As they set out toward City Grane, Sera glanced down at her bracelet, the faint glow of its map reflecting in her eyes as she checked their route.
"The forest should begin soon," she said after a moment. "We're almost there."
"Alright," Jack replied quietly.
They walked in silence for a while, the road stretching ahead of them. Then Sera spoke again.
"Well," she said, "we can't walk like this forever without talking. If we're going to travel together, we should probably know each other better."
"Seems so," Jack replied.
She looked at him.
"So tell me—why do you want to participate in the Battle Stages? Any particular reason? I've heard most people join just to show how strong they are."
Jack shook his head slightly.
"Some people may think that way," he said. "But I'm not one of them."
"How so?" Sera asked.
Jack took a breath before answering.
"I want to see what this world can offer," he said. "Excitement, maybe. I was just a lazy louse sitting at home, doing nothing… until someone pushed me to explore what's outside."
Sera listened carefully.
"And," Jack continued, "I also have a promise to keep. One I made to a reckless friend."
"A promise?" she asked. "What kind of promise—and who motivated you?"
"My childhood friend," Jack said. "Or more like my only friend. Evan Walker."
Sera waited.
"We promised years ago that we'd compete against each other in the finals someday," Jack went on. "Back then, I was too naïve to say no. But I guess… that promise is the reason I'm here now."
Sera smiled faintly.
"Sounds like you share a strong rivalry."
She paused, then added more seriously,
"But you do know, right? Battling each other means hurting your friend—and yourself. The Battle Stages aren't a game. Many people die. Many are badly injured."
"I know," Jack said calmly. "Still, I entered. Sitting at home would never give me a life. This is better than doing nothing."
Sera nodded.
"I see."
After a moment, Jack spoke again.
"I've told you my reason," he said. "Now it's your turn. Why did you choose to become a professor?"
Sera's expression softened.
"You see," she said, "ever since I was a child, I watched my mother take care of monsters. She treated them like family—and they loved her in return."
Jack listened quietly.
"My mom enjoys it," Sera continued. "And so do I. I grew up playing among monsters, staying with them, learning their habits. I love them. And this world is full of mysteries surrounding monsters."
She smiled gently.
"So I wanted to learn more. That's why I chose the path of a professor."
Jack nodded.
"That's a nice dream," he said. "Best wishes."
"Thank you," Sera replied. "And the same to you."
Her smile lingered—and for some reason, it stayed with Jack.
His thoughts drifted to Evan, chasing his dream of becoming a monster champion.
To Sera, chasing her dream of understanding monsters.
And then to himself.
"What is my dream?" he wondered.
"Is a promise really a dream… or just the path leading me to one?"
The road ahead remained quiet, but Jack felt something shifting within him.
Lost in his thoughts, Jack didn't notice when Sera suddenly raised her hand and pointed ahead.
"There," she said. "I can see the forest."
Jack looked up.
A massive wall of green stretched before them.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's go."
Turt was still resting on Sera's shoulder, completely at ease, eyes closed as if the journey itself were a lullaby.
As they stepped inside the forest, the world changed almost instantly.
The trees rose high above them—six, maybe seven meters tall—their branches interlocking to form a thick canopy that swallowed most of the light. The air felt heavier. Still.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
Yet beneath that silence, the faint sounds of insects echoed around them, constant and rhythmic, making it feel as though night had already fallen.
They walked side by side, alert now, eyes moving instinctively.
"This forest is dense," Jack said at last. "One wrong turn, and we could get lost."
Sera nodded.
"We should move a little deeper," she said. "I want to observe the monsters nearby."
Jack glanced at her.
"For your research, right?"
"Yes."
"Alright," he said. "Makes sense."
They shifted their path slightly, moving away from the clearer route and further into the forest.
Sera slowed her pace, carefully scanning the surroundings. Occasionally, she lifted her bracelet, taking images of small monsters perched on tree branches—some blending perfectly into the bark, others frozen mid-movement, watching silently.
Jack stayed close, eyes moving constantly, taking in the terrain.
The forest wasn't hostile.
But it wasn't welcoming either.
As Sera continued scanning the forest, she suddenly noticed a faint opening ahead. The trees thinned just enough for sunlight to spill through.
She moved closer.
The moment she stepped into the light, her eyes widened with excitement.
A little behind her, Jack had slowed down. His attention had been caught by deep scratch marks running along the bark of a nearby tree. He studied them quietly.
"Something strong passed through here", he thought.
Then a different thought struck him.
"Where is Sera?"
Jack straightened and walked forward, following the trail of light filtering through the trees. He pushed aside the thick leaves, and the forest opened up before him.
It was a small clearing.
The space felt almost unreal—more like a hidden garden than a forest floor. Colorful flowers bloomed freely among soft grass, their petals glowing under the sunlight. The air felt lighter here. Alive.
