Leila stomped away angrily, her footsteps echoing faintly in the dense, foreboding forest. The darkness seemed endless, wrapping around her like a suffocating cloak. She desperately tried to maneuver her way out, but the thick canopy above allowed only fragments of moonlight to filter through.
Even though the moon hung brightly in the night sky, its pale light wasn't enough to illuminate the treacherous, rocky path before her.
"Argh!" she cried out as her foot caught on a jagged rock. She stumbled forward, her body hitting the hard ground with a painful thud.
Her hands and knees scraped against the rough surface, fresh bruises forming as a sharp sting spread through her palms. She groaned, her body trembling as she tried to push herself up. Her muscles ached, her breaths came in shallow gasps, and her chest felt as though it were caving under the weight of her grief.
But she couldn't stop.
Weak and burdened as she was, Leila forced herself to her feet, her legs unsteady beneath her. She didn't have the luxury of breaking down, not when Arman's life was on the line.
She believed, no, she knew, deep in her heart, that her brother was still alive. And if there was even the slightest chance of saving him, she had to keep going.
Yet saving Arman meant sacrifice—her sacrifice.
The Shah would not hand her brother back willingly. If her suspicions were correct and Arman had indeed been taken captive, the security surrounding him would be impenetrable. They would anticipate her coming for him. They would prepare for it.
The Shah would want something in return, something far worse than her life.
The thought chilled her to the core, her steps faltering momentarily. Becoming a weapon for the Shah, especially in the looming battle, would be the ultimate betrayal—not just to herself, but to her people.
The Norae people, her tribe, held a sacred principle: never use your power for evil.
This wasn't merely a code of honor. It was tied to an ancient oath, one bound by a terrible curse. If anyone among them used their gifts for malicious purposes, they would pay a heavy price—a sickness that would ravage their body and soul, ensuring their torment as a warning to others.
Leila clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she pressed forward. Her thoughts turned bitterly to her mother, who had sacrificed so much for them.
The Shah had taken her mother's life and used her blood as a means to his own ends—all without her consent.
The only reason her mother had submitted to him was to protect her children. For their sake, Leila thought bitterly, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. She gave up everything for them, and had lived a life of suffering because of them, even until she died, she was worried about them.
Leila knew deep down that if she repeated her mother's actions, the consequences would be dire. She would lose her powers, the essence of who she was. Worse still, the same incurable sickness would take hold of her, leeching her life force bit by bit until she was reduced to nothing but dust.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but she pushed it aside. She needed a plan—a real one. Charging in recklessly, driven only by emotion, would lead to disaster. Yet time was slipping through her fingers, leaving little room for careful thought.
Leila wiped her tears, her resolve hardening as she stood. Her wounds were healing faster than she had anticipated, her body's natural resilience kicking in. But it wasn't enough. It was too late to regret her hasty actions or the harsh words she had thrown at Shahkhur.
She wondered if Shahkhur could help her if she needed it.
She winced at the ache blooming behind her ears, it was coming from the mark but ignored it, refusing to let the pain slow her down. Determined, she marched forward.
She had been walking for what felt like hours, her steps heavy and deliberate. But the further she went, the more unsettling it became. No matter how far she walked, the scenery didn't change.
Leila stopped abruptly, her chest tightening as she glanced around.
It was the same place. The exact same place.
An endless loop…
"What's going on here?" she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the oppressive stillness of the forest.
Shahkhur had warned her. He'd tried to tell her this wasn't an ordinary forest, but she'd ignored him, too blinded by her anger and grief to listen. Now, she was paying the price. Fear gripped her as she tried to focus on the scenery to see if her mind was just playing tricks on her.
Her pulse quickened as unease settled in her gut. She crouched down to inspect the ground beneath her feet, hoping for some clue to escape this bizarre trap. That's when she noticed it—something she should have seen before.
A sticky, viscous liquid had begun to pool around her feet, thick and dark like tar. It clung to her shoes, pulling at her with a strange, unnatural force.
Leila's eyes widened as realization struck her like a thunderclap.
This wasn't an endless loop.
This wasn't even a trap in the traditional sense.
She was inside the belly of a monster.
