The edge of the world felt alive beneath their feet—a restless beast humming with secrets and ancient truths. Just beyond the lineup of crimson leaves, where twilight met the wilderness, Alex tightened his grip on his worn cloak and scanned the twilight horizon.
"Before we venture deeper," Alex muttered, his voice barely brushing the cool night air, "I need to find that bridge Jevran mentioned. If we veer right along the Crimson Thicket's border, we should stumble upon it." His eyes locked onto the dense thicket ahead, a living curtain of blood-red leaves woven with shadows.
Aiko's soft breath revealed her unease. "It's already night, Alex. The town below is small—we could find rest before the dark truly falls."
Alex shook his head lightly, reluctant to break the rhythm of their hunt. "Just a moment longer. Once I spot the bridge, we'll head down to town."
A muted nod was her only reply.
He lifted his hand to the sky, and subtle droplets began dotting the air. The sudden rain tapped urgency into their steps.
"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath. Scooping Haru into his arms, Alex urged his legs forward, pounding a path across cracked earth and creeping roots.
"Wait for meeee, Alex!" Aiko's voice trailed behind like a ribbon of concern.
The longer they ran, the wider an immense fissure revealed itself—a yawning chasm swallowing the forest floor. Alex halted, heart hammering in his chest, eyes drifting cautiously over the abyss.
"A bottomless crack..." Aiko whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of the unknown.
"Something catastrophic," Alex breathed. "But what could tear the land apart like this?"
Aiko's gaze met his, calm but knowing. "Natural disasters happen here—more than you'd think. A year ago, a great light blotted out the sun. When I opened my eyes, I was stranded on an island, memories clouded. It took me days to regain myself."
Alex's thoughts twirled in restless circles—this world still held mysteries that clawed at his understanding.
Suddenly, Aiko's voice cut through the dripping silence. "Alex, up ahead! The wooden bridge. It's exactly what we've been searching for."
A grin cracked across Alex's face, lighting his tired features. They darted forward, tongues tasting the rain's cold kiss, until Alex's hands pressed against the aged, quivering timbers.
"This bridge is hanging by a thread," he mused. "One false step, and—"
"How did they even build this?" Aiko wondered aloud, tracing the grain with a tentative finger.
"Alchemy, maybe..." Alex nodded, eyes sharpening.
"But we have to cross," he affirmed, throat tight as unease curled in his gut. "Listen—Verdant Wastes aren't like the Crimson Thicket. Monsters here? A-rank to S-rank. Death waits in every shadow. Stay sharp."
"Got it."
Alex's boots thudded on ancient planks, the wood groaning beneath his weight. Reaching the other side, he beckoned the others. "One by one, for balance. Hurry—before the rain turns the world to drowning."
"Coming!" Aiko's voice was breathless. "Right behind you, Haru, right?"
A small nod from Haru settled his unease.
Deeper into the Verdant Wastes, the air vibrated—a sudden pulse of mana prickling at their skin. Haru's silent warning echoed in Alex's mind.
"Three humans," Haru's telepathy whispered urgently. "Surrounded by monsters. Fighting hard."
Alex's gaze hardened. "Let's check it out."
The forest closed in as they crashed through undergrowth. Aiko lagged, confusion painting her face.
"What's happening?"
"Somebody's under siege," Alex explained, eyes flickering toward the rising noise of battle cries and clashing steel.
Ahead, three adventurers held their ground: a shield-bearing sentinel, a healer cradling a wounded swordsman, teeth gritted against pain and blood. Orcs—ten rough forms snarling, but simpler than the cunning beasts Aiko had faced.
Alex's fingers shimmered with fire as blades of flame flickered into existence, whirling around him like a deadly dance. With a pointed gesture, fiery swords surged forward—piercing, slicing, a raging inferno that burned through the monsters' ranks.
Breathing heavy, Alex approached the cautious trio. "Are you all right?"
The shield-bearer offered a tired smile. "Thanks for stepping in. Name's John."
"I'm Lisa, the healer." She glanced at the unconscious swordsman cradled in her arms. "This is Unk."
Alex nodded. "I'm Alex. This demi-human is Aiko. And this little guy's Haru."
