Pov Author
Night in Aglibá was never silent.
The wind here didn't whisper — it warned. It dragged against the leaves like invisible claws, scraping, hissing, shifting through the branches as if something unseen crept from tree to tree. The moon hung above like a cold, dying lantern, swallowed by drifting clouds that the jungle seemed to breathe out on its own.
Anna pulled her cloak tighter as she walked, every step sinking slightly into the damp earth. Shadows stretched long across the forest floor, bending and twisting with each gust of wind. It felt as though they watched her… followed her… copied her breath.
Beside her, trotting calmly with his tails swaying, was the fox.
His fur caught the weak moonlight like glowing embers. His eyes were too intelligent — sharp, mischievous, almost amused. As if he, of all creatures, was enjoying the eerie atmosphere.
Anna swallowed hard.
"Why… why does it feel like something is staring at us?"
The fox flicked his ear. "Because something is staring at us," he said calmly, not even glancing at her. "Several things, actually."
Anna jumped. "W–what?! Then why are we walking like it's a morning stroll?!"
The fox snorted, an unmistakable sound of mockery.
"You asked me to guide you. I'm guiding. It's not my problem if humans scare themselves with their own imagination."
"It's not imagination!" Anna hissed, gripping her shaking hands. "I heard something behind me—"
"Aglibá is alive," the fox replied, voice smooth as silk. "Its spirits wander freely at night. Don't fall behind. If something touches you, it won't be me."
"That's not helping!"
"Wasn't meant to."
The fox hopped over a fallen log with effortless grace while Anna struggled over it, nearly slipping in the mud. Her breath puffed in white clouds — the air was growing colder, unnaturally so.
"Fox," she whispered, voice cracking, "are you sure it's safe?"
The fox let out a small chuckle.
"If it were safe, I wouldn't be walking in front. I'd be running far away."
"WHAT?!"
But he continued ahead as though strolling through a familiar garden. His tail swayed proudly, almost tauntingly, as if enjoying her panic.
"Don't worry," he said after a pause. "If anything tries to eat you, I'll watch. Maybe even take notes."
"Stop mocking me!!"
But the truth was — she needed him. She wouldn't survive a single minute alone in this cursed jungle.
They walked deeper, the trees narrowing, leaning inward as if the forest wanted to swallow them whole. Strange bird calls echoed — but none of them sounded like birds. Some were too deep. Some too shrill. And some… whispered.
Anna flinched every time.
Finally, the fox stopped. His ears perked and his eyes narrowed.
"We're close."
Anna peeked from behind him. The jungle suddenly opened into a clearing.
And there — in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by burning torches, tents, and armed soldiers — was Shou Feng.
Anna felt her chest tighten painfully.
There were at least thirty soldiers. Their armor glinted orange under the torchlight. Some sharpened blades while others patrolled with spears. The fire crackled around them, giving them warmth — and casting monstrous, dancing shadows on the ground.
"What… what do we do?" Anna whispered.
The fox's eyes darted left and right, calculating, mapping paths, counting steps.
"We get in," he murmured, "and get him out before they even realize he's gone."
But suddenly—
CRACK.
A sharp sound echoed behind Anna.
She spun around instantly.
The soldiers.
The fox.
Everything behind her faded — swallowed instantly by thick, creeping darkness.
"Fox…?" she whispered.
But the fox was staring ahead, unaware of what was happening behind her.
Then—
SHHHHHK—
Something cold and slick wrapped around Anna's ankle.
She gasped.
Before she could scream—
It yanked her backward with brutal force.
"A—AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Her scream tore through the silence as she was dragged across the forest floor, leaves and stones scraping her skin. She clawed at the ground, kicking wildly, but the grip only tightened, pulling her faster and faster into the shadows.
The fox's ears shot up.
He turned sharply — his eyes widening.
"ANNA!"
The soldiers jolted at the sound of her scream.
Some grabbed their swords.
Some shouted orders.
Some rushed toward the trees, searching for the source.
But the fox didn't care.
He ran. Sprinting faster than he ever had, weaving between the soldiers who barely registered the flash of red fur darting past them.
"ANNA! HOLD ON!"
She couldn't.
The dragging force was too strong.
The world blurred — trees, rocks, shadows blending into streaks of darkness. The cold grip on her ankle felt like iron.
Then—
CRACK!
Her head slammed into a hidden stone.
A flash of white.
Everything spun.
The world tilted sideways.
And Anna's consciousness shattered into black.
"ANNA!!!"
The fox lunged, but he stumbled — his paw catching on a root. He tumbled forward, rolling violently across the dirt.
When he got up, panting and dizzy—
Anna was gone.
"Damn it…" he hissed, eyes burning with panic. "Damn it, damn it!"
The soldiers were shouting behind him, sprinting through the trees, but he ignored them.
He lowered his nose to the ground.
Blood.
Small droplets.
Thin trails smeared across leaves and stones.
Her blood.
He growled softly — a dark, animalistic sound vibrating from deep in his throat.
"Good," he muttered. "At least you're leaving a path."
He followed the trail swiftly. The smell grew stronger, fresher, leading deeper into the unlit section of Aglibá where even spirits refused to wander.
But he didn't hesitate.
Not once.
The trees thinned.
The air grew colder.
The moon disappeared entirely.
Finally — the trail ended at the mouth of a cave.
A dark cave.
Unnaturally dark.
Its entrance gaped like an enormous jaw waiting to swallow prey whole.
The fox's fur rose on end.
"This scent…" he whispered. "It's old. Ancient."
He stepped inside.
One step.
Two steps.
Three—
Then his eyes widened — shock freezing him in place.
Because inside that cave…
What he saw
Shouldn't exist.
What he saw…
Changed everything.
And it was waiting for him.
End of Chapter.