Chapter 266: Fear

“Do you think we can see one of those mines?” Judite asked, her curiosity insatiable.

Lukas answered before Clavor could even speak, his own curiosity echoing his sister’s.

“I want to see one too.”

The two looked at each other, a shared smile forming on their faces.

Clavor let out a laugh, the sound echoing inside the carriage.

“Of course.”

“Really?” Judite asked, her voice full of hope.

“Really.” Clavor nodded, his expression softening.

“We’ll be staying in that region for some time. If there’s an opportunity and there are no problems, we can visit one of the mines.”

Judite celebrated, her energy overflowing.

“Great!”

Lukas smiled, his imagination already running wild. He could already imagine what it would be like, deep mines excavated into the rock, veins of ore shining on the walls like underground stars, workers extracting Air Silver with specialized tools.

Perhaps even specialized blacksmiths working the metal, turning it into weapons and armor.

His curiosity grew inside him, a flame fed by the promise of new discoveries.

But before he could ask anything else…

The carriage stopped. Abruptly.

The wheels locked against the ground with a harsh noise, the sound cutting through the silence like a knife. Judite was thrown several centimeters forward, her body losing its balance.

“Ah!” The cry escaped her lips.

Lukas immediately extended his hand, grabbing his sister’s arm before she struck the seat. His fingers found her arm, stabilizing her.

Aurora also braced herself against the side of the carriage, her hand finding the wooden surface.

From outside came the neighing of the horses, a sound of alarm. Then voices, footsteps, more than one. The commotion shattered the tranquility of the journey.

Lukas immediately became serious, his expression hardening. The change in Clavor was even faster, the man who had been calmly conversing until that moment disappearing, replaced by something sharper, more dangerous.

His hand slowly descended to the hilt of his sword, his fingers finding the familiar position. His eyes narrowed, sweeping across the surroundings with a precision born from years of experience.

Aurora noticed the change and fell silent, her breathing becoming more controlled. Judite also completely lost her excitement, her face turning pale.

Lukas looked toward the small front window, his eyes adjusting to the light. One of the guards seemed to be speaking with the other guard, his posture tense. But it was impossible to understand the words, the sound did not reach them.

Clavor leaned slightly forward, his voice low and firm.

“Stay here.”

Lukas felt his own tension increase, his muscles preparing for action. The journey was supposed to be peaceful, at least until they reached the border. But something had happened, something that had made four experienced guards halt their march.

And judging by the way Clavor was holding his sword, it did not seem to be merely a problem on the road.

Lukas exchanged a quick glance with Judite, seeing the reflection of his own apprehension in her eyes. The curiosity that had been shining in them had completely disappeared, replaced by alertness.

The journey had suddenly taken an unexpected turn.

Clavor reached for the door handle. His fingers had barely touched the metal when something changed.

A colossal pressure descended upon the forest. There was no warning. No sound. No visible movement.

It simply happened. It was as if, all of a sudden, the very air had acquired weight.

Lukas felt his entire body sink against the seat.

“Ugh…!”

His stomach contracted violently. A wave of nausea rose up his throat, making his vision waver. He brought one hand to his mouth while the other clutched the seat to keep from falling.

Beside him, Judite had already bent forward.

“I… I’m feeling sick…”

Aurora also lost the color from her face. Her fingers tightened around the side of the seat as she tried to remain conscious.

The pressure was simply absurd. It did not seem to be crushing only their bodies.

It was as if it were pressing against their bones, their organs, and even their very souls.

Lukas tried to breathe, but the air seemed too heavy to enter his lungs.

Instinctively, everyone held their breath.

Even Clavor.

The man, who normally remained firm in the face of any situation, had to brace one hand against the wall of the carriage.

His eyes were wide. That was power. A power so monstrous that, for an instant, Clavor could not even comprehend its origin.

He clenched his teeth and forced his arm to move. The handle was only a few centimeters away, but it seemed to be miles away.

“What… is happening…?” Aurora murmured, almost voicelessly.

Clavor did not answer. With enormous effort, he managed to turn the handle.

Before he could open the door, however—

‘BOOM!’

The entire carriage seemed to jump. Judite let out a muffled scream and grabbed Lukas’s arm.

Everyone was thrown upward for an instant before falling back onto the seats.

‘BOOM!’

A second time. The wheels actually lifted partially off the ground.

“Hold on!” Clavor ordered.

‘BOOM!’

Third impact.

‘BOOM!’

Fourth.

With every second, a gigantic boom tore through the forest.

It was not an explosion. It was not an earthquake.

They were footsteps. Footsteps so heavy that they made the very earth tremble.

Lukas felt his heart race.

‘What the hell could be so huge?’

The sequence continued.

‘BOOM!’

‘BOOM!’

‘BOOM!’

For almost an entire minute, the carriage was repeatedly shaken. The horses neighed outside, terrified. The guards shouted something, but their voices were almost completely drowned out by the booms.

Then… the sound began to grow distant, gradually fading away.

The pressure began to disappear. First, slowly. Then, like a receding tide, it left the forest.

Lukas opened his mouth and drew in a huge amount of air.

“Haa…!”

The others did the same.

Only then did they realize that they had been holding their breath the entire time. Clavor took several deep breaths before finally managing to straighten himself.

His face remained serious. He opened the door. The light from outside entered the carriage.

And everyone looked. For several seconds, no one said a single word. Between the trees, far above the treetops, a colossal creature was walking through the forest.

Or perhaps it would be better to say that it was crossing the forest. The trees simply did not exist before it.

Every step brought down dozens of trunks, opening a gigantic path through the vegetation.

But no one could see its appearance.

The entire body of that existence was enveloped by an orange aura so dense that it seemed like a storm of light surrounding a walking mountain.

Lukas’s eyes widened. That was mana. He knew it. There was no doubt.

But the amount… It was impossible to calculate. Just looking at that aura made his Lunar Source seem insignificant.

Judite was completely motionless. Aurora could not tear her eyes away. Even Clavor remained silent.

In his entire life, he had never seen a quantity of mana like that. The creature continued walking.

One step. Another. Another.

The trees fell behind it as its gigantic silhouette advanced farther and farther away.

No one dared to move. No one dared to speak.

Ten minutes passed before they finally lost sight of that existence completely.

Only when the last orange glow disappeared into the depths of the forest did Clavor slowly close the carriage door.

Silence remained. A heavy silence.

Lukas looked at his father. For the first time, he saw something rare on Clavor’s face.

It was not merely caution. It was fear.