That morning, a thick fog hung between the trunks of the northern forest. The dew dripping from the branches looked like tiny crystals as the first light of dawn began to appear. The Spiral Guard team, led by Lys, moved slowly, tracing a narrow path toward the red spiral vortex detected by the Moon Sonar the night before. Behind them, young scientists and a member of the Magic Council lifted their glyph recording devices, their faces filled with anxiety.

  There were ten people in this team: five trained guards, two scientists, one sorcerer, and two civilian overseers. They were specially chosen by the Council to ensure the public felt directly involved. Throughout the journey, the sounds of the forest were quieter than usual. No birds chirped, no deer dashed about. Only their breaths filled the silence of the woods.

  Their first steps took them over a stretch of blue moss, where wild deer usually grazed. However, this morning, the moss looked different. Some parts were burned, forming a large spiral leading to the vortex. The air around the team felt colder, and their breaths misted in the chilly air.

  Scientist Suri (softly): “The energy of the spiral here feels strange. It’s as if something that shouldn’t be here is present…”

  Lys: “Keep your distance. Don’t touch the burned ground. Suryan, please record all the glyph patterns in the air.”

  Suryan activated the recording crystal. On the screen, the red spiral glyph moved as if it were alive. Sometimes, the pattern formed a human face, and at other times, it morphed into giant eyes staring intently at the expedition team. Everyone felt as if they were being watched.

  In the midst of the silence, whispers began to emerge—soft at first, then growing clearer. Lys, usually assertive, suddenly fell silent. Her eyes were fixed on a point between the roots of an ancient tree.

  Lys (whispering to Reo): “Do you hear that? A voice… like my mother’s. But my mother has been gone since the spiral war.”

  Reo: “Don’t listen, Lys. This forest is full of spiral deceptions. Focus.”

  Yet, the whispers became more pronounced. Among the others, Mira—the youngest guard—began to fidget. Suddenly, tears streamed silently down her face, and her hands trembled as she gripped her glyph sword. “I… I see my brother. He’s lost in the spiral fire.”

  Garan, a civilian overseer, cautiously took something from his pocket. It was a forbidden glyph stone, a gift from an old faction that wanted to see this expedition fail and create new chaos.

  Finally, the team arrived at the center of the vortex. There, the ground was charred, resembling a large red spiral. In the middle stood stones like an ancient altar. Above them, a red light formed a “bridge” into the air, gently vibrating and enhancing the magical atmosphere.

  Suri and Suryan appeared busy, engrossed in writing the glyph patterns visible around them:

  There was a warning glyph resembling an ancient prohibition mantra.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  And there were patterns resembling an ancient language, the meaning vague: “Those who enter without permission will lose themselves.”

  Suddenly, Lys raised her hand, signaling everyone to stop. However, Garan stepped forward. With the glyph stone in hand and vacant eyes, he spoke fervently.

  Garan: “Don’t forget this spiral! It belongs to the old people! The new world has no right to silence the voices that were once sacrificed!”

  With deep emotion, he threw the glyph stone into the center of the vortex.

  As the forbidden glyph stone touched the heart of the spiral, the red light flared brightly. The ground trembled beneath their feet, roots of trees shot up, and the whispers of thousands filled the air. A thick tension enveloped them.

  Mira fell, her eyes wide as she saw the shadow of her brother engulfed in flames in the swirling fire. She felt her heart constrict. Lys and Reo tried to pull her back, but the powerful magical vibrations held them in place. They felt as if time had stopped, trapped in this horrifying moment.

  Suri and Suryan shouted at Garan, “What are you doing? You’re going to kill us all!” Their voices were filled with fear and anger.

  Garan only laughed, but then tears streamed down his face. His expression shifted between hatred and regret. He may have lost control over everything.

  In the chaos surrounding them, a guard named Lysara attempted to recite a protective spell for the spiral. Protective glyphs began to form in the air, trying to contain the red vortex from spreading throughout the forest. However, it all seemed difficult, like trying to fight against an unrelenting wave.

  But not everyone could be saved. Mira, who had stared too long at the spiral fire, slowly began to lose consciousness. It felt as if her soul was being sucked into the terrifying red glyph. On the other side, Reo faced a difficult choice: save Mira and risk the vortex expanding, or stay with Lys and maintain their defensive line.

  With a broken heart, Reo finally shouted. He quickly pulled Mira back, even though he knew he had to let the red glyph “consume” part of the altar. At least he managed to save most of their team.

  Amidst all the chaos, Garan realized his mistake. He fell to his knees in the center of the vortex and screamed, “I’m sorry… forgive me… the old world is too bitter to let go.” Tears flowed down his face, representing deep remorse.

  Suryan and Suri, with determination, managed to sever the glyph energy. They weakened the vortex until the red light finally dimmed. Only smoke and the soft sounds of weeping remained in the air, marking the sadness of the situation.

  The Spiral Guard team gathered. They collected all the surviving members. In the midst of the crowd, Mira lay unconscious, while Garan continued to weep. They also brought fragments of the forbidden glyph stone as evidence of what had transpired.

  Lys stood in the center of the charred altar. She gazed at the sun with hope. The light slowly pierced through the fog. “This red spiral is not just a threat from the outside,” she said, her voice firm. “It is a warning. As long as there is hatred, betrayal, and trauma from the old world, our new world will never be safe.”

  Suri observed the situation around and began to record data. “The Moon Sonar has saved us from disaster,” she said thoughtfully. “But remember, every progress comes at a price. These old wounds need more than magic to heal.”

  The team returned to the city. They were greeted by anxious yet grateful citizens. Fitran and Rinoa listened carefully to the reports from the team members, soothing the families of the injured guards with promises filled with hope.

  “All victims will be treated and restored,” they said, trying to provide comfort.

  “Garan’s betrayal will be judged. But we will give him a chance to atone for his mistakes through community service for the victims of the spiral war.”

  “We will research the data and the phenomenon of the red spiral. Our efforts to heal the trauma for the people will be expanded,” they added, full of conviction.

  That night, the spiral lights in the city remained lit. However, many people gazed at them with newfound awareness. They realized that light, no matter how beautiful, always emerges from wounds. The new world of Gaia still had much to learn. They all hoped that hope would not fade away again.