They left before the sun had fully risen above Asteria's walls. The main courtyard was already busy. Horses occasionally struck the ground with their hooves, the last crates were being secured to the wagons, and the knights were checking their equipment one final time. This time, nobody was talking about ceremonies. The mission was different. They were heading into the Forest of Lorn. The place where Kael's parents had died. Kael stood beside the first carriage, a map unfolded in his hands. Darius approached from behind. — Everything's ready. Kael looked up. — All three groups? — In position. — And the scouts? — Already ahead of us. Kael folded the map. — Good. Darius studied his face. — Did you sleep? Kael paused briefly. — A little. — How much? — Enough. Darius smiled. — You're starting to sound like me. — That's concerning. — Very. Ethan arrived a moment later. — Are you two already arguing? — No, Darius replied. Kael added: — Not yet. Ethan smiled. — Perfect. He then looked toward the forest visible beyond the distant hills. His expression changed slightly. — We're almost there. Kael followed his gaze. Lorn wasn't visible yet. But he knew it was there. Somewhere beyond the roads. Somewhere beyond the memories he had spent years trying to reconstruct. Nyxara appeared beside him in her smaller form. She raised her head toward Kael. — I know. The Nocterys then looked toward the road ahead. Her ears lifted. Kael noticed. — Something? Nyxara remained still for a few seconds. Then she walked over to him. Kael naturally placed a hand on her head. — We'll be careful. She relaxed slightly. Darius watched them. — She senses something? — Maybe. — Bad sign? Kael thought for a moment. — Not necessarily. He looked back toward Asteria's gates. — But she doesn't like this place. Darius didn't ask anything else. They climbed into the carriages. --- The first few hours of the journey were relatively quiet. The convoy had been organized with precision. The Black Ravens led the way. The scouts traveled ahead at a distance. The carriages carrying the members of the expedition occupied the center. The Imperial Knights protected the sides while the Imperial Guard brought up the rear. This time, nothing happened. Yet as they left the familiar roads behind, the atmosphere gradually changed. The villages became fewer. The hills wilder. The trees more numerous. Kael looked out the window regularly. Lysandra was sitting across from him. She had noticed how quiet he'd been since they left. After a while, she asked: — Do you recognize anything? Kael looked outside. — Not yet. — Did you think you'd recognize the road? — I don't know. He paused. — I was ten. Lysandra nodded gently. — That was a long time ago. — Yes. She studied him. — You don't have to remember everything today. Kael looked at her. — I know. A faint smile appeared on his lips. — Lucian already told me exactly the same thing. — Then he was right. — Don't tell him you said that. Lysandra smiled. — I won't. For a while, neither of them spoke. Then Kael added: — Thanks for coming. Lysandra looked slightly surprised. — I already told you. I want to know the truth too. — I know. Kael looked back out the window. — But that's not the only reason. Lysandra waited. — I'm glad you're here. She remained quiet for a second. Then her expression softened. — Me too. Kael turned his attention back to the window. This time, he didn't try to think of anything else to say. --- In another carriage, Noah was considerably less quiet. — Why didn't we bring more food? Adrian looked up from his notebook. — Because we already have enough supplies. — I'm talking about enjoyable food. — What's enjoyable food? Noah thought about it. — Anything that isn't travel rations. Ethan, sitting beside him, laughed. — You'll survive. — I doubt it. Adrian closed his notebook. — We'll arrive before dinner. — And if we don't find anything? — There will be supplies. — Normal supplies. — Yes. Noah sighed. — This expedition is already going badly. Ethan gave him a light tap on the shoulder. — You knew what you were signing up for. — No. I thought we were just going to look for answers. — And you thought we'd do that at an inn? Noah thought about it. — That would've been nice. Adrian shook his head. — I understand now why Kael told you to stay behind during the archive incident. — Traitor. --- By mid-afternoon, the trees finally appeared. Not a few scattered groves. A massive stretch of forest. Lorn. The convoy naturally slowed down. Even the conversations gradually died away. The trees were enormous. Some trunks were so wide that several people would have been needed to encircle them. Light struggled to pass through the branches. A thin mist already floated above the ground despite the time of day. Kael stepped out of the carriage. Darius immediately approached. — We'll continue on foot from here. Kael nodded. Alaric joined them. — The carriages will stay here. We've established a temporary camp. Kael studied the trees. — How far did the scouts go? — About two kilometers. — Did they find anything? Alaric hesitated. — Yes. Kael turned toward him. — What? — An old road. Darius frowned. — Natural? — No. Alaric pulled out a map. — The stones are too evenly placed. Kael studied the route. An ancient road crossed the forest. It didn't appear on any recent maps. — Where does it lead? — Northwest. Kael traced the line with his finger. Then stopped. — That's