Nanami felt a cold wind whip through the village as she stepped outside, her broomstick hovering by her side, ready to take her deeper into the mountain range. The old man's warning echoed in her mind, but she pushed it aside. There was no time for fear. She had a promise to keep.
The sky had darkened since her arrival, and the fog had thickened, swirling around her like a shroud. She kept her eyes focused on the path ahead, her senses sharp. The map from the cottage had indicated the cavern was some distance away, tucked deep within the heart of the mountain. Her magic hummed with anticipation, and her thoughts swirled with questions.
The wind howled as Nanami flew toward the cavern, her broomstick cutting through the mist. The landscape became more desolate the further she went, the mountains growing steeper, the trees sparser. There was a sense of isolation here, as though the world itself was holding its breath.
Soon, she spotted the entrance to the cavern—a gaping hole in the rock face, partially concealed by tangled vines and thick mist. The air around it felt colder, heavier. It was as if the very earth itself was reluctant to allow anyone inside.
Nanami dismounted her broomstick and approached the entrance cautiously. The darkness inside seemed to beckon, but she knew she had to go in. She steadied her breath and stepped forward, feeling the cool stone beneath her boots.
Inside, the cavern was vast, stretching far into the mountain's heart. The walls were slick with moisture, and the air was damp with the smell of earth and stone. Nanami's footsteps echoed eerily as she moved deeper, her hands glowing with faint magic to light her way.
As she ventured further, the path became narrower, the air colder. Strange markings adorned the walls—symbols she didn't recognize, as if they were ancient runes carved long ago. Her heart quickened, sensing something powerful and unsettling in the very air of the cavern.
Then, she saw it.
At the end of the narrow tunnel, a soft, glowing light flickered from behind a jagged rock formation. Nanami moved toward it, her magic swirling around her to protect her from any unseen dangers.
When she reached the source of the light, she gasped.
A woman stood before her, her figure outlined in ethereal light. She was dressed in simple traveling clothes, but her skin shimmered with a faint, almost ghostly glow. Her eyes were closed, and she stood perfectly still, as if trapped in some kind of trance.
The woman's face looked familiar. Nanami could feel the connection immediately—it was the herbalist's daughter, the one she had been searching for.
"Are you—are you all right?" Nanami asked, her voice barely a whisper.
The woman's eyes fluttered open, and for a brief moment, Nanami saw recognition in them. But then the light around the woman flared brighter, and her eyes turned to something else, something deeper—something not quite human.
"I cannot leave," the woman's voice echoed, distorted and hollow. "This place has claimed me... and now, it claims you."
Nanami stumbled back, her magic flaring defensively, but the cavern seemed to shift, the walls closing in around her. The ground beneath her feet trembled as the light intensified, growing blindingly bright.
"This mountain... it's a prison," the woman continued, her voice now filled with despair. "It traps those who seek it. Traps them in the very essence of the mountain. You are too late. There is no escape."
The words sent a shiver through Nanami's body, and the fog in her mind seemed to clear. She had to act fast. The mountain was alive, its magic consuming everything in its path, and it wanted her now.
Nanami's heart pounded in her chest as she summoned her strongest magic, her hands crackling with energy. She could feel the pressure building in the cavern, the magic around her growing stronger with every heartbeat.
"I won't let you take me," Nanami said, her voice steady, her resolve unshakable. "I will free you, even if it means fighting this mountain itself."
The cavern rumbled as Nanami's magic surged, pushing against the force that was trying to bind her. The light around the woman flickered, flickered once more—and then it shattered.
The cavern went silent.