The Shrouded Path
The path, shrouded in fog, was far more treacherous than I had imagined. The ground beneath my feet was muddy, and with every step, I felt as if I might be sucked in. My vision was almost completely obscured, and I wasn’t even sure which direction I was heading. Yet I pressed on, carrying the mission entrusted to me by the King of the Wind, and the future of the people of the City of Winds on my shoulders.
Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of an eerie shadow moving from the side of the path. Could they be minions of the Dark Spirit? Yet I do not stop. Playing the new sheet music bestowed upon me by the King of the Wind, I move slowly but surely toward the ancient ruins. It seems the melody of the sheet music has the effect of weakening the Dark Spirit’s power. Indeed, while I play the melody, the movements of the eerie shadows feel sluggish.
A few hours later, the fog began to lift little by little, and my view cleared. Spreading out before me was a massive stone ruin. Over the long years, the ruin had been eroded by wind and rain, and some parts were crumbling. Yet its imposing presence was enough to evoke memories of its former glory.
The entrance to the ruins was blocked by a massive stone door. The door was carved with intricate patterns, and in its center was a small hole. The King of the Wind had said that if I inserted the Wind Spirit’s shell into this hole, the door would open.
I took the Wind Spirit’s shell from my pocket and carefully inserted it into the hole. A faint sound echoed, and the stone door began to open slowly. A cold wind blew out from beyond the door.
Inside the ruins, it was dim, and damp air hung in the air. Strange paintings adorned the walls, and among them, figures resembling dark spirits could be seen. The paintings seemed to indicate the source of the dark spirits’ power and the location of the sacred instrument.
As I ventured deeper into the ruins, I emerged into a vast chamber. In the center of the chamber stood a stone altar, and upon it lay the sacred instrument. The instrument glowed faintly, as if it were alive.
At that moment, the Dark Spirit appeared. Resembling a pitch-black shadow, the Dark Spirit exuded a terrifying magical power. The Dark Spirit stood in my way and spoke in a cold, ruthless voice.
“Are you the King of Wind’s messenger? You’ve come this far. But I cannot let you take this sacred instrument.”
Enveloped in the power of darkness, the Dark Spirit lunged at me. Drawing upon the new sheet music bestowed upon me by the King of Wind, I played a melody to counter the Dark Spirit. The tones emanating from the instrument resisted the Dark Spirit’s magic, slowing its movements.
A fierce battle began. The Dark Spirit’s attacks possessed tremendous power. Yet, borrowing the power of the Wind Spirit and drawing upon my own immortality, I stood my ground against the Dark Spirit.
The battle was long and fierce. But I never gave up—for the sake of the future of the people of the City of Wind, and to fulfill the mission entrusted to me by the King of the Wind.
I finally defeated the Dark Spirit. As it vanished, the Dark Spirit let out a faint scream. Then, silence fell.
The sacred instrument placed upon the altar began to shine even more brightly now that the Dark Spirit had vanished. I picked up the instrument and felt its warmth. With this, the crisis facing the City of Winds should be averted.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