exactly the direction of Zone L-01. Alaric nodded. — That's what we thought. Kael folded the map. — Then let's move. --- The group entered the forest. The Black Ravens led the way. Darius stayed close to Kael while Alaric remained slightly to the side. Lysandra walked a few meters behind them. Nyxara, still in her smaller form, moved silently among them. At first, nothing seemed unusual. Then Kael stopped. Darius turned his head. — What is it? Kael looked down. A stone protruded slightly from the ground. He crouched. A mark was visible beneath the moss. A circle crossed by a vertical line. The same symbol. Darius crouched beside him. — The one from the archives. Kael nodded. — Yes. Lysandra approached. — Does that mean someone has already been here? Kael studied the mark. — Maybe. He moved his fingers above the stone. That familiar sensation returned. Like at L-03. Like in front of Asteria's ancient systems. A faint vibration traveled through his aura. Nyxara immediately raised her head. Kael pulled his hand back. — This isn't natural. Darius stood. — Keep going? Kael looked down the path. — Yes. They continued. A few minutes later, they found a second mark. Then a third. This time, Kael had no doubt. Someone had marked the route. And the markings weren't old. The moss had been recently cleared from several stones. A branch had been cut not long ago. Darius placed a hand on his weapon. — We're not the first ones here. Kael looked ahead. — No. Alaric signaled to the Imperial Knights to slow down. — Tighten the formation. The men immediately obeyed. No one objected. --- The forest grew darker. The sounds of birds had almost disappeared. Even the wind seemed weaker. Noah, walking behind Ethan, whispered: — I hate this place. Ethan turned around. — You've been saying that for five minutes. — And I stand by it. Adrian studied the trees. — There are fewer animal tracks. Noah looked at him. — Thanks. — Why? — You just made the place even more unsettling. Adrian gave him a faint smile. — That wasn't my intention. A little farther ahead, Lysandra caught up with Kael. — Do you sense something? — Yes. — What? Kael took a few seconds before answering. — A sense of familiarity. He looked at the trees. — Like at L-03. Lysandra followed his gaze. — Do you think your father really came here? Kael didn't answer immediately. Then: — I'm almost certain. He stopped. — But something else worries me. — What? Kael looked at the marks along the path. — Someone came through here recently. Lysandra understood. — The person searching for L-01. — Probably. She stayed beside him. — Then we won't be alone. Kael nodded. — That's what worries me. --- Eventually, they reached a clearing. Ruins of an ancient stone structure stood at its center. Broken columns. A half-collapsed wall. And, in the middle, a black stone slab covered in moss. Kael stopped. His heart beat a little faster. He knew this place. Not just because he had seen it in the documents. He had seen it before. A fragmented memory crossed his mind. Rain. A dark coat. His father's hand. Trees. Then a voice. Look carefully, Kael. He blinked. The vision disappeared. Lysandra looked at him. — Did you remember something? Kael slowly nodded. — Yes. Darius approached. — What did you see? Kael looked at the stone slab. — My father. — Here? — Yes. He walked forward. Then placed his hand against the stone. Nothing happened. His brow furrowed slightly. Nyxara approached as well. She sniffed the slab. Her ears rose. Then she took a step back. Kael removed his hand. — What's wrong? Nyxara stared into the forest behind them. Darius immediately turned. — Everyone, stop. The knights took position. Alaric raised a hand. The entire group fell silent. A sound came from the forest. A broken branch. Then another. Someone was approaching. Kael looked at Darius. Darius signaled the men to hold their positions. A figure appeared between the trees. Then a second. Then a third. None of them wore a uniform. Kael narrowed his eyes. The first figure slowly raised his hands. — We're not here to attack you. Darius didn't lower his weapon. — Then why are you here? The man lowered his hood. He appeared to be around fifty. His face was marked by age. But Kael immediately recognized something in his eyes. He had seen that look before. In the archives. In the old documents. In his father's memories. The man looked directly at Kael. — You're Veyron's son. Kael remained still. — Who are you? The man hesitated. Then answered: — Someone who knew your father. Kael's chest tightened slightly. Again. The same words. Always the same words. But this time, he didn't let the emotion make the decision for him. — Then you're going to explain why. The man looked toward the black stone slab. Then toward the forest. — Because your father asked me to wait for you here. The world seemed to freeze. Darius abruptly turned toward Kael. Lysandra remained motionless. Ethan took a step forward. Kael didn't move. — When? The man answered simply: — Sixteen years ago. Kael stared at the stranger. Then at the stone slab. Then at the forest. And for the first time since the beginning of their journey, he understood something. Lorn wasn't simply the place where his parents had died. His father had left someone there. Someone who had been waiting for him since childhood. And that person might know the truth about what had really happened that day.

The Forest of Lorn