Whispers of the forgotten

As the days passed and they ventured deeper into the Crimson Snow Mountains, tension grew between Morpheus and Lunara. The wind howled through the snow, and the sky was thick with clouds, making the landscape seem like a place suspended between time and space. But with every step they took, there was something in the air that suggested something was about to happen.

The ethereal creatures had become more violent in the mountains, but nothing could prepare them for what they would soon discover. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Morpheus began to feel something strange in the air. The atmosphere was changing, charged with a strange and dark energy, unlike anything they had encountered before. Suddenly, as they walked through a narrow ridge, Morpheus's gaze fell upon something unusual: a fine line etched into the snow, glowing with faint ethereal colors.

"What is this?" Morpheus asked in a low voice, approaching the line slowly.

Lunara looked at the line in astonishment, then said, "This is a strange mark. I've never seen anything like it before."

The mark was surrounded by intertwining ethereal threads, as if drawn by invisible strands, causing it to shimmer in transparent and colored hues in the darkness. It wasn't just a trace left by the ethereal beasts they had encountered earlier; this was a real mark, one belonging to something else, someone else.

"Do you think this could be..." Lunara began, but she suddenly stopped, realizing what the mark meant. This was an ancient symbol, one that was said to point to the presence of human beings or ancient dark forces capable of controlling the ether.

Morpheus nodded seriously, his eyes narrowing with focus. "Yes, this is an ancient mark. It points to the criminal sent by German. We must be close."

As the wind continued to howl around them, Lunara muttered softly, "If this mark indicates his presence, then he might have been expecting us. We must be ready for anything."

They continued cautiously, following the small marks that appeared on the snow, each one leading them further into the heart of the mountains. As they progressed, the darkness grew thicker, as if the mountains themselves were trying to hide their path. The wind howled from all directions, and the mournful silence that accompanied them made them feel as if they were being watched.

At the halfway point, at the top of a high hill, they paused for a moment to catch their breath. The marks were appearing more rapidly now, and they seemed to lead toward a dark cave deep within the mountain. The cave was surrounded by an aura of thick darkness, with a faint light emanating from it, as if something dark was watching them from within.

"This is the place," Morpheus said, standing ready. "The criminal is here, and I'm sure he won't be alone."

Lunara gripped her sword tightly and said, "This won't be an easy fight."

They entered the cave cautiously, each step increasing the sense of mystery and threat. The walls of the cave were covered with ancient ethereal symbols, and the closer they got to the interior, the more the sounds changed, as if time itself was drawing its last breaths. And at the moment they ventured deeper into the cave, they saw a shadow moving before them.

"You've waited long enough, haven't you?" A deep, booming voice echoed from the darkness, cutting through the silence that enveloped the place.

From the shadows emerged a tall figure, dressed in dark black attire adorned with strange crimson blood-red lines that crossed in bizarre patterns, as if they represented dark paths leading to an inescapable fate. There were strange symbols on his clothes, markings of their sacrifice, resembling ancient rituals to honor dark powers, as though they signified human sacrifices made for an unseen force. He carried a sword covered in ethereal energy, making the sword appear as though it were a piece of darkness itself. On his face, he wore a mask resembling a demon's face, with red eyes flashing through narrow holes, reflecting an unsettling gleam, as if he was watching them with a gaze they could not escape.

"You're the criminal sent by the Forgotten Order, aren't you?" Morpheus said in a calm voice, focusing on the figure standing before them.

The criminal smiled coldly, replying in a calm tone, "I've been waiting for you both. I wanted to see if you were capable of stopping me."

The criminal took a step forward, then raised his sword as if showing off his power, and said, "But you're too late. I had to test you first."