Suddenly, Leila's footing became unsteady, her legs wobbling as if the ground itself were rebelling against her. She stumbled, reaching out desperately for anything solid—a leaf, a tree trunk—but everything she touched disintegrated, melting into the viscous liquid that now surrounded her.
Her breath hitched in panic as realization dawned. The monster whose belly she had unknowingly entered had begun to move, carrying her deeper into its lair, to God knows where.
Stories of creatures like this had been bedtime tales told by her sisters, meant to scare them into obedience. Folklore, she had thought, was nothing more than myths spun by fearful elder villagers.
Yet here she was, trapped within the very horror she had dismissed as fiction.
She could vividly recall the tales now: of monsters that mimicked enchanting gardens to lure unsuspecting travelers. Farmers would wander into the vibrant, blooming paradise, entranced by the beauty of the flowers and the dance of butterflies, unaware they were stepping into a death trap. The monster would wait patiently until its victims were deep within its grasp, then release a digestive fluid to dissolve them alive.
Leila cursed herself for her carelessness. She hadn't even noticed the unnaturally beautiful flowers or the fluttering of butterflies earlier. Lost in her grief and anger, she had walked right into its clutches.
Her heart hammered painfully in her chest.
"Help!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the suffocating darkness as she scrambled onto a nearby rock, the only solid surface left. Her heart pounded as the liquid churned around her, rising steadily.
The parts of her skin that the liquid touched burned fiercely, the acidic substance searing her flesh on contact. She hissed in pain, but her body's natural healing kicked in, mending the damage almost as quickly as it occurred.
But even with her abilities, she knew she couldn't endure this for long.
The rock beneath her feet began to sizzle, emitting a faint, acrid smoke as the liquid ate away at it. Desperation clawed at her chest as the monster's digestive fluids intensified, their consistency shifting from slimy to boiling, each new wave more caustic than the last.
"Help! Help me!" she screamed again, her voice raw with terror. She clung to the rock for dear life as it melted beneath her, her left foot slipping into the liquid.
A sharp, searing pain shot through her leg as the acid burned her skin almost instantly, reducing it to raw, exposed tissue. Leila cried out, her vision blurring with tears as she yanked her foot free, gasping in relief as her healing ability began to repair the damage.
But the healing process wasn't fast enough to counter the monster's relentless attack.
The liquid rose higher, its surface bubbling like a cauldron of boiling water. The acrid stench filled her nostrils, making it hard to breathe. Her rock refuge was dissolving faster now, shrinking beneath her weight.
Even with her healing abilities, Leila knew her body had its limits. If she remained in this corrosive liquid much longer, the regeneration would falter, and she would die.
Her heart pounded as she frantically scanned her surroundings for anything to grab onto, anything that might give her a reprieve. A fleeting glimmer of hope emerged when she saw a protrusion from the roof of the belly.
If she could just reach it…
She lunged upward, her fingers brushing against the slippery surface, but before she could secure her grip, the entire chamber shuddered violently.
The monster twisted and convulsed, dislodging her wobbly grasp.
Leila screamed as she plunged back into the acidic liquid, the burning sensation consuming her again. She flailed, using every ounce of her strength to push herself upward, desperate to find a solid surface. Her skin seared and healed in an agonizing loop, the pain relentless.
Despite the torment, she managed to latch onto a ledge near the roof of the creature's stomach. Hanging there, she panted, her breaths ragged. The liquid was rising steadily, but she clung on, refusing to give up.
If I can just climb to the mouth... maybe I can escape.
Her thoughts were interrupted by another tremor, this one even more violent than before. The monster jerked to the side, sending her crashing back into the acidic pool.
Leila gasped as the liquid enveloped her again, the pain sharper than ever. She kicked her legs furiously, trying to surface. Her ears rang with the sound of the creature's guttural roars, which reverberated through its body like thunder.
What's happening?
The beast thrashed wildly, its movements erratic and frantic. It was fighting something.
Then, amidst the chaos, Leila heard a deafening, bone-chilling roar. The sound resonated deep within her, shaking her to her core.
Her eyes widened as recognition dawned.
It was Shahkhur.
His roar was unmistakable—feral, commanding, and terrifyingly powerful.
And he had come to rescue her, she felt relief flooding her.