Something about it felt wrong. The forest

  should have been silent after all that chaos. Instead, it revealed something impossible.

  A wooden house hung high among the branches of towering trees. Ropes stretched from one platform to another, and rope bridges connected the structures overhead. Far below, a hill lay quietly beneath the forest canopy, with houses nestled within its slopes.

  A wide town stretched along the road, where people bought and sold goods beneath the towering trees. The market wove between wooden platforms and hanging bridges high above the forest floor. A carved street lamp stood tall, its flame burning without end. All around, people moved in lively chaos, children weaving between them and unidentifiable noise echoed through the air, as if a hidden civilisation thrived in this isolated forest.

  While he was speechless, a man approached.

  "Hey kid, what are you doing there?"

  The man came closer. His hair was brownish-black with a hint of grey and his ears were slightly longer than usual. Each of his fingers was wrapped in bandages, and he had a piece of cloth tied around his arm. He was wearing three-quarters-length trousers with a pocket on the left side, and he was barefoot, with bandages wrapped around his feet except the heel.

  The man asked again.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "N...nothing..."

  Sayda replied.

  His gaze fell upon Sayda's clothes, which were damp. His voice changed right away.

  "Did you go to the waterfall?"

  The man asked but Sayda's eyes did not move from the man. He remained silent.

  "..."

  "You naughty kid. The Lone has already warned you not to wander out there."

  Sayda stood there, bewildered, not knowing what to do.

  "I... I'm sorry..."

  He muttered.

  Suddenly, the man grabbed him by the arm...

  "Wait... why did he grab my arm?"

  With a single push, he thrust Sayda inside.

  "Young people these days, still hot-headed... they don't know what's waiting for them outside."

  After the man left, Sayda stepped cautiously into the strange place while his eyes darted around, still unable to comprehend what was happening.

  "Did the man think that I was one of them?"

  "Wait... what is this place?"

  "Where is Eldras?"

  "Hold on a second – I can't see this location on the map. It shouldn't exist."

  His thoughts were in a state of disarray when, out of nowhere, he heard a sound... a noise emanating from the pit of his stomach.

  "Ugh, and I'm starving..."

  A voice suddenly bellowed from above, startling everyone.

  "Watch out!"

  Sayda looked up. A few meters ahead, a boy dashed across a suspension bridge, dropping something below. A cloth bundle tied with a rattan rope hit the ground, bursting open and scattering soil and mud in all directions, splattering the people nearby.

  "Oi! Watch it!"

  Someone shouted.

  A woman wiped her sleeve with a scowl, while a man kicked the scattered soil aside. Children laughed from above as a few traders cursed under their breath. Until an old man came out of his booth and saw the dirt that had hit the front of it. With a wrinkled face, he looked up.

  "Hey, you little brat!"

  The boy looked taken aback when he saw the old man's face looking at him.

  "Oh no... that old man again."

  His back gave a faint crack as he bent down, the old man paused mid-stride before lowering himself to the ground to retrieve a handful of dirt, with the intention of hurling it at the boy.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A soft burst of laughter slipped out from the boy's lips. Suddenly, a clump of dirt flew toward him just as he bent down.

  "Shit... I need to run right now."

  He immediately ran away. From down below, the old man shouted, his annoyance palpable.

  "Hey little brat! Don't you dare to run away! Who's going to be responsible for cleaning all this?"

  "I'm so sorry! And I don't have time for any of that!"

  He shouted from above, smiling.

  From a distance, Sayda watched the scene unfold.

  "A mischievous kid? Well, there are naughty kids everywhere, so it's no surprise..."

  Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to find a tall man with a white eyeball in his left eye right behind him. He spoke firmly.

  "What are you doing in the middle of the road, kid? Are you aware that you are obstructing my path?"

  "M...my fault"

  His voice trembled.

  For a few seconds, the man looked at Sayda before pushing him back and continuing down the road. The man's departure was witnessed by him, but he felt a sense of unease.

  "Is he blind in one eye... or is that something else entirely?"

  With an eye on the road ahead and a keen ear out for any sound, he kept walking, his mind constantly engaged.

  "Their faces... look very different to how they used to. Is this a special feature of theirs?"

  He walked through the market. It was noisy. Boys ran after each other.

  "There's nothing normal about this... Am I really with humans right now?"

  "And how it is unfathomable that humans would choose to live in the midst of the forest. I can't really understand."

  Suddenly, his stomach rumbled loudly.

  "Shit, thinking a lot makes me get hungry quickly."

  His eyes scanned the area, looking for food, but something caught his attention. He looked left and right, all the shops had them. Some were carved into the doors, while others were hanging inside the shops. They were all almost the same: a symbol.

  "Is that sun? and why is the crescent-shaped moon next to it in the sun?"

