Hubert and Mercedes reached the entrance to the Thyphlo Forest within a few hours. Even at night, a shroud of unnatural darkness hung over the forest.
"You can go back to the camp if you want," Hubert offered.
"No. I won't let you go in alone," Mercedes said, shaking her head. The two of them dismounted, lit torches, and entered the forest.
The torches barely seemed to illuminate more than a meter in front of them before the darkness swallowed every bit of the light. "This darkness clearly isn't natural," Hubert said. "It must be a myrk, a magical energy field that consumes light."
Mercedes tried calling a light spell to hand, but the myrk choked it out before she could even cast it. "What do you think is the source of the myrk?"
"I don't know," Hubert admitted. "Likely there's something dangerous in this forest."
"Something creating the myrk, or something imprisoned inside by it?" Mercedes asked.
"Either way, we should be very careful," Hubert said.
After what might have been several hours of searching, Hubert and Mercedes had to admit they were completely lost. They had found ruins, but there was no path, no Shrine, and nothing that looked like it might be helpful. The only thing they found was a statue with horns.
"Let's rest here for now," Mercedes suggested.
Hubert looked at the statue. "Tell me something. Why is it that you believe so strongly in the Goddess?"
Mercedes thought for a moment. "After my mother and I escaped from Baron Bartels, we had nothing. We would most likely have starved. At one point, mother was sick, what little money we had ran out, and it looked like we were going to die. Mother prayed as earnestly as she could that someone would save us. That night, monks of Seiros found us and took us in. They nursed mother back to health, they gave us everything we needed to get back on our feet, and we saw them do as much for others, no matter who they were. I asked one of the monks, Brother Joshua, why they had done so much for us.
"Brother Joshua said that in his youth, he had done many evil things. He had been the second in command of a notorious bandit gang, and had committed many terrible crimes. Eventually, the bandit chief had gotten angry with him and tried to kill him, but had failed. He had been lost, but the monks found him and took him in. They taught him that even despite his crimes, the Goddess still loved him and was willing to forgive him. And just knowing he was loved like that made him want to show that same love to everyone."
"So you believe because...these monks showed you human kindness?" Hubert asked.
"You don't understand," Mercedes said. "Humans are not kind. It's not in our nature. Human kindness is conditional. These monks showed kindness to the people they helped unconditionally. That wasn't human kindness they showed. It was the kindness of the Goddess, the love she showed them. They couldn't help but show that same love to others."
"I don't understand," Hubert admitted.
"A lot of people don't. Even many in the Church don't," Mercedes said.
"No, many of them don't," Hubert agreed. "And I don't understand the nature of the Goddess, not really. She's dead...but also not? She still can influence the world, but only through those with true faith? It's beyond me. I know she exists in some form, but I think of her little."
"I'm sorry," Mercedes said.
"Maybe she'll show us some kindness now and guide us to a way out," Hubert joked.
"At the moment, she's busy. But maybe I can help," came a voice from the horned statue.
Both Hubert and Mercedes jumped back from the statue. "Hey, it's okay! I'm not trying to hurt you! I just want someone to make a deal with! It's been so long since I had that!"
"You're a demon, aren't you?" Mercedes asked. "Why should we trust you? You'll probably demand our souls in exchange for your help."
"A djinn! I'm a djinn, not a demon!" The statue protested. "I don't deal in souls! That's a great way to get yourself in trouble with the One Above All!"
"The One Above All?" Hubert asked.
"You know, the Goddesses' father! The guy who made them!" The statue explained. "Not someone you want to piss off! I don't deal in souls. A year or two off your life, maybe, but not souls."
"What is it that you want?" Hubert asked.
"I can give you a lot of power," the statue offered. "Enough to pierce this myrk."
"And the price is?" Mercedes asked.
"...Do you have 20,000 rupees?" The statue asked.
"No," Mercedes said.
"Then...how about this? I'll give you a lot of power. Enough to change your fates entirely," the statue offered. "You just have to permanently get rid of this myrk, so people can come make deals with me again."
"I don't like this," Mercedes said.
"Neither do I. But what choice do we have?" Hubert asked. "I'll do it."
"Very well, so will I. But only on one condition," Mercedes said. "The consequences..."
"I won't take anything from you!" the statue insisted. "I promise! This one is free! It's on me! Just as long as you get rid of the myrk!"
Hubert and Mercedes looked at each other nervously. "We're probably going to regret this," Mercedes said with a sigh.
Hubert took a deep breath. Whatever the hidden consequences were, they couldn't be worse than failing Lady Edelgard again. "You don't have to agree to this. I can agree to it myself."
"No. I won't let you face whatever the consequences of this will be on your own," Mercedes insisted.
"Didn't I just say I wouldn't be enacting consequences?" the statue asked. "Here, I'll show you!"
Suddenly, both Mercedes and Hubert felt a great power within them. No...not within them. A power that they were tapping into somehow, that they never would have been able to before.
A glowing golden aura appeared around Mercedes. Raising her hand, she exuded a powerful golden light that pierced the myrk. The myrk then seemed to flow into Hubert, as if to escape Mercedes's light. Soon, there wasn't a trace of it in the entire forest.
"See? It's good, isn't it?" the statue said. "No strings attached. I connected you to the primordial forces of light and shadow! You're super powerful now! Plus, as a bonus, immortality! You'll live until the end of the world! Well, unless Hylia or Ganon or something else with a stronger connection to light or shadow kills you."
"What?" Hubert shrieked. "No, no, you can't do this! Please! The power! Take it back!"
"What's wrong? Do you not want immortality?" the statue asked.
"No!" Hubert said. "Please, just take the power back!"
"I'm sorry, I can't," the statue said. "All I did was connect you to the power. I can't take it back. I thought you would be happy."
Hubert fell to his knees. But then he felt Mercedes's hand on his shoulder. "I can see the shrine."
Hubert bit his lip and stood up. He had to get the key for Edelgard. Until that was done, what had happened to him didn't matter.
The shrine permitted them entry. Inside was no trial, only a chest in front of where the monk was.
Hubert opened the chest. Inside was a mini-Slate and two cloaks and staffs, one black, one gold. He gave Mercedes the gold and took the black for himself.
"Hubert von Vestra. The one who stands in shadow. This isn't the end," the monk spoke.
"Mercedes von Martritz. Bringer of light. Hubert will need your help to walk the road ahead of him. He will not be able to do so on his own. And in time, you also will need him."
"I will do what I can for him," Mercedes promised.
"Bring this to the Hero," the monk said, giving a Spirit Orb to Mercedes.