In front of Julius and Rosalina, the Nightmare Forest suddenly began to part.
The dense trees that had surrounded them for what seemed like an endless stretch of darkness slowly receded to either side, their enormous trunks moving away as though an invisible force was commanding the forest itself to make way.
The oppressive atmosphere of the Nightmare Forest also began to weaken as the darkness above them gave way to a vast open sky.
For the first time since entering the forest, Julius could see a large expanse of land that wasn't covered by twisted trees and suffocating mist. It was almost as if they had stepped into an entirely different world.
And there, scattered across the open land, was a human civilization.
Small houses made from scarlet-colored wood stood at regular intervals, their crude construction blending naturally with the surrounding forest.
