North of Amruth lay a vast, sprawling forest, which Morrighan had already inquired about before setting out. She had thoroughly questioned the innkeepers on whether they had visited the woods recently and if they had noticed anything unusual there. But they had only shaken their heads. "Not in the woods..."

"And here? Who have your recent guests been?"

"A woman and her daughter were here a few weeks ago. City folk by the look of them."

"What did they look like?"

"Well... the woman looked as if she were mad."

Convinced of her suspicions, Morrighan nodded. "And the girl? How old?"

"About fourteen, fifteen, maybe sixteen—likely the same age as mine."

Morrighan nodded again and handed the innkeeper a handsome tip, which immediately brightened his face. But she didn't see it, as she had already stormed out to the yard, where Zevran, Dina, and Leliana were waiting in conversation.

"We've no time to waste; the prophet was here recently! Let's go!"

Zevran rolled his eyes but said nothing, obediently trailing after her. He fell in beside Dina, while Morrighan cast a resolute glance toward the forest that lay beyond the village.

"I can feel it; she's here somewhere—we must find her!" Morrighan clenched her fists. Zevran made a face behind her back.

Once inside the forest, they agreed to form a line, each within shouting distance, and sweep the area. Before they separated, Zevran approached Dina and strapped a dagger to her wrist.

"Take care, my beauty; I'll be right here," he assured her, keeping close by and watching her closely.

But the danger didn't come near them; it was Leliana's voice that called out to them.

"Look at this!"

Their sprint slowed as they neared the red-haired girl, who stood before a peculiar tree. Its rough, grey oak bark was covered in moss, its branches spread wide. The trunk seemed to conceal a door, which stood slightly ajar. At first glance, it was impossible to tell how it had been carved there.

"Wait, don't touch it!" Morrighan pushed forward. "It's surely magic. Let me...!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Dina glanced at Morrighan, who seemed almost entranced by the very mention of magic. The woman stretched out her hand, fingers splayed, concentrating—but nothing happened.

For a moment, Zevran scratched his head in the background before cautiously sidestepping her.

"Erm... Morrighan, mind if I give it a go?"

The black-haired woman frowned at Zevran, about to remark, You certainly don't know anything about magic, when he simply took hold of the door's edge, which had no handle, and gently opened it further.

Inside the tree, there was a peculiar darkness, unnatural, as if it led into a deep pit stretching downward and upward within the tree's trunk, seeming to go on endlessly, all the way to hell and heaven. As Zevran widened the door, they all stared in astonishment at the phenomenon, clearly caused by magic.

"I think... we're expected here," the man muttered, almost surprising himself with the words. He dipped his hand into the darkness, which swallowed his fingers as if it were a veil separating one world from another, then quickly pulled his hand out, examining it closely for any harm.

Dina hurried to his side, but his skin looked just the same as before.

"We've found it... This is it...!" Morrighan marvelled.

Zevran shook his head. "I'd say it's more likely it found us."

Leliana examined the bark from the outside. "Perhaps. If this strange door hadn't been open, we'd never have known it was here. We could've combed the forest till dusk, maybe passing by this tree multiple times."

Zevran nodded in agreement.

But the black-haired woman was too eager to stop; she jumped in front of Zevran, placing both hands on his temples.

"You see, I told you that your vision had something to do with the prophet! Quickly, think—was there any other message he left for you? Search your mind!"

"For heaven's sake, Morrighan, let me be!" Zevran pushed her hands away from his head, casting an annoyed glance at her. "Even if my dream did lead us to a peculiar tree, don't see me as a...!" But he trailed off mid-sentence. Dina, standing close by, felt his body tense for a brief moment, his gaze turning distant before he looked back at them, his expression questioning. Then he suddenly covered his eyes and rubbed them.

"Are you all right, Zevran?" Dina squeezed his arm.

"You saw something, didn't you?" Morrighan shot forward again.

Zevran recoiled, blinking rapidly. It took him a moment to admit it. "Um... I did."

"What? What?"

He shook his head. "Bloody hell... whoever it is, they're communicating with us..."

"Not with us, dear; whatever it is, it's speaking to you alone."

Zevran looked at Dina in shock, slowly nodding, acknowledging that she was right.

"Come on, tell us, what did you see?" Morrighan pressed impatiently.

"Nothing much, just a hand reaching out toward me. And a voice that said... 'Come'."

Leliana visibly shuddered. Zevran gazed at the open door in the tree trunk, then took a step forward, but Dina pulled him back. He smiled reassuringly.

"It's not dangerous. I would know."

But Dina wasn't reassured. "Zevran, we don't even know what this is. It could be a trap."

"If you're not coming, I surely will!" Morrighan announced and boldly approached the door. Her outstretched hand was swallowed by the darkness just as Zevran's had been, but she didn't pull back. She stepped forward, and suddenly, she was gone from sight.

