You try and head back but after 15 minutes of walking you lose your tracks you recently made. There are a lot of tracks in one area, all going off separate directions, so many of them that it is hard to tell which were yours, if yours are even there still and not been flattened out.

Alright I will be the first to say it... We are lost. And judging by the amount of tracks in the forest we are either being followed by like 20 people, or somebody is playing a trick on us... Gods I hate magic

Delimbiyra exhales sharply, his voice tight as he addresses the group. “The claw marks… they’re illusions too. In a way, that’s good news—we’re not dealing with a massive beast stalking us.” He pauses, running a hand through his auburn hair, his unease growing. “But it also means we’re tangled in something far more sinister.”

Doli’s admission about being lost hits him harder than he cares to admit. “Lost?” he murmurs, almost to himself. Delimbiyra had always prided himself on his skills as a scout, on knowing the woods, understanding the land. And now… now none of it made sense. Tracks leading nowhere. Illusions everywhere. A frozen man whose existence he could barely comprehend.

His gaze shifts to the trees, the mist, the tracks—all of it suddenly feeling unreal. “How can we even trust anything we’ve seen?” he says, his voice faltering. “Is this forest real? Was the caravan site real? Are you all real?”

He grips his crossbow tightly, the familiar weight grounding him just enough to push back the rising panic creeping up his spine. “I don’t know what’s happening here, but we need to find a way to break through this… whatever it is. We can’t let it pick us apart.” His words are firm, but there’s a flicker of doubt in his eyes that he can’t quite shake.

Gym sets still man down. What if two of us walk off in opposite directions while one of us stays here will still man? Theoretically you each should come back to this spot from the other direct?

That could be true, but do we really want to split up when we down know what we are dealing with?  Doli thinks for a moment... Wait a minute i have an idea, what if we- oh wait no, i would certainly die from such a height... yeah i got nothing

ok, y'all set here for a minute. Gym tries to pick up the trail, survival 21. He'll follow it, every 30 feet or so he'll touch a tree casting light on it as he passes, leaving a lite path and giving him additional light if needed.

(Just so you are aware, the spell specifies that it ends if you cast it again so you can only have one lit up tree)

Gym walks to the first tree, touching it casting light. 30 ft down the path he repeats it, the light on the first tree goes out. @#$! &*$# can be heard throughout the forest. He hangs his head and returns to the group, well, that's not gonna work.

As you are wondering what to do, you all hear the faint sound of laughter coming from the woods. It is hard to pinpoint exactly which direction it is coming from, as it seems to be coming from multiple 

Zeph has his cat check out the woods while he creates an improved illusion (as he's an Illusionist, with sound too) of a small mechanical humanoid looking around the edge of the woods saying nonsense magical words. (attempt to flush them out thinking they are being scanned) Zeph says to his creation - "Radiate the woods please." It responds with OK then speaks the words.

Delimbiyra freezes for a moment as the faint laughter echoes through the woods, his sharp ears twitching as he tries in vain to pinpoint the direction. A chill crawls up his spine, but he forces himself to focus. The sound could be nothing—or it could be something waiting to toy with them further.

He watches Zeph’s mechanical illusion with curiosity, a flicker of hope in his hazel eyes that the ruse might reveal their unseen foe. But even as he waits for results, he knows they can’t rely on chance alone. Taking a steadying breath, he speaks up, his voice calm but with an edge of resolve. “We can’t just stand here waiting for whatever this is to make the next move. If someone’s laughing, they’re watching us. That means they’re close. Maybe if we move as a group, we can narrow down where the sound is strongest.” He glances at Doli and Gym. “We fan out slightly—just enough to cover more ground but not so far we lose sight of each other. If we can figure out the direction, we can track this thing down before it messes with us any more. Zeph, you know magic. Can you somehow feel if this is just another illusion?”

His grip tightens on his crossbow, scanning the trees warily. “And stay sharp. Whoever’s behind this is already in our heads. Let’s not give them the satisfaction of catching us off guard again.” He waits for the others to respond, ready to take the lead again, his unease tempered by a determination to uncover the truth behind this madness.

Everyone can make a perception check. The laughter does also stop  so it's not quite driving you mad 

Gym fans out, eyes sharp, perception roll 15

With practiced eyes and ears, Delimbiyra scans his surroundings. Perception 21.

(are we waiting on anything? if yall are just caught up with irl stuff thats fine i just wanna make sure i aint missing something)

(I had typed out a response to this. But clearly I never clicked send. So that's on me.)

Delimbiyra looks around and notices at the same time the laughter stops, Zeph's illusion is "searching" a specific location, and you just about catch a flash of movement before a bush seems to be a bit larger than it was before. 

Gym misses this totally, looking the other direction as it happens (was DC20).

Zeph Perc: 18

Delimbiyra’s sharp eyes catch the subtle movement, and his heart skips a beat. "There!" he hisses, pointing toward the slightly larger bush. "Something moved—right where Zeph's ill... ahem, Zeph's construct is searching." Without waiting, he raises his crossbow, leveling it at the bush. "Stay ready," he warns the group, taking slow, deliberate steps toward the spot. "I’ll flush it out. Be prepared if it bolts or fights back." He keeps his weapon trained, ready to fire if the bush—or whatever’s behind it—makes any sudden moves.

Doli carefully approaches the bush, ready for something to come out and attack him.

With the movement pointed out, you all approach the bush. Aware they have been spotted, you hear the bush curse and the illusionary bush vanishes, revealing a half elf looking ready to fight. The half-elf has an air of calculated elegance, with sharp, angular features and piercing green eyes that seem to see through any deception. His long, silvery-white hair flows neatly down his back, contrasting with the dark, ornately embroidered robes he wears. The robes shimmer faintly, as if woven from threads of moonlight, and intricate arcane symbols adorn their edges. Despite his refined appearance, there’s an unsettling intensity in his expression, as if he’s perpetually analysing and calculating the world around him. A thin, silver circlet rests on his brow.

The party get the edge (no one was surprised, and they had a lower initiative roll). You may all act in any order.