A week passed since they left the cave.
When the sun rose on the seventh day, the three travelers found themselves standing at the edge of a towering cliff.
The river they had followed all week thundered past them before plunging over the edge. Hundreds of meters of rushing water crashed into a vast lake below, throwing clouds of mist into the air. Sunlight caught the drifting spray, painting brilliant rainbows across the sky.
Lorenzo held his two hands in front of his mouth, gasping. "...Okay, wow."
Nobody replied.
The view had stolen their words.
Beyond the waterfall stretched an endless sea of green.
Massive trees rose from the jungle floor like ancient giants, their crowns woven together into a living roof. Thick vines hung between branches, rivers twisted through the wilderness below, and bursts of colorful flowers broke up the ocean of green. The jungle seemed endless.
Yet beyond the jungle's borders, the familiar golden desert dunes still dominated the horizon, creating a striking contrast, an oasis of life surrounded by endless, scorched wasteland.
Green and gold.
Life and death.
Zyon stood silently, taking it all in.
He stared across the vast jungle as the past week flashed through his mind: long mornings beneath the sun, endless walking, hours of meditation, training until his muscles ached, forming a solidified light blade for the first time, watching Lorenzo's illusions improve with each passing day, and slowly learning how to survive without the village. The memories already felt strangely distant.
Then suddenly, a low rumble rolled through the jungle.
The three immediately went quiet, pulling them out of their thoughts.
Another followed.
Then came a shrill screech so loud it echoed across the valley.
The sounds of roars and snarls multiplied, followed by something that sounded disturbingly like bone snapping.
Far below, birds exploded from the canopy as though fleeing some unseen threat.
Then, two or three kilometers away, several enormous trees suddenly crashed sideways, which made the ground beneath their feet tremble.
Dust erupted into the air.
For a brief moment, something massive moved beneath the canopy.
Then it vanished again.
Lorenzo swallowed. "That..." His voice cracked. "...sounds a lot bigger than anything we've trained for."
"It is," Hound replied.
The older man looked calm, but both boys noticed how carefully he studied the jungle below.
Zyon felt fear too. Real fear. Not the kind created by stories or nightmares.
The kind that made your stomach turn and refuse to leave.
Yet beneath it, something else stirred.
Excitement.
Beyond the safety of the village lay a world that was dangerous, vibrant, and utterly unknown, a world finally opening its doors to him.
Hound rested a hand on each of their shoulders. "Good."
The boys looked at him.
A faint smile crossed Master Hound's face before he spoke again. "If you're scared, it means you're paying attention. Fear keeps people alive."
Lorenzo pointed toward the jungle. "What about whatever knocked over those trees?"
"We stay far away from it," Hound replied.
Lorenzo couldn't agree more. "Now that sounds like a good plan."
They remained there a little longer before Lorenzo peered over the cliff's edge. "So… how exactly are we supposed to get down? Grow wings?"
Hound pointed. "....The stairs."
Both boys followed his finger.
Silence...
Lorenzo took a few steps to the left and then jumped backward right away. "What stairs?" Lorenzo asked.
"Yeah… I'm not seeing any stairs. I'm seeing a very long fall."
Carved into the side of the cliff was a narrow staircase zigzagging toward the lake below. Moss covered many of the steps, while others had partially crumbled away entirely. Constant spray from the waterfall kept the stone slick and treacherous.
Lorenzo took a few cautious steps farther backward. "Nope." "Nope." "Nope."
"You survived giant shadow monsters, bro." Zyon tried encouraging his friend.
"Those were less terrifying, to be honest," Lorenzo replied. "I guess being short made me afraid of heights."
Hound chuckled.
"Why won't you go first, Sunnyboy?" Lorenzo challenged his friend.
"Challenge accepted," Zyon said, puffing out his chest in determination.
The moment he reached the first step and glanced down at the drop below, however, that determination wavered. His stomach tightened and a cold sweat formed on his forehead. 'This drop is about 150-200 meters at least.'
One careful step at a time.