"Oh..." Leliana only managed that much. She approached as well, observing the inside of the tree with the eye of a scholar. "It doesn't seem cold or warm... Did you feel anything when you dipped your hand in, Zevran?"

He shook his head.

"Well then..." Leliana straightened up. "I'll follow Morrighan... assuming she survived."

Leliana didn't sound entirely confident, but eventually, the red-haired girl also stepped through the door and disappeared into nothingness.

Zevran was about to go, but Dina suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his path. She gently brushed his face with both hands, pleading.

"Zevran, please! I know you're a magnificent warrior, and I know you can protect yourself and even me. I don't doubt that. But..." She glanced at the tree behind her. "I just... have a bad feeling about this."

He smiled at her.

"Please, take me seriously! It's not foolishness, I...!"

"Hush, hush, darling," Zevran soothed her. "I understand, I heard you. You don't need to explain. I understand you have a bad feeling, and I do take it seriously. All right?"

Dina gave him a questioning look.

He gently took her hand, guiding her finger to touch the magic. It only sank to the fingernail in the dark mass, but she had to admit it felt as harmless as air. With her eyes closed, she wouldn't have known she was even touching something.

"It does seem harmless," she admitted. "But we don't know what lies beyond. And the fact that it sends messages into your mind—just like that—is disturbing! What is this thing, and what does it want with you?"

Dina's voice held a tinge of something resembling jealousy. Zevran smiled quietly.

"Believe me, love, if I were the last choice for magic or otherworldly communication, I'd be content. I understand it may look frightening, but neither the dream nor this vision has come with any alarming signs."

"How so?" Dina remembered his frightened grasping for a sword when he awoke from the dream on the carriage.

"It feels like the one sending the messages is an old friend. Morrighan could be right; perhaps I do know the person."

"And why would this 'old friend' send you unsettling images of battles and darkness?"

"I don't know. Perhaps they're in trouble."

Dina said nothing, sighing, and leaned her head against Zevran's chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I know my fear doesn't make logical sense. But it's there. Just promise me that after we pass through that door, you'll... be very careful."

She felt him smile.

"Not only that, but I'll be looking out for you too. How does that sound?"

Dina lifted her head to look into his light brown eyes. The autumn sun shone on his face, casting a warm glow on his olive skin, making his irises golden disks. Shielding himself from the sun, his pupils grew as dark and infinite as the magic beneath the tree bark. And one could fall just as deep into them.

Slowly, Zevran's lips curled into a mischievous smile; his serious words held a playful undertone.

"Wait... you're right, my love. At last, I get to be alone with you."

Dina was lost for words. Should she scold him? Worry more? Or just let his slowly approaching lips kiss her? She chose the latter.

Zevran's kiss always had an effect on her, multiple effects, in fact. On one hand, it tantalised her senses; on the other, it offered a sense of calm. She thought that whatever lay beyond the door, safety awaited her beside Zevran.

She nodded to him, signalling that she was ready. As the two of them stepped into the darkness, Dina felt nothing; upon exiting, all she saw was the same Amruth forest—only in different colours. It was as if someone had dripped a purplish hue into the sky, while the clouds played in shades of yellow and dark blue, and the leaves of the trees shifted from burgundy to pink and mauve.

Before them, a clearing stretched out, illuminated by the peculiar light of a lilac-golden sun, and the air sparkled in places with glittering dust.

Zevran shook his head in astonishment. "Oh heavens, what on earth has happened here? Did a little girl play with nature's colouring book?"

Morrighan hurried towards them. "Come on! Where on earth have you been until now?"

From afar, the wind carried a soft chime of bells in their direction. They began to walk toward it.

Not far ahead, at the edge of the clearing, stood a house. It looked like a rickety wooden contraption, yet it loomed large against the sky. Its colours blended with the surroundings: one side was covered in different paints, some matte, others glossy. On the open porch, a rocking horse stood, with a paint palette drying beside it, and the horse was adorned with floral patterns and a peculiar smile. Facing them, a wall bore an enigmatic, mystical pattern that seemed indecipherable at first glance—a circle filled with lines, radiating and swirling in many directions. Dina paused before it with a furrowed brow, watching suspiciously, though she could not grasp its meaning.

Strange objects hung from the porch eaves, resembling dream catchers, including smaller and larger wind chimes made of wood or clay, their sounds drawing them in.

Morrighan looked around the porch, then halted with her hands on her hips. "Come on, let's go inside!" She gestured towards the door.

Zevran grimaced quietly. "This is a druid's home. I certainly have no druid friends."

"You'll see in a moment, let's knock! Zevran, didn't you receive a message?"

The man was about to resist the role of messenger pigeon again when Leliana's voice interjected in alarm.

"I think the individual no longer needs a mediator. Look, she's staring right at us...!"

