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Chapter Six: Into the Forest of Illusions
The journey into the Forest of Dreams was unlike anything Amatris, Clover, and Nami had faced before. The area felt as though it lay beyond the boundaries of familiar nature—trees with strange colors grew in illogical directions, gigantic flowers emitted intoxicating fragrances that made one dizzy, and mysterious sounds echoed in the air with no clear source.
Clover, with his years of experience, felt increasingly uneasy.
"This place isn't natural," he said, scanning their surroundings with alert eyes. "There's some kind of magic surrounding this forest."
"Magic?" Nami scoffed skeptically. "I don't believe in such nonsense." But her tone lacked its usual confidence, and her eyes darted nervously between the shifting trees in the dark.
"It may not be magic in the literal sense, Nami," Amatris explained. "But there's definitely something strange going on here. We need to be cautious of everything we see and hear."
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the illusions began. Paths that looked straight and clear would suddenly vanish into thin air, familiar figures appeared between the trees only to disappear as if they had never been there. At one moment, Amatris saw his father, the king, standing before him smiling—but as he reached out to touch him, the image dissolved into nothing.
"Don't trust your eyes," Clover warned them. "This forest plays tricks on the mind. Focus on our goal and ignore anything that seems odd or illogical."
Nami was the most affected by the illusions. At one point, she screamed and pointed to a massive tree that seemed to be moving toward them.
"Look! It's going to attack us!" she cried in panic, drawing her knife.
"Calm down, Nami," said Amatris, grabbing her arm. "It's just a tree. Nothing is moving."
"But I saw it! It was moving!" Nami insisted stubbornly, her eyes filled with fear.
"The illusions here are strong," said Clover. "We need to stick together and rely on our other senses."
As they continued deeper into the forest, strange sounds echoed around them. Sometimes it was faint whispering, other times wicked laughter, and occasionally, cries or pleas for help that sent chills down their spines.
At one moment, they heard a woman screaming for help. Nami recklessly ran toward the source of the sound.
"We have to help her!" she shouted as she dashed through the trees.
"Nami! Wait!" Amatris called after her, but she had already disappeared into the forest's density.
Amatris and Clover quickly followed. They found Nami standing in front of an old well, staring down in shock. There was no one in the well, but the sound of weeping still echoed clearly.
"There was no one," Nami said softly, confusion written across her face. "But I heard it… it was real."
"This forest is playing with our senses, Nami," said Clover, placing a hand on her shoulder. "The sounds we hear aren't necessarily real."
As they tried to find their way again, a strange creature suddenly emerged from the trees. It had a massive body covered in shaggy fur, a wolf-like head with sharp fangs, and glowing red eyes in the darkness. The creature let out a terrifying howl and charged at them.
"Oh my god! What is that thing?" Nami screamed, backing away in terror.
"It looks like one of the forest's guardians," said Clover, drawing his sword. "Get ready to fight!"
A fierce battle erupted between the three and the monstrous beast. It was powerful and fast, but Amatris and Clover were skilled fighters. They worked together to block its attacks, while Nami boldly struck from the flanks.
In a crucial moment, Clover landed a strong blow to the creature's body, but it managed to slash his arm with its sharp claws before collapsing.
"Clover! Are you alright?" Amatris asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Clover replied, pressing on his wound. "But we need to move fast. There may be more of them."
They continued on with heightened caution, avoiding anything suspicious or unnatural. After days of exhausting travel through the twisted forest, signs began to appear that they were nearing their destination. They saw giant trees twisted into a circular formation, and in the center of the circle was a patch of land that appeared brighter and greener than the rest of the forest.
"I think we've arrived," said Amatris, pointing to the glowing spot. "This must be the heart of the Forest of Dreams."
As they approached the radiant clearing, they saw an ancient well made of pristine white stone. The water inside shimmered with a soft light and emanated a feeling of calm and peace.
"The Well of Dreams," Clover whispered in awe. "It seems the legends were true."
"Is this the place where we're supposed to perform the ritual?" Nami asked, peering curiously into the well.
"That's what I believe," answered Amatris. "The book said the spiritual energy in this place is strong enough to neutralize the magic of the VELER Stone."
Amatris stepped closer to the well, holding the Statue of the Light Bird in his hands. A sense of inner stillness washed over him as he stood before this sacred place.
"What should we do now?" asked Nami.
"We must follow the instructions in the book," Amatris replied as he opened the ancient tome and began reading the ritual aloud.
The ritual involved ancient chants and offering symbolic tributes into the well. As Amatris read, the waters of the well began to glow with a bright blue light, and they all felt a powerful energy enveloping them.
Suddenly, a group of people emerged from the trees surrounding the well. They were dressed in black and armed. Edward's soldiers—they had tracked them to the Forest of Dreams.
"There they are!" one of them shouted. "Capture them!"
"So annoying," Nami growled as she drew her knife.
"Can't we have one moment of peace?"
"We must protect the well and the ritual," said Clover, readying for battle. "You, Amatris—keep reading. We'll handle them."
A violent battle broke out between Clover, Nami, and Edward's soldiers. The soldiers outnumbered them, but Clover was a seasoned warrior and Nami a fierce fighter. They stood back-to-back, battling bravely.
But the soldiers were many, and soon they began to overwhelm them. In a critical moment, Clover was struck down by a strong blow from one of the soldier's swords.
"Clover!" Amatris cried out in panic.
"Keep going, boy! Don't stop!" Clover shouted weakly, trying to rise.
Nami saw Clover fall and charged forward in fury. She managed to take down two soldiers quickly, but was then attacked from behind and collapsed to the ground as well.
"Nami!" Amatris called out desperately.
Amatris watched his companions fall one by one, while he continued reciting the ritual. A blazing rage surged inside him. He couldn't let their sacrifices be in vain.
He finished the final words of the ritual. At that moment, a powerful blue beam of light shot out from the Well of Dreams and pierced the sky. Amatris felt a tremendous force surge through him—as if the entire forest's energy had entered his body.
He raised the Statue of the Light Bird high. The statue began to glow with a brilliant white light, then unleashed a beam of pure energy toward the attacking soldiers.
The soldiers dropped one after another, as if crushed by an invisible force. None remained standing.
Amatris rushed toward Clover and Nami. Clover was unconscious and bleeding heavily. Nami was barely breathing, her eyes closed.
"No... this can't have happened," Amatris whispered, trembling.
He looked around at the scattered bodies of the soldiers, then back to his fallen companions who had given everything for him. A deep sorrow and despair filled his heart. He had succeeded in activating the power of the Well of Dreams, but had lost the two dearest people to him in the process.
At that moment, Amatris realized that victory always comes at a high cost—and that his journey for revenge and reclaiming his throne would be far more difficult and painful than he had imagined. But he also knew that he must continue, and fight for the memory of Clover and Nami, and for the future of Valdrin—a future that deserves freedom and peace.
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