John's gaze flicked to Alex, curiosity laced with wariness. "Out here, especially in the rain, it's madness. What brings you into the Verdant Wastes?"
"We're heading to the Port of Mist," Alex replied, eyes narrowing. "The town at the forest's edge."
John relaxed slightly. "We're Royal Empire adventurers, tracking a missing merchant. Four days gone. Last seen trading around here."
Alex froze—a piece falling into place. Morot... he was the merchant.
John noticed the shift. "You okay? You look deep in thought."
Alex forced a small laugh. "Old habit. Rain's getting heavier. Let's move."
"We'll join. We're going to the Port of Mist too."
"Port of Mist?"
"Small port on the east coast," John confirmed. "A hidden gem. Little known even in the Empire."
Alex's mind clicked—an opportunity to glean truths about this realm.
The group took a narrow trail descending through poison-green shadows.
"Why keep this town hidden?" Alex asked. "I've been to the Empire's heart—never heard of this place."
John's voice grew low, laced with bitterness. "It's a smuggling hub, really. Children—humans, demi-humans, elves—trafficked by thieves under noble protection. The dark underbelly of our 'civilized' world."
Alex's heart clenched.
John's continued: "Port of Mist has its own slave market. From humans to lizardmen—anything with a price."
Lisa's eyes hardened. "We're close."
The town lay cloaked in dense fog and heavy silence—the mist swallowing streets, devouring sounds. The scent of wet earth mixed with decay.
Aiko's voice dropped to a whisper. "Sinister, isn't it?"
At a weathered sign—East Mist Bar—they found shelter. Inside, only an old man wiped down the counters, the silence undisturbed.
"What'll it be?" his gravelly voice asked.
"Grape juice for me," Alex said quietly.
Aiko grinned, fiery. "Give me a cold beer, old man."
The empty room echoed with laughter as the bartender complied.
Alex sighed, whole muscles relaxing. "Haru, juice too, for you."
The bartender nodded.
"Is it always this quiet?" Alex asked, eyes scanning the shadows.
"Shipment days are the only stir," the man said. "When the Empire sends soldiers to collect. Otherwise, this place sleeps."
Five silver coins for a room. Alex grimaced at the steep price, but hunger and fatigue left little choice.
Aiko wobbled, cheeks flushed and sparkling with the night's warmth.
"Alex-sama! I'm a diva tonight!" she giggled, staggering.
Alex laughed softly. "Alright, diva, rooms for two."
He guided her to rest, the soft brush of his hands soothing as he covered her.
Haru, sharing the room?
Yes, Master.
Alex's eyes closed, exhaustion dragging him under.
Morning dawned—a pale, diffused light through mist and sorrow.
They walked toward the town's heart where shadows stirred behind iron bars. Children. Demi-humans. Elves. Eyes wide with silent tragedy.
Aiko's whisper cracked with pain. "They lock them like beasts."
Alex's glance swept the hollow faces. "We can't change it—not here, not now."
His thoughts wrestled with the chains of hope and despair. Would freeing them change fate or feed a darker reckoning?
Nearby, eyes pierced Aiko—sharp, venomous stares filled with hate.
"My presence unsettles them," she murmured.
"They want you to feel that," Alex said. "Try not to show weakness. Let me help you."
He pressed a pouch heavy with coins into her hands. "Spend wisely."
With shaky resolve, Aiko approached a quiet stall.
"Fish skewer, please," she said softly.
The vendor smiled—a brief beacon in the gloom.
But as she moved, fate threw a cruel twist.
"Watch yourself, cat-girl!" a rough voice snarled.
Aiko froze. Time unraveled—a vivid memory of a simpler past: a butterfly's dance, a boy named Kazu, laughter in a forest untouched.
Then darkness: screams of fire and blood, thieves with cold eyes hunting children for gold. And Grizy—the cruel noble with dark blue hair and a twisted smile.
Now his voice cut through the mist, colder than the damp air. "Pay more attention next time."
Aiko's glare burned across the distance, a silent vow nesting in her heart.
As Grizy disappeared down a shadowed corridor, she darted forward—only to catch his gaze lingering, a smile edged with menace.
"I was seen," she whispered. The hunt had only just begun.