He turned around and saw how he was lost again. But, thoughtful enough to look at his footprints. He thanked his body for being slightly heavy to have left such clear footprints rather than vague ones.

It guided him back to the noise from the Cascade of the river and he picked up the fish he left on the huge rock. Also, the weapons he accidentally let go of when he came running towards the guy.

He sighed and his stomach grumbled.

"I need to eat, my poor stomach is my worst enemy." He stiffled his laugh. "Maybe, Ambroz is at the cave. Probably..." He then reckoned, heaving a sigh as he started to find his way o the cave.

On his way back he can only think of that guy's commentary on Ambroz, he felt anxious and tried to recall any actions from Ambroz that was quite strange and far from normal, but Ambroz has always had this strange personality. So he can't think of it through.

Luckily, no one came to attack him while he was heading back and stuck wandering in his reverie. Or so he thought.

Loud rustling was heard from the trees. He immediately stared upwards that his neck cramped.

"Oh, Crap!" Theon cursed and held his neck with his right hand.

When the cramps eased, he stared back at the trees. However, there was nothing but air.

He furrowed his brows. "What was that again?"

He began to trace back to the cave again.

Meanwhile, outside of the forest. So far away from where Theon stands at.

A woman in its dark and obscure covenstead. Wearing a black-coloured head veil with its black robe. Her thin bloodless lips, nose are like the raven's, somehow her eyes were not seen with the veil that is covering them.

The woman smirked devilishly as she stares at the thin magical circle. It was a sphere forged object that beams with a pinch of smoke lurking at the edge of the sphere showing Theon's every movement.

The woman lay down her hands with long black fingernails and slowly pass her hands through the crystal.

She evilly laughed and her crenellated teeth were shown. Even without her face fully revealed the grotesque in her aura emitted the place.

"Well, well, well, look who's in here. The most unexpected kid. The other kid is probably breathless and burned to ashes, suffered from gruesome death at the hands of those mockery conquerors, how unfortunate. Now this kid," Her voice was no near elegance but with atrocious mannerisms. She began to laugh once more.

She was the one who manipulated the poor man and cursed his soul to swiftly follow her decisions and devastating schemes.

Theon who was reflected in the crystal and he was already near the cave when this woman noticed something from his pale neck.

"What is that shiny junk on his neck?" She leaned closer to the crystal.

Theon walked and the ornament that he hid inside his neck that was covered with the cloth. It moved and went outside. The woman gasped but was marked by incisive sarcasm.

"It's that necklace!" Her cracked voice filled the room.

She clumsily walked towards her dusty shelf that was full of spider webs and searched for something.

"Ah! This is it." She exclaimed.

It was an old book with lifeless words and spells. A book of history and the sceneries from her perspective way back.

"How nostalgic. However, I need to look for that necklace's history. Where have I seen it? Where? Where?"

She began to turn the book's page. And she located it in the middle of the book.

"No!" She dramatically said.

The book was read, "An ornament builds by the good ol' travellers whom made a pledge to the goddess of the forest. To stay and live by its land without weakening its hearts. Any form of curse and wicked spells can be removed by this necklace."

"This. This can't be happening. I need to get that kid out of sight." She spoke in a horrid way.

She went back to the magic crystal. While thinking of a way to peel off Theon's existence, the woman raised her head when she heard footsteps moving towards her.

"What's the noise all about?" A man with a hoarse voice spoke.

"It's nothing, my love!" She let out a nervous laugh.

When the man saw Theon in her magic crystal, it strolled over to her and held the circle.

"Who's this kid you're setting your eyes off?" He couldn't help but ask.

The woman decided to tell him about this. "He has the necklace of the Everson's."

He hummed in a very rusty voice and removed his hands off of the circle. He turned his back towards the woman.

"You need to think of a plan to get rid of this kid. Or else, our plan to colonize this forest will all come to waste," He faced the woman. "We have waited so long and tried so many, this is our last chance. I'll kill you if anything goes wrong." He threatened her.

The woman may look frightened but her thoughts say otherwise.

‘Do you think I would let this kid live? For so long has passed. I am not gonna let you order me.’
She wickedly grinds.

‘After I'll use you again, you will be the one to be murdered.’

She unintentionally laughed so vociferously that made the man look at her strangely.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked.

This woman just stared at this man while smirking.

"Nothing, my love. I assure you, this time it will not go to waste." She pretentiously uttered.

She repeatedly laughed at her covenstead while the man stared at her. The crows when astray with her evil laugh.

In the meantime, Ambroz felt a stung by his heart. Ambroz gripped his chest and scrunched his nose to the pain. He almost fell off the tree where he's sitting.

"That witch! It's happening again." He complained and gazed at the sky.

———————
ABYSSCESS