The morning sun bathed the land in a soft glow as Olivia pressed on, her footsteps light but determined. Her senses stayed sharp, the remnants of the previous night’s illusions still fresh in her mind. She followed the faint lines of the map fragment she had found, guiding her deeper into the unknown.

  After hours of walking, the rustling of leaves broke the eerie silence. Olivia’s eyes narrowed, her hand instinctively reaching for her sword. But instead of danger, a magnificent sight greeted her—a horse.

  Its coat was a sleek, silvery white, glinting under the sunlight. The creature stood calmly near the forest’s edge, as if waiting for her. “A guide…” Olivia whispered, feeling an unspoken connection. She approached carefully, her movements slow and steady. To her surprise, the horse didn’t shy away.

  “Where did you come from?” she murmured, gently stroking its mane. But there was no answer—just an unsettling stillness in the air.

  Without hesitation, Olivia mounted the horse, and as if understanding her purpose, the creature galloped forward. It moved with a grace that felt otherworldly, leading her down an overgrown path that seemed untouched by time.

  After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a ruined house. Its walls were crumbling, vines snaking through the cracks, and the air was thick with a sense of forgotten sorrow. Olivia dismounted and stepped cautiously inside.

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  The interior was dark and cold, but something pulled her deeper. Her footsteps echoed as she scanned the space, her eyes catching a faint glint beneath the debris.

  A map.

  Or rather, what was left of it. Torn. Pieces scattered across the dusty floor.

  Olivia knelt down, carefully collecting the fragments. Each piece held a different marking—symbols, landmarks, and what appeared to be a route. But they didn’t fit together. Not yet.

  As she ran her fingers over the worn edges, a chill swept through the room. Her heart pounded as she sensed… something.

  Then, her eyes caught sight of a single, weathered paper tucked beneath a broken table. Unlike the map, this paper was intact. She carefully pulled it out and unfolded it.

  “Follow where the stars burn the brightest.”

  Olivia’s eyes widened. Her breath caught in her throat as a realization dawned on her.

  “The brightest star…” she whispered, her gaze drifting toward the horizon.

  The sun.

  As her mind pieced the puzzle together, she knew what had to be done. She waited for sunrise, her eyes tracing the horizon, searching. Then it happened.

  As the sun’s rays kissed the land, a place—far in the distance—shone brighter than the rest. A patch of land where the grass seemed to glisten like gold, standing out from the surrounding wilderness.

  “That’s it.”

  Her heart pounded with renewed determination. “That’s where I need to go.”

  But as she mounted her horse once again, a chill settled in her bones. An unshakable feeling of being watched clawed at her senses.

  The Wisteria Curse was waiting.

  Its presence, invisible yet suffocating, lingered on the path she was destined to follow.

  And Olivia, unaware of what truly awaited her, galloped toward the unknown.

  Chapter End.