Eryndor and the others finally emerged from the Forest of Fawl.
The moment they crossed the ancient tree line, Eryndor immediately pulled on the reins and stopped his horse.
Inside the forest, darkness had ruled the skies. Rain had fallen endlessly, and thunder had shaken the earth beneath them.
But outside—
morning had already come.
Golden sunlight poured across the open land. Soft white clouds drifted across a calm blue sky, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of grass and wild herbs through the air.
There was no storm.
No thunder.
No darkness.
Only peace.
Eryndor stared back at the forest behind him, his eyes narrowing.
"What the hell is this...?"
He scratched the back of his head as he looked at the border between the forest and the outside world.
It was as if the Forest of Fawl existed in its own time.
Its own world.
He glanced behind him at the unconscious bodies of Leo, Rein, and the strange creature tied to the horses.
At least they were still alive.
For now.
Far in the distance, thin trails of smoke rose into the bright sky.
The scent of roasted meat, burning wood, and fresh bread drifted faintly through the wind.
Avendale.
The hidden village of the elves.
Eryndor let out a slow breath.
"Alright," he muttered quietly. "Let's get all of you treated."
He tightened his grip on the reins and guided the horses forward.
The Village of Avendale
Thirty minutes later, the great wooden gates of Avendale came into view.
The village stood between towering silver trees whose branches stretched high enough to cover half the sky. Homes were not built from the forest—
they were built with it.
Some houses were carved directly into massive living trees.
Others rested on platforms suspended between thick branches, connected by rope bridges woven with glowing vines.
Soft lanterns made from crystal fruit hung from the branches, glowing with pale blue light even in daylight.
Water flowed through narrow stone channels along the streets, feeding gardens of luminous flowers that bloomed only in elven territory.
Avendale did not feel like a village.
It felt like nature itself had learned how to breathe.
The guards stationed at the gate immediately noticed Eryndor.
Their calm expressions vanished when they saw the injured passengers.
They rushed forward.
"What happened?" one of the guards asked.
Another stared at the unconscious dark creature tied to the horse.
"And what exactly is that?"
Eryndor dismounted.
"I don't know," he said. "I brought it with me because I need answers too."
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
"Take them to the medical center," Eryndor ordered. "Now."
"Yes, sir."
The elves quickly lifted Leo and Rein onto stretchers made from woven bark and silk cloth before carrying them deeper into the village.
Eryndor turned to another guard.
"Tell your chief I need to speak with him immediately."
The guard nodded and disappeared into the village.
Minutes later, the Chief of Avendale arrived with two elite warriors at his side.
He was tall even for an elf, with silver hair tied behind his back and eyes that had seen centuries of peace and war.
The chief extended his hand.
Eryndor shook it.
"What happened to your comrades?" the chief asked.
Eryndor's expression hardened.
"Something is coming."
The chief's face changed.
Eryndor continued.
"We faced a monster inside the forest." "Not a beast." "Not a spirit." "Something worse."
He looked directly into the chief's eyes.
"If it keeps attacking us one by one... none of us survive."
The chief remained silent.
Eryndor rarely showed fear.
Seeing it in his eyes was enough.
"Should we evacuate?" the chief asked.
Eryndor shook his head.
"No." "Panic will only make things worse."
He looked around the village.
"Prepare your warriors." "Strengthen your defenses." "I'll return to Lucindor and send soldiers here."
The chief nodded.
At once, the warriors moved.
Within minutes, warning horns echoed through Avendale.
The peaceful village began preparing for war.
Three hours later, inside the Avendale Medical Hall, Leo slowly opened his eyes.
His body felt heavy.
His arms barely moved.
His vision blurred before slowly clearing.
He turned his head.
Rein was lying in the bed beside him, her arms wrapped in white bandages.
On the opposite side of the room, the strange creature rested beneath glowing healing runes.
"Rein…"
No answer.
"Rein?"
Still nothing.
"Rein!"
She remained unconscious.
Leo tried to sit up and winced.
An elven healer entered the room.
She wore white robes stitched with golden thread, and faint green light flowed between her fingertips.
"Please don't move," she said gently. "You still need rest."
Leo looked around.
"Where are we?"
The healer smiled.