  "A prosperity charm? No... That doesn't make sense. It's not just in shops. It's on houses too."

  Suddenly, someone bumped into him from behind. With curiosity, he tried to turn, but a boy ran past him. While running, the boy rubbed his head.

  "I'm sorry!"

  The boy spoke. His face was familiar.

  "That naughty kid?"

  Sayda yelled at the boy who ran away.

  "Hey!"

  However, the boy was already far away to hear it.

  "Tch, watch where you're going."

  The boy ran, pushing his way through the crowd. His voice was ragged with panting. He jumped over a road pillar as he approached it. He kept running until he reached a wooden furniture shop. He stepped onto a table and jumped up.

  The shopkeeper who witnessed it let out a shout of anger.

  "Hey! How dare you!"

  Once he reached the suspension bridge above him, the boy apologised again. He did not stop; he continued running until he reached the end of the bridge.

  He jumped and, as he floated in the air, his right hand suddenly turned into grey fur. His nails extended sharply and grabbed the large branch of the tree he had been aiming for.

  "Phew, safe!"

  He hung from the branches, gripping them with his claws. He seized the momentum by swinging himself towards another hanging bridge.

  The bridge jolted beneath his weight. People above it shouted in protest–some startled, others cursing.

  "Oops!"

  He looked back.

  "I'm sorry!"

  He turned forward again–only to collide with something. He looked up.

  An old man in worn, ragged clothes stood on the bridge overhead, a crooked grin stretching across his face. He stared down at the busy market below, yet his eyes were locked onto one boy amidst the crowd.

  The old man whispered, his grin never fading.

  "Finally, you've come."

  Down below, Sayda felt a strange chill run across his spine. The hunger returned, sharper than before.

  "Argh! I can't stand it anymore.I need to find some food!"

  While he was muttering to himself, the owner of a nearby bakery call out to him.

  "Hey kid! You look worn out. Why don't you come over here?"

  "Huh?"

  Sayda walked slowly toward the shop. Rows of freshly baked bread filled the shelves, and the sight of so many choices left him overwhelmed.

  "Choose whatever you like."

  The owner spoke to him.

  "What! Really? Are you sure?"

  His voice trembled with excitement.

  "Of course."

  "Hmm"

  He pressed a finger beneath his lower lip, eyes scanning the bread as he tried to choose.

  "How about that one."

  Sayda pointed at one of the round piece of bread, which were sprinkled with cocoa.

  "That will be three roka!"

  "Huh? The hell is roka?"

  "Oh, trying to play dumb about your own currency? Nice try. It won't work on me."

  "B... But I thought it would be free."

  "What do you think I am, some kind of charity? I'm running a business here!"

  Sayda was silent for a moment as a woman approached the shop.

  "But you called me here earlier, didn't you?"

  "Do you have the money or not?"

  "No..."

  He replied, disappointed.

  "Then, go away! I have another customer waiting... Yes miss, what exactly are you looking for?"

  Frustration made itself felt in Sayda's body as he took a step back, his hands clenched together.

  "Damnit, bastard old man!"

  He stepped almost to the end of the bread rack, his eyes fixed on a long loaf at the far end. He glanced back at the shopkeeper, who was busy serving a woman.

  "This is my chance!"

  "This world is simply a game, after all."

  He moved to the end of the shelf and glanced around. Seeing no one watching, he quickly slipped the long loaf into his pocket. He didn't hesitate; he left without a second thought.

  "Good, that man didn't see me."

  As he was walking away, an old man in tattered clothes accidentally bumped into him. A swift apology was offered by the old man.

  "I apologised."

  Sayda saw the old man who had just bumped into him. Stared him with a look of disdain, and said in a condescending tone.

  "Watch your step... Old man."

  He hurried off, not realizing that a piece of the loaf had broken off and dropped to the ground. The old man didn't move as he watched Sayda leaves, a cynical smile etched on his lips.

  "What a rude boy..."

  The old man stepped forward, trailing silently behind Sayda. From a distance, Sayda had a feeling that something was amiss. Glancing back, he caught sight of an old man strolling purposefully in his direction.

  "Is he following me? Does he still want to apologise?"

  Sayda ease off, giving the old man time to catch up with him. Just as the old man approached, He turned around, abruptly.

  "Hey, old m..."

  He fell silent and came to a halt, only to realise that the elderly man he believed to be trailing him had vanished.

  "Is it just my imagination?"

  He looked ahead again, only to find a pair of eyes fixed on him.

  He staggered a step backward, his breath caught in his throat.

  "Shit... You!... That old man..."

  "What are you doing here?"

  The old man did not blink. He opened his mouth to speak. Sayda froze.

  "You're not from here... are you?"