In the heart of a jungle that shifts like a living labyrinth lies the Jade Queen’s Garden — a realm where spirits breathe through the trees, predators wear shadows as skin, and mercy is as dangerous as cruelty.

Nycto, a swordsman bound by old oaths, Tomoe, a warrior whose fists speak for her, Lena, a healer with roots in more ways than one, and Al-Haitham, a marksman haunted by doubts, are thrust together against enemies both human and monstrous. Among them lurks Alex — fighter, survivor, and rival — whose path is as entangled with theirs as it is opposed.

Hunted by the Veilfang, a beast born of nightmare, and stalked by the mysterious Collector, the group must confront not only the dangers of the Garden but also the poisons within themselves: pride, guilt, fear, and the burden of survival.

When the Wardens — masked keepers of the Garden — intervene with the Jade Queen’s Mercy, the companions are granted a fragile reprieve. But mercy is fleeting, and in a land where even the rivers whisper of hunger, every heartbeat could be the last.

Their journey is not just a fight for survival. It is a test of bonds, a reckoning of spirit, and a question that lingers in the dark:
Who will the Garden spare — and who will it claim?

Even the river's whisper felt distant, swallowed by a heavy, waiting silence.


Nycto's hands rested on the hilts of his twin katanas — still sheathed, angled slightly forward. His stance was loose, but his eyes tracked every shadow.


Al-Haitham's voice was barely more than a breath.


Two points of green slid through the dark. Not reflections. Not eyes.


It emerged from the black — jaguar-shaped, but wrong. Too large. Black fur rippled with veins of molten emerald, glowing with each pulse of breath. Mist curled from its jaws, chilling the night air.


Al-Haitham swallowed hard. "We can't outrun that."


"We're not running." Nycto drew both katanas in one fluid motion, steel whispering through the humid dark. "We finish it here."


The Veilfang struck first — a blur ripping the night apart.


Nycto's blades crossed in an instant, catching the opening pounce. Claws raked steel with a shriek, sparks bursting as glowing fur scattered into the air.


The beast twisted away, vanishing into shadow.


A heartbeat later — it reappeared behind Lena and Al-Haitham.


The arrowhead pulsed violet, then erupted in a concussive blast, hurling him and Lena out of range without drawing blood.


The Veilfang froze, its emerald gaze narrowing.


For a fraction of a second, they had it centered.


Nycto's strikes glanced off hide like steel on stone.


They circled, never stopping. Stopping was death.


The paw crashed into Lena's chest, flinging her into the undergrowth. She didn't move.


"Al-Haitham!" Nycto barked. "Get her clear!"


Nycto never looked away from the beast. "I'll do what I should've done from the start."


He raised both swords high above his head — the stance of Niten Ichi-Ryū: Jōdan.


Every clash shaved at the monster's stamina.


Nycto stepped in — both blades cutting through in a single, perfect arc.


The Veilfang's glow scattered into the wind


Chapter 11 - Chapter 11 – The Emerald Eyes in the Dark