endless expanse of white stretched out before us, broken only by jagged ice formations and distant mountains that seemed to scrape the heavens.

A new journey had begun.

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