The stone felt slippery beneath his boots, forcing him to keep his attention focused on every movement.
Behind him, Lorenzo continued complaining.
"This is a terrible idea."
"You've said that fourteen times," Zyon replied through clenched teeth. His focus was locked on the ancient stairs as he carefully tested each step before putting his weight on it. One mistake could send him tumbling down the cliff, making Lorenzo's nonstop commentary far less amusing than usual.
"Because it keeps being true, dude," Lorenzo snapped back.
Hound walked several steps behind them, carefully watching every movement. The old adventurer knew one misplaced foot was all it would take for disaster to strike, and he was ready to act the instant something went wrong.
The roar of the waterfall grew louder as they descended. Mist coated the stairs, soaking their clothes and turning the rocks into slippery traps.
About halfway down, the staircase widened into a natural ledge.
A dark cave sat embedded within the cliffside.
Zyon barely had time to notice it until a piercing screech erupted from inside.
The sound felt like metal scraping against stone.
Lorenzo got startled, and his foot slipped.
The world stopped.
For a single terrifying moment, he hung balanced on the edge, arms flailing.
Then gravity won.
"Lorenzo!" Hound and Zyon shouted at the same time.
The boy disappeared over the side, but Hound reacted instantly.
A whip of brilliant white light shot from his hand and wrapped around Lorenzo's waist.
With his free hand, Hound held onto the edge of the cave entrance, anchoring himself against the cliff.
The fall stopped.
Barely.
Lorenzo now dangled above the abyss, suspended between the cliff and the lake far below.
He looked down once and immediately regretted it. "MASTER HOUND!"
"I'm aware, BOY!"
"MASTER HOUND!" the boy yelled.
Another screech echoed from the cave, followed by more.
The darkness inside suddenly exploded outward.
Five creatures burst from the opening.
Massive bat-like Ethereals.
Their wings stretched nearly two meters across, leathery membranes revealing glowing green veins beneath dark purple skin. Red eyes burned with hunger, and every one of them possessed a mouth packed with rows of needle-like teeth.
Black saliva dripped from their jaws.
"Level 2 Zoombats!" Hound shouted.
The creatures instantly locked onto Lorenzo.
Which was unfortunate because Lorenzo was currently hanging like bait.
"Oh, come on, pull me up!" Lorenzo cried out.
Four Zoombats flew past Lorenzo, ignoring him.
The fifth and largest one circled him aggressively, jaws snapping toward his exposed neck.
"No matter what, don't let it bite you, Lorenzo!!" Hound shouted while sweat dripped down his forehead.
Zyon didn't hesitate.
Golden light covered his fist as he pushed off the stairs and launched himself into open air.
The Zoombat never saw him coming.
His left hand closed around one of its legs, holding onto it tightly.
The creature screeched and thrashed violently.
Wind howled past them as the lake rushed closer.
Closer and closer.
Up close, the creature looked even worse. Its face was a twisted mass of wrinkled gray flesh, oversized ears, and far too many teeth.
The Zoombat twisted toward him, and the foul smell of its breath nearly made Zyon gag.
Its jaws opened.
Zyon answered with a punch.
Golden light exploded across its stomach.
The impact made the bat scream and spiral uncontrollably.
They continued falling at high speed.
Twenty meters above the lake, Zyon knew he couldn't risk a bad landing.
Zyon drew one of his stone knives.
Golden light wrapped around the blade.
Then he drove it forward with everything he had.
The knife punched into the creature's chest.
Its scream died instantly.
The lake rushed up to meet him.
Then—
CRASH!
Both of them plummeted toward the water.
They hit the lake hard. The impact knocked the air from Zyon's lungs. The powerful current from the waterfall dragged him down.
He fought desperately, kicking toward the shimmering sunlight above, but the crushing water from the waterfall slammed him against sharp underwater rocks.
Pain exploded in his head.
His vision began to fade. The last thing he saw was the distorted glow of sunlight on the surface, growing dimmer as darkness closed in.