CRAAACK—!
The sound of a branch breaking came from behind the trees.
Renan stopped in his tracks.
He slowly turned around, then directed his flashlight between the dark trees. There was nothing there. Only leaves swaying gently in the wind.
Ssshhh...
The wind blew again, sweeping across his face with a chill.
Renan sighed.
"Probably just an animal."
He continued along the trail.
That night, the sky was dark and starless. Thick clouds covered the moon, making the forest on the outskirts of Tian City feel quieter than usual. The wind whispered gently through the trees, accompanying Renan's footsteps as he occasionally stopped to capture the nighttime scenery.
A small camera hung around his neck. He enjoyed photographing nighttime landscapes as references for his paintings. To him, places like this, far from the noise of the city, always made his thoughts feel calmer.
Renan stopped beside an old tree.
He raised his camera.
Click.
He had successfully taken a picture.
Renan lowered the camera and checked the shot. But before he could smile in satisfaction—
FWOOSH!
A flash of blue-violet light suddenly streaked across the sky.
Renan flinched and instinctively looked up.
The light was so bright that it illuminated the entire forest for several seconds. Blue and purple blended together like glowing mist, moving between the clouds before stopping directly above the forest.
Renan narrowed his eyes.
"What is that?"
There was no rumble of thunder.
No rain.
Only silence.
The light hung in the air for several seconds, as if it were searching for something.
Then—
WUUUUSH!
The light began to descend.
Fast.
Faster and faster.
Renan took a step back.
The glowing object looked like a falling star, but it kept growing larger as it approached the ground.
"Wait..."
BRAAAK!
The blue-violet light slammed into the depths of the forest.
The ground trembled.
Birds hiding in the trees took flight in panic. Leaves tumbled down as the strange light slowly vanished behind the trees.
Renan stood frozen.
His heart began to race.
His common sense told him to go home immediately.
Whatever had just fallen into the forest clearly wasn't something he should approach.
But curiosity overpowered his good sense.
He gripped his camera tightly.
"All right... I'll just take a quick look."
At last, he hurried in the direction where the light had fallen.
The deeper he went into the forest, the stranger the atmosphere became.
The crickets that usually chirped at night had fallen silent. There were no birds. Even the wind seemed weaker.
Renan slowed his pace.
Between the trees, he began to see a faint bluish glow.
"There..."
Renan moved closer.
But after a few steps, he stopped.
His eyes widened.
In the middle of the slightly damp grass, a woman lay motionless.
Renan stared at her for several seconds.
The woman wore a soft blue dress, modestly covered with long sleeves and featuring a low neckline. The fabric was light and fell beautifully, decorated with delicate lace and shimmering accents that reflected the moonlight.
The dress looked far too elegant to be in the middle of a forest like this.
Her long hair spilled messily around her. Some strands covered her pale face, which looked utterly serene.
Renan frowned.
Who was she?
And how could someone possibly be in a place like this?
He immediately crouched beside her.
"Hey."
There was no response.
Renan carefully touched her shoulder.
"Hey, are you all right?"