The beast roared and charged toward them, its massive form tearing through the flower field, leaving destruction in its wake. Kaelen and the others leaped into action, weapons drawn and spells at the ready.
Morris summoned his scepter, positioning himself between the beast and Sofia, who was still grappling with her fear. Guinevere’s hands ignited with fire, preparing a spell, while Ethan raised his twin daggers, ready to strike.
Quick steps!!
Kaelen darted forward, his sword glowing with a faint aura as he clashed with the monster head-on. The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed through the field, and the impact sent vibrations up his arm. But something was off. Despite the force of his blow, the beast didn’t react as it should have. It barely seemed to notice the attack.
"Something’s wrong!" Kaelen shouted as he slashed at the creature again, his blade slicing through its fur, but there was no real resistance—no solid hit, no blood. It was like cutting through air.
Guinevere unleashed a torrent of flames, engulfing the beast, but the fire seemed to pass through it without causing any harm. The monster’s image flickered for a moment, distorting in the light of the fire.
"It’s not real!" Ethan shouted, realization dawning on him as he thrust his twin daggers into the beast, only for the weapon to pass through as if striking nothing. "This thing is an illusion!"
’So that’s why my system didn’t give me any notification concerning the monster’s Kaelen thought as realisation also dawned on him.
Morris, his face grim, backed away from the creature as it advanced, his scepter held defensively in front of him. "What the hell is going on?"
Kaelen stepped back, watching the beast closely. The more they fought it, the more it flickered and shifted, as though its very existence was being questioned. His eyes scanned the field, and then it hit him—the flowers. They were the source of the strange feeling that had unsettled him from the start.
"It’s the field!" Kaelen shouted, realization sharp in his voice. "This whole place is an illusion! The flowers are creating it!"
Guinevere’s eyes widened as she looked around. "An illusion trap... designed to mess with our minds," she muttered, her flames slowly dying out as she stopped casting. "That’s why Sofia saw the beast from her past. It’s preying on our fears."
Morris swore under his breath as he lowered his sword. "How do we get out of it?"
Sofia, still trembling, looked around in disbelief. The beast had vanished now, the illusion breaking down as they realized the truth. The peaceful field, once serene and beautiful, now felt oppressive and suffocating. The air was thick with a strange, magical energy that seemed to distort reality around them.
Kaelen’s mind raced. "We need to get out of here, now."
Without wasting another second, the group began to retreat from the field, their movements hasty and uncoordinated, still disoriented by the illusion. Every step felt heavy, as if the field was trying to pull them back into the false reality it had created.
The flowers seemed to shift and move as they ran, the ground beneath them warping and twisting. At times, it felt as though they were running in circles, trapped within the maze-like confines of the illusion. The beast’s roars still echoed faintly in the distance, remnants of the illusion clinging to their minds.
"This place is messing with our heads," Morris growled, his breath labored as they pushed forward. "It’s trying to keep us here."
"We just need to stay focused!" Kaelen urged, his voice steady despite the chaos. "Don’t look back. Don’t let it get in your head."
Sofia, her heart still racing, fought against the lingering fear that gripped her chest. The memory of the beast was still fresh, its eyes haunting her. But Kaelen’s words grounded her, and she forced herself to focus on getting out, one step at a time.
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Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they stumbled out of the field, their bodies haggard and their breaths heavy. The moment they crossed the invisible threshold, the oppressive atmosphere lifted, and the strange twisting of the landscape stopped.
The illusion was gone.
They stood there, catching their breath, the reality of their situation sinking in. The field behind them looked normal again—calm, beautiful, as if nothing had happened. But they all knew better.
"That was... insane," Ethan muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "What kind of field does that?"
Guinevere shook her head, her expression grim. "A field tainted by powerful magic. We were lucky we figured it out in time."
Kaelen looked back at the field, his eyes narrowing. "Let’s not stick around to find out more. We’re moving on."
Morris nodded, though his face was still pale from the ordeal. "Agreed. The sooner we’re away from here, the better."
As they gathered themselves and prepared to continue their journey, Sofia cast one last glance at the field. The memory of the illusion still clung to her, but she knew she couldn’t let it stop her. They had survived this—together.
And whatever came next, they would face it the same way. Together.
As they trudged further away from the eerie flower field, the group’s pace finally began to slow, the tension from the illusion trap still lingering in the air. Kaelen, walking near the front with his sword sheathed but hand still twitching as if ready for battle, glanced back at the field one last time.
"That was some field…" he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "But what kind of flower could create an illusion that powerful? I’ve never seen anything like it."
Guinevere, who had been quiet since they escaped, finally spoke, her voice steady but thoughtful. "It’s not just any ordinary flower," she began, her eyes still trained on the distance where the field lay. "Those flowers are known as Illusory Blooms. They’re incredibly rare, only growing in places heavily influenced by ancient, wild magic."
Morris, still catching his breath, glanced at her with furrowed brows. "Illusory Blooms? I’ve heard of them in old stories, but I didn’t think they actually existed."
Guinevere nodded, her face grim. "They do, though they’re almost never found in large quantities like that. Their magic is subtle but potent. They feed on the emotions and memories of those who walk through their territory, creating illusions that trap the mind. The stronger your fears or emotions, the more powerful the illusion."
Kaelen’s face hardened as he processed her words. "So, they preyed on our fears to keep us trapped."
"Yes," Guinevere confirmed. "It’s not surprising that Sofia saw the beast from her past, or that the rest of us were so disoriented. The flowers are dangerous because they create illusions tailored specifically to each person’s mind. And once you’re under the spell, it’s almost impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not."
Sofia, walking beside them, shuddered at the memory of her nightmare come to life. "So it was all just the flowers…" she murmured softly, half to herself. "The beast… it wasn’t real."
Ethan, who had been silent during the exchange, let out a low whistle. "Good thing we caught on when we did. Another few minutes in that field, and we might not have made it out."
Guinevere nodded solemnly. "Illusory Blooms are as dangerous as any monster in this land. Maybe even more so. They don’t just attack the body, but the mind. And for most, that’s a harder battle to win."
Kaelen frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword. "We need to avoid areas like that in the future. I’d rather face an actual monster than get lost in an illusion like that again."
Guinevere looked ahead, her eyes scanning the landscape as the magical field faded into the background. "Agreed. But we’ll have to stay sharp. This land is full of magic—some of it much older and more dangerous than we’ve ever encountered."
With that, they pressed forward, the shadow of the Illusory Blooms fading behind them, but the lesson lingering in their minds. Not every threat in the world was a physical one, and the magic of Aetheris had many ways to test even the strongest of hearts.
But just as they were going even deeper into the forest, they were clueless about the silhouette that has been following them right when they left General Cao’s residence.
"Looks like my time hasn’t come yet" The silhouette muttered under his breath as he continued following them.
During the time Kaelen and the others were in the Illusory Blooms, they thought that should be the time for him to show himself and come to their rescue, but his expectations were brought crumbling down when he saw them leaving the field just after an hour pass after figuring out that they were in an illusion.
"Oh well, even if it’s not yet time, it will still surely come" The silhouette said in a convinced manner before he quickened his steps to tail Kaelen and the others since they have also done the same.