The towering, steel-and-glass skyline of Jade City faded into the distance as Jayden arrived at the perimeter of the city's bordering wilderness. Instead of taking the transit back to Emerald City, he had stopped here. He had one last piece of business to take care of.
He unequipped his tactical suit, leaving him in his casual jeans and t-shirt. He rolled his shoulders, stepped off the paved road, and crossed the tree line into the dense, untamed forest.
The moment his feet crunched against the dead leaves, the atmosphere of the woods shifted. The ambient chirping of insects and the rustling of small game ceased entirely. The beasts of this forest immediately felt the suffocating, predatory weight of his aura, even when suppressed. They all fled from his vicinity, making sure not to make contact with him.