Sera stood in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by the flowers.
And around her—
a small group of monsters had gathered.
They weren't hostile. Some lingered near the flowers, others watched her curiously, moving slowly, cautiously, as if sensing her presence rather than reacting to it.
Jack stopped at the edge of the clearing.
For a moment, he simply watched.
With the sunlight brushing her hair and the quiet calm of the clearing around her, Sera looked almost unreal.
"She looks like a goddess", the thought slipped into his mind before he realized it.
As if sensing him, Sera turned.
Their eyes met.
She smiled—and waved at him.
The moment shattered.
Jack blinked, coming back to his senses, and stepped forward toward the clearing.
As Jack reached the clearing, still quietly taking in the beauty of the place, he spoke at last.
"Seems like the monsters like you."
Sera smiled faintly.
"Seems so. I've always liked being around monsters. I love them."
Jack looked around again, careful not to move too suddenly.
"By the way… what kind of monsters are these?" he asked. "The ones surrounding you—and those over there too."
"These," Sera said, gesturing to the small creatures nearby, "are called Qulu. They mostly live in this forest. They're gentle by nature and behave well around others."
She then pointed toward the edge of the clearing, where a few deer-like figures stood partially hidden among the flowers.
"And those are Greendeer. They're shy monsters. They rarely interact outside their own group."
Jack nodded slowly.
"I see. They don't seem afraid of you at all."
"That's because Qulu can sense danger in people," Sera explained. "If they feel hostility, they either attack or run away. If not… they stay."
"I see," Jack said quietly.
Sera lowered herself to the grass.
"Sit for a bit," she said. "Take this in. You won't find a place like this every day."
Jack agreed without hesitation.
He sat down, leaning back slightly, his gaze drifting upward through the open sky framed by towering trees.
Suddenly, a group of creatures flew overhead, their wings catching the sunlight as they passed.
Jack's eyes widened.
Sera noticed and followed his gaze.
"Those are called Saper," she said. "They're native to this forest. They usually live along the tree trunks."
"They're… amazing," Jack murmured.
Sera felt something warm settle in her chest as she watched him.
Jack, still looking around in quiet wonder, suddenly felt a light weight settle on his lap.
He froze.
"Whoa—" he said softly. "Who's this little fellow?"
Sera leaned closer, eyes widening slightly.
"That's a Fenix Fox," she said. "They're very rare. Their population in Suvana Forest is small."
Jack looked down carefully.
"They usually never approach people," Sera added. "Seems like… it likes you."
Jack smiled faintly.
"Looks like it."
He gently hovered his hand over the small creature, careful not to scare it.
"This world," he said quietly, "it's full of so many different creatures."
His smile softened.
"I want to meet them all."
Sera watched him for a moment before replying.
"Yes," she said softly. "Me too."
Some time later, after they had rested for a while, Sera stood up and brushed off the grass.
"We should leave now," she said. "We still need to reach Grane City. If we don't cover enough distance today, we won't make it in time."
Jack sighed lightly, glancing once more at the clearing.
"Yeah, you're right," he said. "Though… I'm already getting used to this place."
He shook his head with a faint smile.
"Oh well. Let's go."
They quietly bid farewell to their new companions, leaving the peaceful clearing behind.
Jack called out, "Turt."
Under the shade of a nearby tree, Turt was still napping. He stirred, let out a long yawn, and slowly made his way over—only to hop straight onto Sera's shoulder again.
Jack watched the scene, stunned.
"Hey," he said, narrowing his eyes, "quit climbing onto her shoulder."
There was a hint of jealousy in his voice.
Turt turned his head away, deliberately ignoring him.
Jack froze.
"…Did you just ignore me?"
He stared for a second, then sighed.
"Oh well. Looks like he likes you too much," he said, glancing at Sera.
"I guess," Sera replied with a small smile.
Suddenly, her bag shifted.
Before either of them could react, Cloudy popped out, stretching lazily before tossing Turt straight off Sera's shoulder. Turt landed on the ground with a soft thud as Cloudy calmly took his place.
Sera blinked.
"Oh, you're awake?" she said. "You slept long enough."
Cloudy responded by jiggling slightly, looking refreshed and satisfied.
Jack couldn't help it.
He looked down at Turt and grinned.
"So? How was that, huh?" he teased. "In the end, you still have to come back to me."
Turt glared up at him.
Then—splash.
Water hit Jack square in the face.
His hair and clothes were instantly soaked.
"What was that for?" Jack protested, wiping his face.
Turt turned away again, completely ignoring him.
Jack rubbed his head, defeated.
"You're not my friend anymore."
Sera burst out laughing.
Cloudy joined in with a cheerful bounce.
With laughter trailing behind them, the two resumed their walk, leaving the clearing—and its quiet warmth—behind as the forest closed in once more.