Toki opened his eyes amidst the screams of Sophie, who was trying to suppress her fear, but her anxiety was stronger.
She jumped on Toki, hugging him tightly. Toki noticed that something had changed in her, then said as he stood and brushed his head:
"Thank you for helping me… Sophie!"
"But… sorry…" Sophie replied softly, her fingers entwined shyly.
Toki looked at the surrounding rocks and listened to the waterfall outside, then continued:
"Sorry for bothering you, but now… we're safe.
We should meet with Luna."
Sophie smiled faintly, while Toki tried to recall what had happened during their fall.
---
Ten Minutes Earlier…
From Toki's perspective:
Damn that mischievous girl… wait, maybe she meant something.
This waterfall is way too high… how will we get down? I've got it.
"Hold on tight, Sophie!"
I'll try to rebound… one… two… three!
No… my body can't handle more than sixty air-pressure units, and I've already used a significant part.
What should I do now? I'll try to find something she can hold onto… (glances left and right).
"We're almost—" No… sharp rocks and tangled branches… how can I get down without putting Sophie in danger?
-I'm late…
---
Back to the Present
Toki, sarcastically, wondered what he should focus on first.
Before regaining full awareness from the collision, he felt something warm, and his gaze landed on someone familiar.
He decided to venture further into the cave, taking Sophie with him. The scent of dew spread, and droplets of water echoed around them.
Sophie asked Toki if he felt cold, to which he waved his hand mockingly:
"A question for you."
She replied that she was unaffected by the cold, and Toki said calmly:
"So… the only one bothered by the weather between us is Luna."
---
While walking through a narrow tunnel, a few minutes earlier, deep in the forest…
Karon and Ilona sat quietly, sipping tea.
Amidst the light silence, Ilona said with a mysterious smile:
"Lord Karon… do you think they will overcome this stage?"
Karon slowly raised his head and replied respectfully:
"They might… but everything depends on them."
Ilona smiled mischievously, as if saying:
"Of course~"
---
Back to the Present Again
Toki and Sophie saw a distant light as they walked.
Sophie remembered the moment she had healed Toki, as if a private memory slowly crept into her mind.
Toki glanced briefly at Sophie, while she raised her palms near her chest, slowly closing her hands with focus.
A glowing red aura of blood appeared around them in the dark.
Toki calmly thought that Sophie might be naturally gifted.
As Sophie's aura faded, she was astonished. Near the exit, an eerie silence surrounded Toki.
---
Toki and Sophie emerged from the cave to a horrifying scene: hyenas fighting and devouring each other, some mere skeletal creatures, and others merciless predators.
Sophie's heart skipped a beat; her body froze, unsure of what to do.
Toki stood calmly, showing no resistance, as if the scene was familiar. His grip tightened, and he turned to Sophie, speaking in a quiet voice:
"This is just a glimpse of life…"
He took careful steps, trying to reassure Sophie, but before he could continue, the hyenas suddenly pounced on him.
Sophie, confused, didn't realize the attack on Toki until blood started flying in front of her eyes.
"No… it can't be… Brother Toki!" she screamed, her voice a mixture of terror and despair.
She charged at the hyenas without hesitation, only to find herself surrounded from all sides.
Wounds rained down on her, yet she healed each time, while Toki lay soaked in his own blood.
From afar, one of the hyena leaders stood observing, staring at her in astonishment:
"Who are these people… and what brings them here?"
Meanwhile, Sophie struggled with all her might to push through the overwhelming crowd to reach Toki.
She ran like a new person, skeletal hyenas behind her, and stumbled over a rock she hadn't seen in the barren, dry land:
"What do I do? How can I find my brother Toki… haah… haah… what should I—?"
Amidst the chaos, Sophie summoned all her strength, and a glowing red aura appeared around her.
The heat was intense; hyenas recoiled, and some gradually vanished.
Sophie stood firm, floating slowly, as if her inner consciousness controlled her movements under pressure.
Toki, barely regaining his balance, smiled slyly:
"This madness was worth it…"
Sophie landed on the ground, observing her surroundings, and with every step, a hidden aura spread around her.
The hyenas stepped back, seeds of fear slowly planting within them.
Toki leaned back, wiping blood from his mouth, muttering softly:
"What fate holds… interesting."
Sophie lifted her head, her voice sharp yet calm:
"Today… shall be unavoidable."
Her features void of mercy, and as her words ended, a suffocating aura weighed down the area. All the hyenas collapsed as if an unseen force crushed their bodies.
Even Toki grasped his neck, choked under the pressure.
Pressure… contraction…
The hyenas' strong bodies began to yield. Their bones bent, muscles shrank, as if crushed by an invisible weight.
Suddenly, their blood vessels burst one by one.
The pack leader lunged at Sophie, but Toki, despite his pain, blocked him with his body.
He unleashed his remaining hidden aura, forcing the distant hyenas to retreat.
Sophie's aura intensified, and Toki raised his gaze toward her, astonished, a severe headache striking his mind.
Then a vision flashed in his head of a small girl… with the same purple-black hair as him, her right eye covered by a bandage.
The last words he uttered before collapsing:
"Eivana…"
In a land devoid of sunlight, Sophie finally fell to the ground, unconscious, after exhausting all her energy.
---
Elsewhere, Luna walked calmly toward a hill overlooking a sunset that painted the horizon with glowing colors.
Evening winds scattered her luminous white hair as she sat, crossing her legs.
"Be careful… that's what the goat told me.
We must beware the leaders of each pack."
She wore a unique outfit blending a dress with a long white light coat, forming a single, harmonious appearance.
A small smile appeared on her lips as she thought:
"I wonder… what will Toki and Sophie do in response to this?"
Gradually, her eyes changed color, resembling the yellow moon.
---
Hours later, elsewhere, Toki arrived at an open, barren field, nothing but soft soil and scattered sands.
Toki sat cross-legged, Sophie leaning against him. In this quiet moment, he spoke to himself:
"The sky today is beautiful and full of stars.
As for what happened… honestly, I didn't expect it."
"What matters now is that my plan succeeded. I was right to call her gifted.
Though her dominance just began, it's remarkable."
He looked at Sophie, slowly waking.
Sophie: "Wait… what happened…?"
Toki replied coldly: "Are you feeling better?"
Sophie: "I feel my head spinning."
Toki remained silent for a moment and told her they would now meet Luna. Sophie felt briefly happy but also sensed she had forgotten something.
At the same time, Toki and Luna, despite being in different places, spoke in unison:
"From now on, everything is clear. Prepare for defeat."
For four days, Toki and Luna attempted to solve the puzzle.
Toki traveled with Sophie, encountering various situations along the way, while Luna was accompanied by a fox.
Finally, they met… in an unexpected place, facing a beast with metallic fur and skin.
They each took their positions, eyes fixed on one another in anticipation.
A strange calm descended upon the area, as if the very air carried a flicker of threat… the beast could awaken at any moment.
To be continued...