Legend said that Elisabeth, the Hero Mage of a thousand years past, still guarded her secrets.
And now the two of them were drawing near.
Greenwood Castle – At the Entrance of the Hidden Passage
Behind the secret door, a dark corridor yawned open, as if the castle's very belly were calling to them. The air was cold, carrying the scent of ancient dust, and a faint, almost imperceptible magical vibration pulsed through the space.
Andras ran his hand along the stone frame, then glanced at the hidden mechanism.
"This secret door is placed at a completely random point on the staircase?" he asked in disbelief. "How did you even notice it? I would've walked right past. There's nothing here that suggests a door could exist."
Floralys straightened proudly and placed her hand on the wall.
"It was hidden well — that's why no one found it for a thousand years," she said. "But I didn't spot it with my eyes. I used my earth element to search for hollow spaces in the walls. And here… I found an entire room‑sized cavity."
Andras nodded with genuine admiration.
Floralys continued:
"After that, I examined the area carefully to see if there were any signs or clues that it could be opened. It wasn't concealed with illusion magic."
She pointed at the torch holders.
"The torch brackets could be pulled down like levers. The trick was that two of them had to be pulled at the same time. And then… it opened."
Andras smiled.
"Such a simple trick… yet brilliant. A tree is easiest to hide in a forest."
Floralys let out a soft chuckle.
"Exactly. So… shall we go in?"
Andras turned toward the dark passage.
"Where did you see the spirit?"
Floralys's expression dimmed slightly.
"I ventured in a little. I moved slowly, checking everything carefully so I wouldn't walk into a trap. After about five minutes, I saw the spirit. Then I got chills… and ran back immediately. The rest you already know."
Andras took a deep breath.
"So the beginning wasn't trapped. Then let's go. Maybe after five minutes Eli's spirit will appear again."
Floralys nodded, and the two mages stepped into the passage together.
The secret door slid shut behind them, silent and final, cutting them off from the sounds of the castle. Darkness wrapped around them, and only their torchlight cast trembling shadows on the walls.
From the depths, a cold, ancient energy drifted toward them.
The adventure had begun.
Greenwood Castle – Deep in the Hidden Passage
The cold, dusty air of the hidden passage wrapped around the two mages. Centuries of dust clung to the cracks in the walls, and every step echoed sharply through the narrow corridor. Their torchlight flickered across the stones, making it seem as though the passage itself were alive.
Five minutes passed in slow, cautious silence before Floralys suddenly stopped.
"This should be about where I was when the spirit appeared," she whispered, her voice carrying that same hint of fear she had mentioned earlier.
But the next moment, something entirely different happened.
"Master!!!"
Out of nowhere — without the slightest warning — a gray blur slammed into Andras's neck.
It was Ironclaw, the wolf‑girl, leaping at him as if she hadn't seen him in weeks.
Floralys jumped back so violently she nearly hit the wall.
"Goddess above!" she gasped, clutching her chest. "I thought my heart was going to leap out of my mouth! How did you even get here, Ironclaw?!"
The wolf‑girl puffed out her chest proudly.
"Master disappeared, so I followed his scent! What are you doing in this weird place?"
Andras patted her head.
"Master and the scared lady are looking for a spirit."
Floralys's eyes widened.
"Hey! I am not a lady! I'm a young, 180‑year‑old maiden."
Andras smiled.
"So you're not denying the 'scared' part."
Floralys huffed, then waved it off.
"Anyway… since you're here, Ironclaw — do you smell anything?"
The wolf‑girl took a deep sniff of the air, then her tail began wagging happily.
"Yes! I smell a fart. And it's not Master's."
Andras and Ironclaw both turned toward Floralys.
The elf lady's face turned as red as a freshly baked beet scone.
"I got startled when Ironclaw suddenly appeared out of nowhere… so maybe a little dove flew out."
Andras nodded with perfect seriousness.
"Yes, I smell it too. A silent killer dove."
"That's not what I meant!" Floralys protested. "I meant — do you smell anything related to the spirit?"
Ironclaw straightened proudly.
"Spirits don't have smells! The bone didn't either. But now I know bones can be strong. If we meet the spirit, I'll fight it!"
Andras laughed.
"If the spirit is connected to Eli, it shouldn't be hostile. Her spirit is something you fight with your mind, not your strength."
Ironclaw's ears drooped.
"My mind? Oh… then I don't want to fight it."
"I figured," Andras said with a grin.
Floralys laughed as well.
"Hahaha! Well then, let's keep going."
Ironclaw bounded ahead and shouted:
"Where are you hiding, spirit?!"
The trio — now with Ironclaw added to their ranks — continued deeper into the passage. The corridor grew colder, the air thicker, as if ancient energy vibrated through it.
Another ten minutes passed.
Still no sign of the spirit.
But the passage led ever deeper… and something whispered that the silence was only the moment before the storm.
Deep in the Hidden Passage
The cold, dusty air of the passage wrapped around the trio as they moved deeper. Centuries of grime clung to the cracks in the walls, and every step echoed loudly in the suffocating silence. Their torchlight trembled across the stone, making the shadows dance as if something unseen were watching them.
They had been searching for nearly fifteen minutes when Andras stopped and glanced sideways at Floralys.
"It's been a quarter hour, and no spirit. Did you maybe eat some crazy mushrooms when you saw it?"
Floralys lifted her chin indignantly.
"I am a Wood Elf. No one in the entire Kingdom can tell edible mushrooms from mad ones better than I can."
Her tone shifted into lecture mode.
"The mushroom you're thinking of is the purple‑and‑green spotted puffcap. That one causes severe hallucinations — but no one is stupid enough to use it on purpose."
Andras smirked.
"I was just teasing you. Don't get worked up."
Ironclaw, who had been sniffing between the two mages, suddenly looked up.
"Do you have water, Floralys? Give me some, I'm thirsty!"
Floralys burst into laughter, the tension evaporating for a moment.
"Hahaha!"
Ironclaw blinked in confusion.
"Why are you laughing now?"
Andras patted the wolf‑girl's head.
"She's laughing because you're adorable, Ironclaw."
The wolf‑girl puffed out her chest proudly.
"I love you too, Master!"
"Alright, alright, just stop licking me. We're looking for a spirit."
"But you can't smell spirits!" Ironclaw protested.