A thin mist began to blanket the path leading toward Aruna Mist Forest as Raka and his friends ran away from the village. Behind them, the distant sounds of explosions and clashing weapons still rang out, mixed with the shouts of villagers trying to escape.
No one spoke.
They were too focused on keeping moving.
Raka glanced back from time to time. His heart felt heavy.
Aruna Village was where he had been born and raised.
All his childhood memories were there.
But now he had to leave it behind.
Not because he wanted to.
Because circumstances had forced him to.
After running a considerable distance, they finally stopped on a small hill right at the edge of the forest.
Dimas immediately dropped to the ground.
“I never expected an adventure to start with us being chased by dozens of people.”
Nara sighed.
“If you keep complaining, you’ll run out of energy before we even enter the forest.”
“I’m not complaining.”
“That’s complaining.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“That’s obviously complaining.”
Alya slowly shook her head as she watched them.
Even in a situation like this, her two friends could still argue.
But Raka’s attention was fixed on the village in the distance.
Thin smoke was still rising into the sky.
Who knew what was happening there now?
He clenched his fists.
“I’ll come back.”
His friends turned toward him.
Raka stared at the village with fierce determination.
“I’ll come back when this is all over.”
Bima slowly nodded.
“And we’ll make sure the Eternal Shadow never threatens that village again.”
The sun climbed higher into the sky.
They decided to rest for a while before entering the forest.
That was when Bima opened his large bag.
He pulled out all kinds of strange objects.
There was a folding knife.
An extra map.
A long rope.
Small bottles filled with colorful liquids.
There was even a telescope-like device Raka had never seen before.
Dimas’s eyes widened.
“Did you bring your whole house?”
Bima chuckled.
“Long journeys require preparation.”
“I only brought two pieces of bread.”
“That’s why you’re always hungry.”
Nara laughed softly.
For the first time since the attack on the village, the mood grew a little more relaxed.
Alya picked up one of Bima’s maps.
“This isn’t an ordinary map.”
“Of course not.”
“Where did you get it?”
“My father.”
Bima sat on a large rock.
His expression grew more serious.
“My father spent years searching for information about the Sky Gates.”
“Did he ever find one?” Raka asked.
Bima fell silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
“No.”
“Then what happened?”
“He disappeared.”
Silence immediately fell over the group.
Raka looked at his new friend.
“Disappeared?”
Bima nodded.
“Three years ago.”
There was no smile on his face now.
Only sorrow he was trying to hide.
“My father left a letter.”
“What did it say?” Alya asked.
Bima looked up at the sky.
“‘If the compass ever begins to shine, find Raka Pratama. Your destinies are connected.’”
Raka fell silent.
More and more secrets connected him to everything that was happening.
And he didn’t even know half of them yet.
After resting, they finally stood before the entrance to Aruna Mist Forest.
Towering trees rose like massive walls.
The sunlight could barely penetrate the dense canopy.
White mist drifted slowly between the tree trunks.
The atmosphere there felt different.
Silent.
Too silent.
They couldn’t even hear the birds.
Nara studied their surroundings.
“I don’t like this place.”
“For once, I agree with you,” Dimas said.
Raka took out the compass he had inherited from his grandfather.
Its needle immediately began to move.
Then it pointed deeper into the forest.
“Looks like we have to go that way.”
Dimas let out a long sigh.
“Then let’s go.”
They stepped into the forest.
And instantly, the air felt colder.
Several hours passed.
The mist grew thicker.
They continued on, following the compass.
But the deeper they went, the stranger their surroundings became.
Some of the trees had unusual shapes.
Their trunks curved like humans screaming in agony.
Massive roots also stretched out of the ground like giant snakes.
“I feel like we’re being watched,” Alya whispered.
Raka nodded.
He felt the same way.
As if something was observing them from behind the mist.
Yet every time they turned around, no one was there.
Suddenly, they heard a branch snap.
CRACK!
Everyone stopped at once.
Dimas gripped a large stick he was using as a weapon.
“Who’s there?!”
There was no answer.
Only the mist continued drifting slowly.
Then the sound came again.
CRACK!
This time, it was closer.
Much closer.
Nara quickly nocked an arrow on her bow.
Bima drew his sword.
Raka felt his heart pounding.
A shadow emerged from behind the mist.
Then another.
And another.
They weren’t human.
Their bodies resembled wolves.
But they were nearly twice as large.
Their eyes glowed red.
Long fangs showed clearly between their jaws.
“What are those?” Dimas whispered.
Bima answered immediately.
“Mist Wolves.”
“Mist what?”
“They’re the natural guardians of this forest.”
The creatures continued to multiply.
Five.
Ten.
Fifteen wolves.
They began surrounding Raka’s group.
Nara swallowed hard.
“I have a bad feeling about this.”
“You always have a bad feeling,” Dimas said.
“And I’m usually right.”
“That’s also true.”
Raka gripped the sun pendant given to him by the village chief.
For some reason, the object felt warm.
Warmer by the second.
As if it were reacting to something.
One of the Mist Wolves slowly stepped forward.
Its eyes never left Raka.
Then suddenly...
Awooooooooo!
It released a long howl that echoed throughout the forest.
In an instant, the entire pack joined in.
The sound made the hair on their necks stand on end.
But something even more terrifying happened moments later.
The ground began to shake.
BOOM...
BOOM...
BOOM...
The sound of enormous footsteps came from within the mist.
Even the Mist Wolves suddenly backed away.
As if they, too, were afraid of whatever was approaching.
Raka and the others exchanged glances.
Their hearts began pounding faster.
Because whatever had frightened the pack of giant wolves...
Had to be far more dangerous.
Then, slowly, a massive shadow emerged from behind the white mist.
It stood more than five meters tall.
Its eyes glowed blue.
And on its chest was the same symbol as the one on the Sky Gate map.
Raka froze.
For the first time in his life, he was looking at a creature that could exist only in legend.
To be continued in Chapter 7 – Aruna Mist Forest