Oapa arrived with his usual quiet presence, the hood of his uniform slightly askew as he walked up to Si-Woo and Lirin. His green eyes shone with curiosity as he greeted them. “Alright, I’m here. What’s this all about?” he asked, his tone calm yet edged with concern.

  Si-Woo and Lirin exchanged glances, both hesitant to speak first. Finally, Lirin stepped forward, her voice steady but serious. “There’s a big problem.”

  Oapa’s expression darkened slightly, and he raised a hand to stop her from saying more. “Wait. This isn’t the place for that kind of discussion. Let’s go somewhere more private.”

  Without waiting for an answer, Oapa motioned for them to follow him. The trio ventured deeper into the sprit territory, the rocky terrain giving way to denser foliage and towering ancient trees that stretched toward the darkening sky. As they walked, Oapa spoke quietly but firmly. “Don’t speak any more until I tell you to. I will set up a congenital channel to communicate with you two within the forest when the time comes.”

  Si-Woo and Lirin nodded, though Si-Woo couldn’t shake the tension building in his chest. He kept his gaze forward, his thoughts racing. But something caught the corner of his eye—a faint bluish glow moving between the trees. Si-Woo stopped in his tracks, his body rigid as he stared into the forest. There, wisping and translucent, was a small, ethereal being.

  "The Mu..."Si-Woo thought in awe, pointing toward it.

  Lirin and Oapa immediately turned to follow his gaze, their faces shifting from confusion to surprise as they spotted the glowing figure flitting through the trees. Their reactions only heightened Si-Woo’s unease. Slowly, he turned back around, only to find the small Mu spirit standing directly in front of him.

  Its delicate, luminous form radiated a faint hum of energy, and as Si-Woo stared, the air seemed to grow heavier, charged with an inexplicable presence. Suddenly, the trees around them came alive with light, glowing with intricate engravings that shimmered in soft blues and silvers. More Mu spirits began to emerge, their ghostly forms flickering in and out of view as they moved through the trees, some appearing to perch on branches while others hovered in midair.

  Lirin took a step closer to Si-Woo. “This... shouldn’t be happening." She says through the channel. "The Mu haven’t shown themselves like this for dozens of centuries.”

  Oapa’s usually calm demeanor was replaced with a wary alertness. “Be careful,” he said, his green eyes scanning the glowing engravings around them. “The Mu spirits are ancient—older than anything in this land. They don’t appear without reason.”

  Si-Woo felt a shiver run down his spine as the small Mu spirit in front of him tilted its head, its translucent form rippling with an otherworldly glow.

  He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was trying to tell him something, though no words were spoken. Around them, the forest seemed to hold its breath, the luminous engravings pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

  Z, perched on top of Si-Woo’s head, chirped softly before leaping down to the ground, his piercing gaze fixed on the Mu spirit before him. Toro, perched on Lirin’s shoulder, followed suit, jumping gracefully to the forest floor and lying down completely, its tiny form exuding a strange calmness. The Mu spirit tilted its translucent head slightly, its glowing form shimmering in the presence of the two bonds.

  Lirin watched the interaction with wide eyes, her thoughts coming through the congenital channel Oapa had established. "Most people go their entire lives without seeing a single Mu spirit," she projected telepathically. She glanced at Si-Woo, her tone laced with a mix of awe and curiosity.

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  Si-Woo’s mind wandered as he responded in thought. "Ha-Yoon and I see them often when we go on walks."

  The thought made Lirin pause, her expression contemplative as she observed Z and Toro’s stillness near the glowing Mu spirit. Its ethereal form seemed to communicate silently with the two bonds, its presence calming yet unnerving.

  Lirin stepped forward cautiously, her gaze shifting to a glowing engraving on a nearby tree. "The Mu script," she projected, running her fingers lightly over the intricate marks, "is embedded with the lingering life force of the Mu. It's their legacy, their essence. These aren’t just carvings—they are a part of the Mu themselves."

  Si-Woo frowned slightly, his thoughts flowing through the channel. "So... they’ll disappear eventually?"

  Lirin nodded, her tone reverent. "Correct. The Mu scripts will fade along with their lingering energy. The fact that they’ve remained intact after dozens of millennia speaks to how remarkable they must have been in life. These are remnants of beings who left an indelible mark on the world."

  Oapa joined the telepathic conversation, his tone thoughtful yet laced with a hint of skepticism. "One of the elders in my town used to tell stories about the Mu and the sprits being comrades once. She claimed the two races stood together during ancient times. But... she’s known for her fables." He glanced at the glowing scripts with an unreadable expression. "Still, these engravings—they can only be activated through Maju, which is exclusive to sprits. That alone might make you rethink those old tales."

  Si-Woo's gaze flicked between the glowing engravings and the Mu spirit standing before him. His thoughts turned inward, a question forming in his mind. "But why does this path lead to the sprit kingdom?"

  The Mu spirit in front of him shifted slightly, its glowing form pulsing faintly. Z sat quietly at its feet, his usual energy subdued, while Toro remained sprawled before the Mu completely still. The entire forest felt charged with an otherworldly energy, as though the spirits were holding their collective breath.

  The glowing lights of the Mu scripts began to dim, fading into a soft, residual shimmer before disappearing entirely. The Mu spirits seemed to dissolve into the air, leaving behind an eerie stillness in the forest.

  Oapa’s voice rang through the telepathic channel. "Let’s continue. It’s getting late."

  Z leaped back onto Si-Woo’s head, curling comfortably, while Toro scurried back to Lirin’s shoulder. The group began moving again, the dense forest giving way to a valley cloaked in twilight. The silence was broken only by the soft crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of distant wildlife.

  As they reached a massive, ancient tree at the center of the valley, Oapa came to an abrupt stop. He turned to them, his fur illuminated faintly by the moonlight, and motioned for them to gather close.

  Without a word, Oapa stretched out his paw-like hands, his fingers weaving intricate motions in the air as he murmured something inaudible. A faint glow surrounded him, spreading outward in soft, circular ripples. The air around them warped, bending reality as their surroundings shifted in an instant.

  When the distortion settled, Si-Woo blinked and found himself in a shelter. The dark wooden walls emanated a warm, earthy energy, giving the space a comforting, grounded feel. Si-Woo moved toward a nearby window and saw the familiar dark trees of the sprit kingdom outside.

  The interior of the shelter was modest yet inviting. The furniture appeared to be crafted from natural materials, their smooth surfaces polished to a gentle sheen. Pictures lined the walls, each depicting serene scenes of sprits in lush, vibrant settings. The room was lit not by conventional lamps but by tiny, glowing faeries fluttering gently near the ceiling, their multicolored hues bathing the space in a soft light.

  Oapa turned to face them, his voice breaking the silence. "It’s okay to speak now."

  He gestured for them to sit, his usual stoic demeanor softening slightly. Lirin took a seat near the edge of the room, brushing stray leaves from her hair, while Si-Woo hesitated briefly before sitting across from her.

  The bonds perched themselves nearby—Z curling up on the back of Si-Woo’s chair and Toro nestling into Lirin’s lap, its tiny form blending seamlessly with her dark clothes. Oapa remained standing for a moment, his green eyes scanning the room as if ensuring everything was in place.