The message Arc (12)

Scene —Thorn forest

The night sky burned crimson.A blood-red full moon hung ominously above, its eerie light casting an unnatural glow across the forest. Winds surged from the north.

Four shadows sprinted through the dense woods, swift as lightning. They moved in perfect rhythm—silent and focused.This was the special squad leading by Captain James Rodricks.

They are returning to battlefield But as they reached , all four came to a sudden halt.

And froze. They all are stunned and confused.

No signs of battle. No broken trees, burnt grass, or scorched soil. Nothing.

No evidence of any kind of clash . It was as if the fight had never happened.

The shattered trees they remembered—once splintered by poison and fire—now stood tall and untouched. Even the branches reattached to their previous places.

It was the same place, wasn't it. And yet... it wasn't.

Jack took a step forward, eyes wide with disbelief. "W-What... what happened here after we left?" he whispered.He looked around in every direction, hoping for something—anything—that would make sense.

"This looks like the same place..." he muttered, "but it feels like a different world."

His voice cracked as he turned to his captain. "James… is this even the same forest? Did we... did we get lost in some way?"

Captain James didn't answer immediately.He stared into the woods, eyes narrowed, expression hollow. Then, with a bitter chuckle that carried no joy, he exhaled.

"I don't know either," he said. "Maybe we are lost. Or maybe... this forest is playing with us."A silence followed. Cold and unnatural.

Then, James snapped back to command.

"We can't stay here," he said, his voice sharp but strained. "This forest… it's not right. It's trying to play with our minds."

He turned to his squad, eyes firm.

"And I'm not going to let it.""Move," he ordered. "Now."

The squad vanished into the night again, swallowed by the same wind that had brought them there.

They turned back the way they came, retracing their steps as planned. The path felt oddly familiar—too familiar.It wasn't long before Captain James suddenly halted. His eyes narrowed, scanning the surroundings like a hound catching the scent of

danger.

"Stop!" he commanded.

The squad froze.James stepped forward, hand resting on his blade. "Something's wrong. I think… we're trapped. Some kind of magic spell."

Hans nodded slowly. "Yeah… I think So. Maybe you're right " His voice was low, hesitant. "This is our fourth time passing this place. The same tree… the same broken stone… every time."James turned sharply. "Wait, maybe I'm right? What do you mean maybe, Hans?"

Hans frowned. "There's no strong mana flow. No trace of magical formation. Nothing. It doesn't feel like magic—but it also doesn't feel natural."

James muttered under his breath, "Then what is this? Is the forest... shifting on its own? Or is this that beast's power?"

Jack, trying to inject a bit of optimism, said, "But I thought we defeated that beast."

And then—it came.A voice.Deep. Cold. Echoing from nowhere and everywhere.

"You can only defeat me... in your dreams."

"And look... that's exactly what you did."

James' eyes widened as the truth sank in. He collapsed to his knees, fists clenched in helpless rage.Jack rushed to him. "Captain? What happened?"

James looked up, despair twisting his futures. He shouted into the void, "Who are you?! Why are you playing with us?! Stop hiding! Face us!"

His voice cracked with frustration and fury.

"Tell me—how are you take over our minds? What do you want from us?!"

Daniel stepped forward, confused. "Captain… what do you mean ' by take over our minds'?"

James stared at him, the horror plain in his eyes. " I simply mean, what you just exactly heard. This... thing... Somehow it took over our mind and playing with us. We're not fighting with him ... we're fighting ourselves."

All things from this afternoon, including our fight all are fake. All are just an illusion.

Hans gritted his teeth. "I've felt it too..... But I didn't expect this…"

Suddenly, the forest exploded with sound—a screeching laughter that ripped through the trees like a thousand knives.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

HA... HA... HA...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

So... you finally noticed."

The voice shifted—now amused, now mocking, now demonic.

"You want to know who I am? Then come. Face me. But don't be surprised....."

"...And don't be scared."