Chapter Thirty-Eight

At dawn in Gaya’s Sacred Woods, Sora reflects on Mikail’s restless night and her own emotional numbness as the group breaks camp. They press on through dense fog, sustained by tea and provisions, while Mikail leads using a charted center point he estimated from an old map. His intermittent tension hints at the toll he bears, and Sora steadies herself with the resolve to complete their mission against Seok and secure Aeri’s future.

Hours later, doubts surface about their path until Sora spots an immense dark silhouette: the burned sacred tree of Alta. Mikail explains its divine origins and the historical erasure by Yusan. The group genuflects amid ash, honoring what was lost, and renews their commitment to find the hidden temple believed to have survived somewhere nearby.

At Aeri’s urging, Royo tries the key that once revealed other temple doors, striking ground and trunks, but nothing responds. Mikail concedes their location might be wrong, while Aeri argues the wisdom of concealing a new temple near the old. Mikail adjusts the plan to sweep east and then north, keeping the sacred tree in sight, with Royo continuing to test the key.

As they begin the perimeter search, tension grows over the unnatural stillness and the dead yet standing giants. Without warning, a scream shatters the silence. Royo calls for Aeri, but she does not answer. The spot where Aeri stood moments before is empty. Weapons drawn and Mikail’s sword aflame, the group finds no visible threat—only Aeri’s sudden disappearance, leaving their quest imperiled and the woods more menacing than before.