"Avendale." "Eryndor brought all three of you here."
Leo blinked.
"Eryndor?"
A slight blush touched the healer's cheeks.
"Yes." "He's one of the bravest men I know."
Leo noticed that immediately.
"Where is he now?"
"He already left." "He said he needed to return to Lucindor."
Leo looked toward the creature.
"Do you know what that thing is?"
The healer frowned.
"I healed its wounds..." "But I still don't know what it is."
That answer only made Leo more uneasy.
Avendale Through Leo's Eyes
Unable to stay in bed, Leo eventually wandered outside.
The moment he stepped into the village, he froze.
Avendale was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Elven children ran barefoot across hanging bridges.
Merchants sold glowing fruits and herbal medicines from wooden stalls grown directly from tree roots.
Warriors in silver armor trained with bows in open circles.
Mages quietly practiced Sundane Force near crystal pools that reflected the sky.
The entire village seemed alive.
Even the buildings felt as if they were still growing.
"Woah…"
Leo slowly walked through the streets.
For the first time in days—
he forgot everything.
The war.
The pain.
The truth.
Until he suddenly bumped into someone.
He looked up.
"Sol?"
Sol stared at him.
"You again?"
Both of them met again. Sol asked why he was here in the Village of Avendale.
"We encountered an unknown person, and he was too strong to defeat," he answered.
"It's been one day since we last saw each other," Sol reminded him, which shocked Leo. He had just been in the Forest of Fawl—not even a whole day had passed for him.
"What do you mean it's been one day?" Leo asked, confused.
"It was the same day when we faced the attacker, and now it's already one day later?" Leo said, starting to panic.
"That's right," Sol replied.
"It's not that bad… but still," Leo said, still confused.
Sol comforted Leo by patting his shoulder and telling him to save his energy.
"Wanna come with me?" Sol asked.
As Sol guided him through Avendale, Leo began seeing more of the village.
Unlike Lucindor, Avendale had no stone walls to separate rich from poor.
Every elf lived among the same trees.
The village believed status meant nothing without contribution.
Hunters fed the people.
Healers preserved life.
Warriors protected peace.
And every citizen, no matter their rank, had a place.
At the center of the village stood a large circular arena made from white wood.
"This is our tradition," Sol explained.
Inside the ring, two elves fought while the crowd cheered.
"Disputes are settled through honorable duels."
Leo watched carefully.
"And if someone dies?"
Sol's face darkened.
"Then the victor loses their honor."
Leo could tell from Sol's expression—
that rule meant something personal.
Leo noticed that the guards and the warrior elves were actively guarding the area and the walls of Avendale.
"Hey, is this normal here? Because it looks like war is coming," Leo asked.
"No. That Eryndor guy told everyone to prepare for the upcoming enemy," Sol answered.
"It's the attacker?" Leo asked.
"Yeah. You said he's strong, right?" Sol replied.
"Yeah… maybe I should go back to Lucindor right now," Leo said.
"Whoa, stay here for a moment, Leo," Sol said.
Leo was convinced and calmed himself down, deciding to go on with his day by following Sol as he toured the village of Avendale. He learned a lot about their traditions. He saw how the people of Avendale lived and how they managed everything.
After hours of touring Avendale, they finally took a rest and sat on the rooftop of the tallest building in the village.
Sol offered some barbecued meat that he had bought earlier during the tour. Leo accepted it and ate while they looked out over Avendale.
"It's beautiful out here," Leo said.
"Right?" Sol replied.
The noise of the people, the scent in the air, and the scenery of the beautiful village were all right in front of them.
Leo enjoyed the view while eating the barbecue, while Sol just relaxed and lay beside him.
The moonlight shone over the village of Avendale. It made it feel as if the moon truly belonged there, because of how connected it seemed to the village.
Leo realized he needed to go back to the medical center to check on Rein, so he asked Sol if he could leave. Sol agreed and went back to closing his eyes.
Leo jumped off, landing on one rooftop after another until he reached the ground.
He rushed through the streets quickly, avoiding people and ignoring the vendors.
When he arrived at the medical center, he hurried down the hallway and immediately ran toward the room they had stayed in.
After opening the door, he saw Rein standing beside the creature, healing it.