They decide to follow it, but as it goes the fog starts making denser.
They walked for quite a while, so one of them proposes to come back to the camp while everyone agrees. The fog was, too dense at this point that no one noticed that Shio did not come back with them, he probably didn't hear them and kept walking.
Shio felt everything was too silent, so he turns back and notices their friends was gone... He tries to stay calm and think on a plan, but nothing helped.
He couldn't see anything around because of the fog and forgets on which direction he was going, he could not stay here so he just decides to keep walking hoping to go in the right direction.
His friends arrive to the camp noticing that Shio wasn't with them, so when they come back to search him, they find out the mysterious path was gone, they couldn't find it anywhere, and there was nothing they could do more than waiting.
Meanwhile Shio finally arrives to the end of the path to find a huge wooden bridge, as he expected, he was going in the wrong direction, so when he turns back, finds himself with the surprise that the path was gone, there wasn't any other option than cross the bridge, so he takes courage and go forward.
The fog disappeared at this point and when he arrives to the end, he finds a huge town full of life.
He tries talking with the people but no one seemed to give him a response as everyone was busy doing their jobs.
He hears some people murmuring in a corner, and gets to heard they was talking about a cursed king or something.
Then he looks at the distance a giant castle where this famous king probably rules.
He goes there and climb the stairs, arriving to the front doors that suddenly opens up to find himself with the king.
The king introduces himself, his name was Aikari, before Shio could say anything the king asks him to go inside and just feel like home.
He was surprised by the attitude of the king, he was being really kind.
What he didn't know it was that the king was in fact under a curse, he's been trapped in this town for years and been searching for a victim to replace him in the throne to get rid of the curse, and unfortunately Shio were that one.
So that's how Aikari will be trying to gain Shio's trust and start with his evil plan.