Extra-Changing Fate

Chapter 59 ==Mission Failed?==

"Are you truly certain about this, Master?"

Cancer asked, her voice laced with worry. We, the zodiacs and I, stood at the foot of a chilling, ominous mountain on the kingdom's edge.

"We can't delay any longer. Aries has sent word – things are spiraling out of control back home," I replied, urging my horse forward towards the foreboding slopes of Mt. Umbra. It was there that Virgo suspected Kahli had been sealed away.

The news from our homeland was grim. A sudden illness had swept through the rural areas, though thankfully, it hadn't yet reached the central kingdom. We were still in the dark about its cause – whether it spread through the air or water.

The source of this plague remained a mystery, as did the culprit. Our primary suspect was the Emperor, yet we had no concrete proof of his involvement or his motives for harming his own people. The responsible party could just as easily be lurking here in the Northern Kingdom or within the Nesua Kingdom.

Virgo had also theorized that the seal imprisoning Kahli might be connected to the illness. Being a creature of dark matter, Kahli's weakened seal could be a contributing factor.

Another possibility that lingered in my mind was the Dowager Queen. Again, there was no clear motive, but one could never truly know her schemes.

However, these were all just theories at this point. As I learned long ago on Earth: never assume without clear evidence. Our investigation was ongoing, especially since the infected rural areas were near our ancestral home in Silverwood.

I hadn't returned to Silverwood since my engagement to Prince Ben. It was where I grew up, which made the Male Leads' strange familiarity with me all the more unsettling.

A few days prior, Grandfather had sent a letter assuring me that our family remained untouched by the sickness and were quarantined within the mansion. The village itself, however, was heavily afflicted and sealed off.

"We're here," Pisces announced, breaking my train of thought. Before us loomed the towering, menacing presence of Mt. Umbra.

According to ancient texts, it was a place of extreme danger within the Northern Kingdom, a place from which no one had ever returned alive – all who entered were either found dead or simply vanished.

I dismounted slowly and cautiously approached the mountain's entrance. An invisible barrier shimmered before me.

Frowning, I attempted to step through, and to my surprise, I succeeded.

After ensuring it was safe, I gestured for the others to follow. But as Pisces tried to enter, she was met with an invisible wall, a phenomenon that baffled us all. Not only her, but Cancer and Aquarius were also unable to pass.

"Oh my god! We can't get in!" Pisces cried out, panic rising in her voice, her worry for me palpable.

"You have to get out, Master! It's not safe for you in there!" Cancer exclaimed, her expression etched with concern.

I turned to leave, but found myself blocked as well, as if an unseen force held me within. My brow furrowed in confusion and a growing sense of unease.

Was this the reason for the disappearances?

Once inside, could one never leave?

Just then, words materialized in the air beside me:

'Once you go in, you can never go out unless you acquire the Whisperwind Compass— the only ticket way out and look for the Shadowfell mirror'

A familiar name caught my eye, causing my brow to furrow further.

The Whisperwind Compass – an item Prince Ben had used to triumph over his father in the book, ending his tyrannical reign.

He must have acquired it here, in this very mountain, after being kidnapped in the Northern Kingdom.

And the Shadowfell Mirror... the only magical artifact in the book that had allowed Prince Ben to defeat his father after he plunged the kingdom into darkness.

It absorbed the darkness, becoming an extension of Prince Ben's own magic.

But such great power came at a terrible price.

His physical and mental health deteriorated, leaving him weakened until his eventual demise – a convenient way for the author to conclude the hero's story.

"I'll look for it. Don't worry, just go and find help," I said, turning my back to their worried faces and gazing into the misty, terrifying forest that sent shivers down my spine.

The three were hesitant to leave me, but they had no other choice.

I was trapped here. I might as well embark on this unexpected adventure.

They reluctantly retreated down the mountain, leaving me alone. I quickly tied my hair back in a ponytail, tightened my clothing, and secured the sword at my waist.

Thank goodness I had thought to bring it.

Otherwise, I might already be in serious
trouble!