They all stared in the direction of Leliana's pointing finger. At waist height, a peculiar pair of eyes peered at them through the door's crack, unmoving, who knew for how long. Then, with a long creak, a very thin woman dressed in a tiny floral-patterned dress appeared before them, and though she stood on the ground, her movement resembled more of a slide than an approach. She wore mismatched shoes, one brown and the other bright blue, and her stockings were also tiny floral patterns. Her thin legs looked unsettling, as the dark, form-fitting material accentuated her shape, and the pattern distorted it slightly. She wore a knee-length apron dress too that did not conform to any fashion. Her back was hunched, her movements slow, her shoulders slumped and fragile. She truly appeared to be around thirty to forty years old, her hair thick but unevenly coiled, with hints of red in some places and a browner hue in others. Both her cheeks were heavily rouged, and one bore a henna-painted flower.

She emitted a strange, rasping sound, as if she were not human at all; it was difficult to discern that it was merely the sound of her musings. In any case, she was short and petite, and bent over, she barely reached Morrighan's waist, approaching her with wide, vacant eyes.

"Oh, how interesting, oh, how interesting, oh, how interesting...!" she babbled hoarsely, though the fact that words emerged from her throat instead of terrifying sounds was oddly reassuring.

Morrighan stood frozen like a statue as the strange figure reached towards her but did not touch her, instead circling her quietly while taking in her appearance.

"How beautiful... diligence, self-awareness, oh, how beautiful... immense knowledge... and ambition...!" The woman exclaimed, slapping her palm to her forehead. "Oh, what great ambition!" Then she erupted into loud laughter. "Oh, what a pity... yes, how sad..."

The peculiar being's face contorted with sorrow, and then at that moment, she turned her attention to Leliana, with the same intensity as she had shown Morrighan.

"Knowledge and discipline... Discipline and attention! Oh, and love, how much, how much lies beneath... an entire ocean..." The woman's voice seemed to turn despondent, then her posture suddenly straightened, and she stepped away from Leliana as well.

Zevran positioned himself in front of Dina, sending a disapproving glance toward the observing creature, gently yet firmly nudging the girl behind him, as if to signal that she should not be evaluated...

The prophet—if that was indeed who she was—did not even notice Zevran, peering past him towards Dina like he was some kind of lifeless wall, sending her a kind smile. She grinned at her for a long time but did not utter a word.

The awkward silence was broken by the black-haired woman. She spoke timidly, as if the air itself in this place belonged to the peculiar creature.

"Um... Greetings. I am Morrighan, and this is Leliana, Dina, and Zevran. You... you are the new prophet of the Elven people... maybe?"

There was no reply; the floral-patterned woman seemed not to have heard, as she was busy smiling at Dina.

Morrighan cleared her throat, but nothing happened. She exchanged glances with Leliana, who merely shrugged in response.

Finally, the woman turned towards them, but still did not look at them; instead, she focused her gaze on the floor. Her melancholic stance made her seem even smaller, almost like a goblin. "I'm sorry about the red dwarf..."

She sniffled loudly, her shoulders shaking, and the others exchanged confused looks.

Then the woman suddenly straightened up again, as if she had only just noticed Zevran, who had been standing closest to her all along. Her face brightened, and she grabbed the man's hand. "Ah, finally, you're here! Now, let's go inside!" And she pulled him in without giving him a chance to resist, leaving him to send a frightened glance back at the three women.

Morrighan, Leliana, and Dina followed them.

Zevran's head bumped against a few dream catchers as the woman dragged the man down a narrow hallway, barely any intact surface could be seen on the walls, adorned with crooked pictures of flowers and baby animals. The whole house was pervaded by the sour smell of the lunch that had been consumed, and the ground was covered everywhere with patterned weavings, their fringes intertwined. The woman hastily led Zevran through the dim, narrow corridor until they reached an archway, beneath which there was no door, but a gaudy room divider made of colourful strips hung haphazardly.

Zevran recoiled with a grimace from the colourful strips, while the woman ushered them into a vast room that was just as cluttered and over-decorated as the rest of the house, except that one wall boasted three U-shaped windows that reached almost to the ceiling. Before the middle one stood a crescent-shaped sofa, on which a girl sat quietly, gazing out at the landscape.

When they arrived, the girl turned towards them and smiled. She looked to be around sixteen, a calming presence amid all the flashy decor. She gazed directly at Zevran, perhaps not even noticing the others. She smiled. Then she stood up.

Dina, however, sensed that something had happened. At that moment, Zevran released her hand and took a step forward towards the girl. The man's mouth fell open as Dina observed them, witnessing some sort of connection forming between them, suspended in the air, elusive and intangible. Dina glanced at the girl and... it seemed she too recognised her.

"Züiya...?"

The girl looked at the elf man with sparkling eyes and then laughed while nodding. Zevran wasted no time; he rushed towards her and embraced her with such force that her feet barely touched the ground.

Morrighan and Leliana stared at the scene in confusion, then both turned their questioning gazes toward Dina, who remained silent, only taking a deep breath.