The air around the jungle camp was still, the crackle of firewood echoing beneath the canopy of leaves. Amidst, the rustic setup, where survival ruled and comfort was a luxury, the woman stood like a hardened warrior sculpted by the wild. Her strong legs grounded firmly on the earth, blood from the boar still staining her fingers.
Suddenly, the foliage behind rustled softly - alerting her but not surprising her. A young soldier stepped into view. His boots slightly feels heavy into the ground as he crossed into the woman's domain, eyes lowered out of reverence. Clad in standard military gear, his armor bore the crest of the capital, a clear sign of his allegiance.
He dropped to one knee before her, posture firm and respectful, fists clenched on his thighs.
" My lady," he said, voice unwavering," The child of the third lady has been born..... it's a boy."
The words hung in the air, blending into the camp's primal atmosphere. He dared to look up. Meeting only a fragment of her unreadable expression as she stood there, her mouth still tasting the raw hunt of the jungle.
The scene remained deep within the jungle camp. The fire crackled softly in the background. The woman did not turn around. Her back was still to the soldier, but a subtle shift in her stance showed she was listening. Frustration laced her voice as she spoke - sharp , yet restrained.
" That idiot husband of mine...what did he name the child?"
The soldier remained kneeling, his head lowered even further in respect. Despite the tension in the air, this voice stayed composed.
" My lady , the child's name is kiryuu Ryouma. Your highness and the third lady chose it."
The woman didn't respond. Not a single movement. No acknowledgement.
She simply stood, enveloped in silence- inside that strange invisible space.
A moment passed. The soldier tried again, more formal this time .
" My lady sayaka....may I take my leave?"
Still, she said nothing at first. Then slowly, as if her voice moved through still water-
"...yes." she whispered.
It was all he needed.
He bowed and turned, stepping out from the boundary that seperated her from the world.
And that's when it hit him.
" The moment I left her zone...."
A violent chill gripped him. His body shivered instinctively, like cold air had pierced straight into his bones. His eyes widened - not from something he saw, but something he didn't.
" Inside that space...I saw nothing. Total darkness. No light. No color. Only voices.....only sound."
He gasped.
" That wasn't just presence....that was power."
Another soldier nearby, who had been waiting, approached him curiosity.
" Hey, what happened? What's it like inside lady sayaka's zone?"
The shaken soldier didn't answer immediately. He looked back. At the invisible boundary as if afraid to even speak of it.
" You wouldn't understand," he muttered.
" Try me"
He turned slowly, his voice quiet but heavy.
" When you're in there.... You lose your sight completely. Not because of darkness, but because of her ki - energy. Her presence alone shuts your senses down - like you're not allowed to see her unless she wants you to."
He paused.
" Only sound works. You speak. You listen. That's it."
" It's terrii. That kind of pressure...that kind of aura... it's not human."
The whisper hung between them, heavier that silence.
" What ...do you mean?" he asked, voice cautious.
The first soldier didn't turn. He just stared ahead, still caught in that moment, still shivering inside.
" You won't understand until you stand there. Until you feel it. That zone....it wasn't just dark."
He paused. A breath.
" It was alive."
The second soldier clicked his tongue and gae a half - hearted glare
" Hey man, stop it. Are you trying to scare me or what?"
He nudged the first soldier on the shoulder.
" I know lady sayaka is a martial master, but don't turn this into some ghost story!"
The first soldier let out a small breath - half a chuckle, half a lingering chill." Whatever. I just said. How it felt. And look at you - you are already creeped out. If it really was something... What would you have done inside that zone?"
The second soldier scoffed and didn't reply. He adjusted his grip on the spear, squinting ahead.
They both moved forward. Without another word.
As the two soldiers disappeared into the distance, their idle chatter fading into the breeze, sayaka slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze was calm - but distant, as if she had just returned from a place far beyond the physical world.
She rose quietly, every movement fluid, like a whisper across still water.
Without a word, she began walking toward her camp, her white cloak brushing against the tall grass. Each step she took left no trace, as though even the earth dared not disturb her path.
In the distance, these two soldier went at another tent - larger, more certified. It was the commander's camp.
But just as sayaka crossed the threshold of her own tent....it happened.
The air around her shifted. That strange invisible pressure - the ominous " Zone" of silence and darkness that had terrified the soldiers - dissolved in an instant.
No sound. No flash. Just - gone.
Like most under the morning sun.
The ki energy....had returned to its source.
Drawn back to sayaka's body as effortlessly as a breath returning to the lungs.
It was no longer arround the camp.
Because it was her.
The two soldiers stood upright and firm saluting sharply.
Soldier A:" Reporting, Commander. The news of the third lady giving birth to the young master was safely delivered to lady sayaka - exactly as you ordered."
Sitting behind a polished desk, the man raised his eyes from a scroll. His presence was dignified - blue hair flowing down to his shoulders, his eyes calm like a still lake before a storm. A soft blue glow seemed to hum faintly around him. This was the Royal commander kanzaki Raiko, known across nations as the " Thunderlight storm ", a leader said to be blessed from the heavens.
He gave a small, approving nod.
Commander Raiko:"Good"
Just as he was about to dismiss them, a sudden CRASH echoed from outside - like something heavy had been hurled or shattered near the tent.
The sound made the fabric wall tremble. The two soldiers flinched slightly.
Commander Raiko didn't move. He simply closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply.
Commander Raiko (muttering):
" Dear heavens.... it's starting again. What am I supposed to do with all this?"
As the scream pierced the silence.....
Commander Raiko and the two soldiers had rushed outside.
Once they stepped out , it became clear - the voice had come from lady sayaka's camp.
The area remained still, but the air was heavy with tension.
From within the tent, only furious, echoing screams could be heard.
" AAAaAGRHHHhH!!"
" DAMN YOU!!"
The two soldiers glanced at each other, alarmed. A cold sweat ran down their temples.
Soldier (whispering):
"Tha-that was lady sayaka's voice.... wasn't it?"
Second soldier (nervously):
" She's screaming? From inside...?"
Commander Raiko - calm expression, slightly tired
He placed one hand on his hip and tilted his head slightly, as though his suspicions had been confirmed.
Commander Raiko ( dry tone):
"Ah....just a I thought."
Commander Raiko ( sighing faintly):
"....so it begins again, Lady sayaka just how far will you go this time?"
As commander Raiko stepped into the tent, lady sayaka's full face came into view under the flickering lamplight - ash gray hair flowing wildly, and Amber eyes burning with rage.
She was standing amidst scattered objects, having just flung a silver vase across the floor, shards glinting under her feet.
Near her, a frightened maid was trying to calm her down.
" Lady sayaka, please calm down." the maid pleaded, her voice trembling.
" What Good will it do to break things like this ?"
Sayaka turned her fiery gaze toward her and snapped ,
" Misaki, be silent."
The maid - Misaki - hesitated. Then silently stepped back, her hands lowering in defeat.