—

I tried to close my eyes, but sleep refused to come. I stayed outside, listening to the quiet rustle of the forest. Just as I was about to drift off again, an owl suddenly landed on my shoulder, startling me awake.

“You again?” I asked. The owl remained still, hooting softly beside my ear.

“Why did you come back to the forest?” it asked once its voice returned.

“Do I have to explain it to you?” I muttered, turning my gaze away. The owl let out a low chuckle.

“Do you know the flower I’m searching for?” I asked suddenly, remembering the one that could save Arvan. The owl grew silent.

“Do you know it?” I pressed. Still, no answer.

“Do you even know its history?”

“Not every history can be read so easily,” I snapped.

“That flower is rare,” it replied calmly. “Even I haven’t seen it again for a long time.”

“So you’ve seen it before?”

“Once. But never again.”

The owl paused, then said, “I’ll find out more. I’ll come back tomorrow.” With that, it flew off into the darkness, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

As I sat there, my eyes finally began to close. Then something strange tugged at my body—like a magnet pulling me inward.

—

Inside the dream

A woman stood before me, holding a baby. I didn’t know who she was. When I reached out, my hand passed through her as if she were mist.

The baby had golden hair and a radiant smile that could melt the coldest heart.

“One day,” the woman whispered, “you will become someone who brings hope to this world. Mother loves you dearly. Forgive me… for giving birth to you from my mistake.”

She kissed the baby’s forehead gently. I couldn’t see her face—only her fragile back. We were inside a grand castle, vast yet suffocating. This wasn’t Albert’s palace.

“Where am I?” I shouted, but the air swallowed my voice.

A maid entered. “Have you done as I asked?” the woman said.

“Yes, my lady,” the maid replied with a bow.

“Good. I’ll trust you. Let’s go.”

She took the child and walked away. I tried to follow, but my feet wouldn’t move, as if chained to the floor. Then she turned—her face blurred by shadow—and smiled faintly. My chest ached as my heartbeat throbbed painfully.

—

End of the dream

“Xanders…” a soft voice called.

I opened my eyes to find Michelle beside me. My head throbbed.

“Did you dream about something?” she asked, her tone unreadable. I didn’t answer.

“What time is it?” I asked instead.

“I’m sorry for waking you,” she said quietly. “You looked… unwell.”

“Never mind,” I muttered, sitting up. “How’s Arvan?”

She pointed at the unconscious figure nearby. “Still the same. We need that flower to save him.”

I exhaled harshly. The owl hadn’t returned.

“I’ll go look for it. You stay here and guard them.”

“I don’t agree,” Michelle said quickly. “They’re too weak to fight. If we both leave—”

“Please, Michelle. Just keep them safe.”

Before she could reply, I turned and walked into the forest.

—

The deeper I went, the stranger the air felt. Mist clung to the trees, thick and glowing faintly under the moonlight. Eventually, I reached a lake. The water shimmered like glass, and beside it grew a flower unlike any I’d seen—beautiful, glowing softly in the dark.

I stepped closer, mesmerized, and inhaled its scent. Suddenly, the flower moved.

“What the—?” I stumbled back just as it released a puff of golden dust. The air burned. The moist soil beneath my feet dried instantly, cracking open.

The owl swooped down, landing on my shoulder.

“That’s a poisonous flower,” it said. “Anyone who inhales its pollen will have their heart stop in seconds.”

I nodded grimly. “Did you find anything about the legendary one?”

“I asked my friends. None have seen it in ages.”

My hands clenched. Arvan’s life was slipping away, and I was running out of time.

“I’ll help you search,” the owl offered.

We moved deeper into the forest together. Hours passed. Noon light broke through the canopy, but we still found nothing.

Then, in the distance, came loud shrieks and chatter—monkeys, dozens of them, making a ruckus among the trees.

“What’s happening?” I asked. The owl flew off and returned moments later, its expression tense.

“Xanders…”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t expect this,” the owl whispered. “But it’s a miracle.” It hesitated. “Yet you’re in danger.”

I frowned. “Danger?”

“The flower—it’s there,” it said, glancing toward the noise. “But something else guards it.”

—

I followed the owl through tangled vines and damp earth. The air grew heavier with each step, filled with the smell of decay and magic. The noise of the monkeys faded, replaced by the low hum of power.

Then I saw it—the flower from my dream. It stood in the middle of an ancient tree’s roots, glowing faintly with silver light. The petals shimmered like crystal, and beneath it, the ground pulsed as if alive.

“That’s it,” I whispered. “The flower that can save Arvan.”

“Be careful,” warned the owl. “This place is… cursed.”

I ignored the warning and stepped forward. The closer I got, the colder the air became, and the shadows seemed to move on their own.

Suddenly, the ground cracked open. A dark mist rose from the soil, forming into something with a human shape—tall, cloaked in smoke. Eyes like burning coals stared down at me.

“So, another mortal dares to take what is not his,” the creature hissed.

I froze. Its presence alone made my skin crawl.

“I need the flower,” I said, steadying my voice. “Someone’s life depends on it.”

The creature laughed, a hollow echo that rattled the trees. “Every life here depends on it, fool. Take it, and the forest dies.”

I hesitated, gripping the hilt of my sword.

“Xanders,” the owl whispered, “if you fight, it will consume you too.”

But I couldn’t turn back now. Arvan needed me.

The shadow moved closer, darkness rippling across the ground. I raised my sword, light flickering across its blade.

“For life, not destruction,” I muttered.

The creature lunged. I dodged, barely, feeling the cold wind of its strike graze my face. My body burned with exhaustion, yet something within me—perhaps the echo of that dream—kept me standing.

Then, in a flash of light, the flower flared. The shadow shrieked, recoiling.

The owl cried out, “Now, Xanders—take it!”

I reached forward, ignoring the searing pain in my chest, and grasped the glowing stem. For a moment, everything went white.

When my vision cleared, the forest was silent. The shadow was gone. Only the faint glow of the flower remained in my hand.

The owl landed beside me. “You did it… but the forest will remember.”

“I’ll bear it,” I said quietly, turning toward the path home.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep