For the first time, the jungle was silent.
After Levi-hound dissolved into smoke, the moisture lingering in the air began to lighten. Tiny droplets of water that had gathered on the twisted trees around the jungle started to drip onto the soil, and the whispers—the sounds that once echoed through the woods—fell quiet for a while.
Aarya sat on the ground, his breath still heavy. His hands were still wet with Levi-hound's essence, and his Granthnishaan was slowly glowing from red to a soft golden hue—almost as if it could sense the end of the trial.
Feran stood close by. His large, wet body still dripping water, but his silver eyes remained fixed on Aarya. His telepathic voice echoed gently in Aarya's mind:
"You chose a difficult path. Perhaps... it was necessary to reclaim your first memory."
Aarya slowly lifted his head. His face was pale, with a faint bruise beneath his eyes—but his gaze was still lowered.
"He showed me pain, that beast... he was crying, Feran. This hunt... it's not just about killing, is it?"
Feran looked at him and was silent for a moment. Then his response came, cold but honest:
"The hunt is meant to break you. You either learn to live with pain… or you drown in the darkness. You chose the first path."
Aarya remained quiet, but his mind was still stuck in that memory shard. The image of the crying girl kept spinning in his head, and his own expression in that memory—so cold and indifferent—made his chest heavy.
"Why… why was I like that?" he whispered. But no one had an answer.
—
After a moment of silence, a soft sound came from between the trees.
Aarya raised his head. Riya was approaching the two of them—for the first time without hiding. Her steps were slow, but her expression was calm and cautious as ever.
And for the first time, Aarya saw her fully.
Her body was slim and athletic, like a survivor—her wheatish skin sun-tanned. Her hands bore tiny scars and tribal tattoos. Her dark brown hair had some natural streaks, loosely braided with tiny jungle ornaments—bones and small fangs, perhaps from past hunts.
Her eyes… the same deep green that had glowed even in the jungle's shadows. Sharp, alert, and slightly weary—like someone always weighing every word.
Her clothes were a mix of leaf-green and earthy-toned leather and fabric, embedded with various survival tools. A small curved hunting blade hung from her waist, and a worn sling bag rested on her shoulder.
Riya stopped a little distance away. Her eyes went from Feran to Aarya.
"You… you're different," she said softly.
Aarya looked at her, his throat still dry. "Different?"
Riya stepped a bit closer but still kept her distance. "People who come here… they hunt. You didn't kill it. You calmed it. You're the first in Whispering Woods to spare a beast."
Feran heard her words, but his telepathic tone was colder:
"This wasn't mercy. Just a harder path."
Riya looked at Feran. Her face remained calm, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. "Dire-wolf… and soul-bound too. Your bond isn't normal."
Feran didn't respond. His massive body simply stayed close to Aarya, like a silent shield.
—
Riya moved closer to Aarya, and for the first time, her gaze softened slightly.
"Your Granthnishaan… it's glowing faintly. That happens after a trial. You've unlocked your first shard, haven't you? Did you see something?"
Aarya's breath slowed. After a pause, he said, "Yes… I saw something. But I don't know why it felt like a memory… and who I was to act like that..." His voice faltered. "How could I have been so cruel?"
Riya looked at him, and for a few moments said nothing. Then gently replied,
"Everyone who comes here has done something… something they wish they hadn't. But with you… it's different. Your pain echoes through this jungle."
Feran's telepathic tone now came, slightly bitter but true:
"Your past isn't just yours. This hunt is meant to shatter you, Aarya."
Aarya stayed silent. His heart felt heavy again, and he stared deep into the jungle shadows—like the answers lay hidden somewhere within.
—
Riya took a soft breath and then said quietly,
"Your first trial is over. But this was only the beginning. There are more things in this jungle waiting for you. And not all will show mercy."
Aarya looked at her, his eyes showing new determination, but the fear within him remained.
"I… I'll try. Whatever it takes."
A faint smile appeared on Riya's face—barely there, as if she was trying to hide it herself.
"Let's go. The next zone may not give you the same mercy."
Feran lifted his large frame and stepped forward. His telepathic voice echoed in Aarya's mind:
"Be ready. The next hunt will ask even more of you."
Aarya took a deep breath and walked into the jungle's depths alongside Riya and Feran.
Far ahead, deep within the jungle, a new Trial Sigil began to glow faintly.
Aarya caught a glimpse of that light, and for a moment, his breath hitched. His Granthnishaan pulsed in sync with the glow—like it was calling him.
Feran moved forward, his bulky frame brushing past twisted trees. Riya followed behind him, her blade still in hand. Her face was calm, but her green eyes scanned every corner of the jungle.
"That sigil… it's your next trial," Riya said softly, a hint of caution in her tone.
Aarya looked at her. "What about you? Is your trial over?"
Riya paused, then said quietly,
"My hunt never ends. I've just survived until now. You're new… so you get structured challenges by zones. People like us just survive."
Feran's voice echoed telepathically in his head, slightly bitter:
"Don't trust her words too easily. In the jungle, everyone has an angle."
Aarya exhaled lightly. His heart still heavy with guilt from the first memory shard, but now there was a new resolve within him.
—
The jungle ahead grew denser. The ground was turning moist again, and the whispers had returned to the air.
"…your sin… you'll betray again…"
"…blood… more blood is needed…"
Aarya lowered his head slightly, but Feran growled instantly. His massive body turned alert like a predator.
"Something's coming."
Riya quickly gripped her blade and moved close to Aarya. Her voice was calm, but carried urgency:
"Spirit pack. Small, but they strike fast. Stay ready."
And then—three small shadowy figures emerged from between the trees. Their bodies were half-smoke, half-flesh, and their eyes glowed pale white. With each step, steam lifted from the damp ground beneath them.
Feran lunged at one of them immediately. His claw tore through the creature's form in one blow, and it burst into smoke.
The other two charged straight toward Aarya and Riya.
—
Aarya's breath was heavy, but this time his body didn't freeze. He felt his Granthnishaan glow, and again that dark voice echoed in his mind—
"…kill it… take the essence…"
He ignored the voice. His hand reached for a broken branch nearby. He picked it up and swung at the first beast. The creature dodged and leapt at him, but Riya intervened at the perfect moment.
Her curved blade stabbed into the beast's side, and it burst into smoke. She looked at Aarya without hesitation, her voice calm:
"Keep attacking. Their structure's fragile, but it takes two hits."
The second beast leapt from behind. Aarya spun and jammed the stick into its mouth. The creature broke the stick, but it bought him a moment. Riya used that gap, slashing its neck with her blade.
It turned into smoke.
Aarya gasped, heart pounding. He looked at Riya. "You… you're fast."
Riya gave a small smile—barely there, but strange on her calm face.
"You're slow. But your movements… they're instinctive. With training, you'll be fast."
Feran approached them. His fur was damp, but his silver eyes remained calm.
"Small pack. But this is only the beginning."
Aarya took a slow breath and looked into the darkness.
"The next trial… it's there, isn't it?"
Feran gave a slight nod.
"Yes. And this will be your toughest test yet. The truth inside you… will come out."
—
Ahead, a strange new light shimmered. The soil gradually turned into a thin layer of frost, and frost crystals began forming along the edges of trees. The air grew colder, and in the distance, a sharp, metallic echo was heard—like an ancient place whispering to itself.
Riya looked toward it and softly said,
"Frozen Echo Ruins… Your next zone. If you survive this, another piece of your past will be yours."
Aarya felt his Granthnishaan pulse with energy. His heart was heavy, but his eyes held a new resolve.
Feran spoke with telepathy once more:
"Be ready. In the ice, every sound can be a lie… or a memory."
Aarya gave a slow nod and stepped toward the light, with Riya and Feran by his side.
—
TO BE CONTINUED…