Jason scanned the forest around them.

  There was no sound. No movement. Only a pressure in the air—something intangible that made his muscles tense despite the stillness.

  A small rock tumbled from the tilted pillar behind them.

  Jason turned instantly.

  The stone rolled across the ground and came to a stop not far from his feet. His gaze followed its path upward, tracing the broken structure until it reached the top.

  A large blue alien crouched there.

  He was hunched low atop the pillar, spear held loosely at his side. Slender compared to Tahuuk, but no less imposing, his build suggested a strength that went beyond size alone. The weight of the spear alone spoke of inhuman power.

  Slowly, the alien straightened.

  “You are forbidden to come here, Tahuuk.”

  Jason glanced toward Tahuuk, waiting for him to respond, careful not to take his eyes fully off the warrior above them.

  “I was not planning to return,” Tahuuk said evenly. “But the universe intervened. I need a word with the elder.”

  “Exiles do not need anything from this place.”

  “I will answer for my mistakes,” Tahuuk replied. “But I still need to speak with him.”

  The tension thickened, the air between them tightening with every exchanged word.

  Jason stepped forward, instinctively placing himself between them.

  “This is because I—”

  “Enough.”

  The voice came from the forest.

  Calm. Female.

  “You do not decide for the elder, Naho.”

  A tribeswoman emerged from the trees. She was more slender than the others, her movements controlled and deliberate. Though smaller by Akicita standards, she still stood taller than Jason.

  “We will bring them before him,” she continued. “He will decide for himself.”

  Naho let out an irritated grunt. With a single motion, he leapt down from the pillar, landing heavily enough that Jason felt the impact echo through his legs.

  “Fine,” he growled. “Then we bring them to the elder.”

  He stalked past Jason, his glare sharp and openly hostile, then brushed past Tahuuk without a word. He passed the woman as well, not even sparing her a glance.

  Tahuuk followed until Naho moved ahead. Then his attention lingered on her.

  “Thank you, Sira,” he said quietly. “It is good to see you again.”

  Her expression hardened.

  “Not long enough, exile.”

  The words struck harder than any blow Jason had seen Tahuuk endure.

  But Tahuuk had expected this.

  He said nothing—only turned and followed as the group began moving westward.

  Jason remained still for a moment, watching them go.

  “…Right,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll just follow, then.”

  And he did.

  As they moved deeper into the forest, Jason realized—truly realized—just how surrounded they had been all along.

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  Five more tribesmen revealed themselves, descending silently from branches and shadows behind the trees. Jason froze for a heartbeat, stunned. Their builds were heavy, powerful—creatures that should have made noise. Yet not a single sound betrayed their movement.

  They continued westward.

  Jason followed, absorbing the world around him. As night deepened, he noticed something strange—he could see more clearly now than he had during the day. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, winding between leaves and branches, illuminating the forest in soft, shifting patterns.

  He stepped closer to Tahuuk, lowering his voice as he glanced at the warriors escorting them.

  “Everything looks clearer,” he whispered. “And… why don’t we see any animals?”

  “Don’t worry,” Tahuuk replied quietly. “They’re here.”

  Jason frowned.

  “They just know their place in the food chain.”

  Tahuuk met Jason’s eyes.

  “You will learn soon enough that if you want to stay here, you’ll need to find your place in it as well.”

  Jason grimaced slightly. “Feels like you’re singling me out.”

  Tahuuk let out a short breath and looked ahead.

  “We were no different. This world is known as the planet of predators. When we arrived, there were at least ten tribes like ours. Over generations, we tried to find balance with nature.”

  He paused.

  “Now, only three remain. The others didn’t survive the jungle.”

  Jason’s eyes widened.

  If the other tribes had been anything like the Akicita… what kind of predators could erase them?

  He cast another uneasy glance toward the dark forest and moved closer to Tahuuk as they continued forward.

  Tahuuk noticed and scoffed faintly.

  “Keep one thing in mind,” he said. “Everything here exists in harmony—guided by the Protector.”

  “The Protector?” Jason echoed.

  “The one you would call a Guardian.”

  Jason’s thoughts spiraled. A Guardian bound to a world like this—what form could it possibly take? His imagination conjured shifting silhouettes as they walked, creatures vast and unknowable.

  The forest began to thin.

  Flickering torchlight appeared ahead, faint at first, then steady.

  Trees gave way to wooden structures—huts built from living timber, some grown directly into the forest itself. Elevated walkways connected treehouses and lookout posts high above the ground.

  The village was larger than Jason expected. At least seventy tribespeople moved through it—warriors, gatherers, elders. There were few children, but those he saw played quietly with stones and branches near their homes.

  Everything slowed as Jason and Tahuuk passed.

  Some stared because they had never seen a being like Jason before. Others watched because an exile had returned.

  They continued toward the heart of the settlement, approaching a massive tree rising above the rest. A larger dwelling was built into its trunk—the elder’s house.

  Tribespeople gathered before it, forming a loose circle around a slightly hunched figure. The elder moved with deliberate steps, leaning on a staff carved from twisted roots. Its surface was smooth and worn, the top coiling into a spiral like a snail’s shell.From the gaps between the roots of the staff, small twigs had sprouted, their buds fresh and green. The wood felt almost alive, as though it continued to grow in the elder’s grasp.

  He turned as the gathered tribespeople shifted their attention toward the approaching group. His eyes narrowed, squinting into the distance. When Tahuuk and Jason came close enough to be clearly seen, a faint snicker escaped him.

  “Sira, my young warrior… and Naho, you look as irritated as ever.” His voice was rough, yet carried an unexpected lightness. “And who do we have here behind you two?”

  He leaned forward slightly, studying Tahuuk’s face. Recognition dawned slowly, followed by a small, knowing smile.

  “Well, well. If it isn’t little Tahuuk. Still as resolute in your decisions, it seems.”

  Naho stepped forward at once, his tone sharp.

  “Elder, he’s an exile. We can’t allow him to just—”

  The elder raised his staff and tapped Naho lightly on the forehead.

  “You always speak what first reaches your mind,” he said calmly. “Tahuuk knows he is an exile. Yet he came anyway.” His gaze shifted to Tahuuk, assessing. “If it is important enough to return, then I am willing to listen.”

  He tapped the base of the staff against the ground twice.

  “I invite you to my house. We will speak there. Sira, you will join us.”

  Without waiting for a response, he turned toward the massive tree at the center of the village and began walking, humming a soft, wandering melody under his breath. Though his back was slightly bent and his steps slow, his gaze remained sharp as it drifted across the gathered villagers.

  Tahuuk, Jason, and Sira exchanged brief looks. None of them could read the elder’s intent.

  After a moment, they followed.

  The surrounding tribespeople watched as they passed, curiosity and quiet tension lingering in their expressions. But gradually, one by one, they returned to their tasks.

  Jason noticed.

  The elder’s word was law.

  He shifted his gaze forward again. Ahead of him walked nothing more than a frail, aging figure leaning on a staff.

  And yet no one questioned him.