Ravihiro's journey led him into a dense and sprawling jungle, its towering trees and thick underbrush seeming to close in around him. Despite the serious purpose of his mission, Ravihiro couldn't help but find a strange beauty in his surroundings. Birds with bright, iridescent feathers flew overhead, their calls echoing through the canopy. Every now and then, he'd come across odd creatures peeking out from behind bushes or scurrying through the trees, almost as if they were sizing him up.
He ventured deeper, noticing that this jungle was unlike any he'd encountered before. The atmosphere was charged with spiritual energy, a tingling in the air that made his skin prickle. It seemed as if every plant and creature here was infused with some strange power, making him wonder if he was being watched.
As he continued, Ravihiro found himself sidestepping traps that had been artfully hidden along the path. He chuckled, a bit amused. "Someone's been busy," he muttered. He'd long since mastered the art of sensing traps, and this jungle, however dangerous, was like a playground to him. One trap involved vines rigged to release a swarm of sharp, poisonous darts, which he disarmed with a single flick of his finger. Another, he noticed, had stones positioned to trigger a pitfall, which he avoided with a light leap over the loose earth.
There were strange fruits hanging from the trees—purple, golden, and even shimmering ones that looked more like gems than anything edible. Curiosity got the better of him, and he picked one that looked safe. The moment he took a bite, his face twisted in surprise. It was incredibly sour, almost painfully so. He spat it out with a grimace, rubbing his tongue.
"Oh, that's foul!" he muttered, glancing around as if someone had tricked him. "Who plants such a thing here?"
Ravihiro continued, his path winding through dense foliage and over streams with crystal-clear water. He couldn't deny that the solitude, the silence of the jungle, and the challenge of navigating such an unpredictable landscape had begun to put him in a good mood. There was something freeing about this; no followers, no responsibilities, just him and the wild.
At one point, he encountered a group of mischievous monkey-like creatures with golden fur and small horns on their heads. They seemed curious, swinging from tree to tree to keep up with him, occasionally tossing small rocks in his direction as if daring him to react. Ravihiro, his patience wearing thin, finally glared at them and released a flicker of his aura. The creatures screeched and scampered away, deciding he wasn't one to be messed with.
Hours passed, and as the light began to dim, Ravihiro started to feel the weight of fatigue settling in. Just as he considered setting up camp, he heard something unusual—a faint scream echoing from deeper within the jungle. The voice was panicked, filled with terror, and it was unmistakably human.
Ravihiro's senses sharpened as he turned in the direction of the sound, his eyes narrowing. His instincts told him this wasn't a place where travelers would venture lightly, and whoever was in trouble likely had some reason for being here. Still, he couldn't ignore a cry for help.
Steeling himself, he moved forward, his footsteps now silent as he approached. The jungle, once a chaotic blend of noises, seemed to fall eerily quiet as he drew closer to the source of the scream.
The chapter ends here, leaving the mystery of the voice and the danger it heralds hanging in the air, as Ravihiro races to uncover what, or who, awaits him in the darkened depths.