The forest was never truly silent.
Even when the wind stopped moving through the enormous trees, something always remained—a distant rustle, the cry of unseen birds, or the soft movement of leaves beneath the feet of creatures hidden in the darkness.
Kairo knew this better than anyone.
He moved quietly between the trees, his bow resting against his shoulder and a quiver of arrows strapped across his back. His long black hair was tied behind his head, keeping it away from his face as he searched the thick vegetation for signs of movement.
The morning sun barely reached the forest floor.
Huge roots twisted through the soil like sleeping serpents, while vines hung from branches hundreds of feet above him. Moisture covered the leaves, and the smell of wet earth filled the air.
Kairo suddenly stopped.
Something was wrong.
He slowly reached for an arrow.
There.
A broken branch.
Then another.
He crouched and examined the muddy ground. Footprints.
Human footprints.
But they were fresh.
Kairo followed them deeper into the forest.
After several minutes, he reached a small clearing.
His eyes widened.
A hunting camp had been abandoned.
Three bows lay scattered across the ground. A cooking fire had gone cold, and pieces of torn clothing were caught on nearby branches.
Kairo's expression hardened.
These were the belongings of hunters from his village.
They had disappeared three nights ago.
He stood slowly.
Then he heard it.
A whisper.
“Kairo…”
He spun around, bow raised.
Nobody was there.
His golden-brown eyes searched the trees.
“Who’s there?”
Silence.
Then the whisper came again.
“Kairo…”
This time, it came from behind him.
He turned.
One of his arrows was lying on the ground.
He had never dropped it.
Kairo approached cautiously and picked it up.
The moment his fingers touched the arrow, a strange sensation travelled through his body.
His vision blurred.
For a brief second, he saw flames.
He saw warriors running through the forest.
He saw a black figure standing beneath an enormous tree.
And then he heard hundreds of voices screaming his name.
Kairo released the arrow.
He stumbled backward, breathing heavily.
The vision disappeared.
But the whisper remained.
“They are coming.”
Kairo looked toward the darkness between the trees.
For the first time in his life, he was afraid of what the forest might be hiding.
He tightened his grip on his bow.
Then something enormous moved behind the trees.
And Kairo realized—
he was no longer alone.