The wind was calm, carrying a cool breeze that rustled through the thick canopy of Vasukih Forest. The tranquil scenery would have been comforting to anyone else. But Zeyn wasn't here to relax.
He stood at the edge of the ancient, creaking gate, staring into the dark woods ahead. The whispers of unseen creatures already stirred beyond the trees, but he didn't flinch. His mind was steady, though his chest felt heavier with each passing breath.
"Are you sure about this?"
The voice behind him was low and filled with worry. Zeyn turned slightly, meeting the gaze of the Dewi Ijo village elder, the man's lined face tense beneath his straw hat.
"I have to," Zeyn said, eyes shifting back to the gate. "This is between me and my sisters. I won't let it spill over to the village."
The elder's frown deepened. "I'm not worried about the village, boy. I'm worried about you. You're too young to be carrying this kind of burden."
Zeyn offered a faint smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll keep moving forward. No matter what."
The old man sighed, pressing his palms together. "Then may the forest gods watch over you."
* * *
Zeyn's boots crunched over the forest floor as he entered Vasukih. The air turned sharp and cold, every gust of wind crawling over his skin like icy fingers. Shadows shifted behind the foliage. The deeper he went, the more the forest came alive—eyes glinting from the dark, claws scraping against bark, whispers curling around him like fog.
They emerged one by one.
Minotaurs with horned shadows. Ogres with lumbering frames. Werewolves and giants slinking between trees. But most were something worse... humanoid figures with scaled limbs, slit-pupiled eyes, and forked tongues flickering in anticipation.
And yet… they didn't attack.
They stared. Watching.
Because Zeyn's crimson chakra flared around him like wildfire, pulsing with a rage so heavy the creatures instinctively stepped back. It wasn't just power—it was hate given form.
'Welcome to our domain, Your Highness,' the whispers echoed in his mind, a dozen voices layered as one. 'But why does your anger stink so strongly? Are you here to start trouble?'
Zeyn's gaze cut through the darkness. "You already know why I'm here. Don't waste my time."
The creatures growled, a chorus of low roars rumbling through the trees. A hulking beast shuffled forward, a gorilla-like monster with the wrinkled face of an old man and dagger-long fangs. It beat its chest, shaking the ground with its roar.
Zeyn didn't even blink.
His blank, unshaken stare broke the beast's bravado. Its growls faltered… then, with a panicked grunt, it turned tail and fled into the shadows.
"Tch. Lowly creatures."
The forest grew tense, the air heavier, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath.
'How intriguing, Your Highness!'
A sudden, slicing wind ripped through the clearing, shredding branches like paper. The creatures scattered. Something far stronger had arrived.
*CRASH!
A massive impact split the silence as a towering Lizardman dropped into view, his monstrous frame clad in blackened scales. A heavy shield on one arm, a colossal sword in the other. He swung down with a roar, his strike strong enough to cleave a boulder in two.
Zeyn caught it with one hand. Effortlessly. "Oh?"
'After becoming a traitor, now you dare to challenge us all, Your Highness?' the Lizardman's voice hissed in his mind, sharp and venomous. 'Shall we strip you of your title before we tear you apart?'
The Lizardman's blade screeched against Zeyn's crimson barrier, sparks scattering like dying fireflies. The monster's amber eyes narrowed.
'Impossible… even my wind magic can't scratch you.'
Zeyn's smirk was cold. "Perhaps you overestimated yourself."
Before the Lizardman could answer, a shockwave tore through the forest.
*BOOM!
A distant explosion ripped apart the trees, the force slamming into them like a storm. Zeyn reacted first—kicking the Lizardman square in the chest, sending the towering creature crashing into the undergrowth.
Ten figures materialized from the shadows, clad in obsidian armor. Royal guardians. Their movements were sharp, their presence suffocating as they encircled him.
'You despicable creature,' one growled, its voice echoing directly in Zeyn's mind. 'Do you not understand your place? You are bound to this forest. A guardian of the realms. Yet you dare turn your fangs on us?'
Zeyn lowered into a defensive stance, his crimson chakra flaring brighter. "If you want me to kneel, you'll have to force me."
'You won't leave here alive!'
Zeyn chuckled. "Then try."
He inhaled deeply, chakra surging outward in a violent shockwave, pushing back the encroaching guardians. The earth trembled.
From the treeline, a massive silhouette burst forth—a hulking figure with black fur, glowing red eyes, and a tongue that slithered past its jagged fangs. Its footsteps shook the earth with each thunderous stride. A Genderuwo.
'I'll tear you apart myself!' The monster snarled, its voice rumbling like thunder,
It lunged, its fist crashing down with earth-shattering force.
*BAM!
The ground where Zeyn stood exploded into a crater… but he was gone.
"You're too loud… and far too slow," his voice whispered from above.
Hovering behind the creature's head, his palm glowed crimson. He slammed it into the monster's skull.
*DUARR!
The Genderuwo's massive body slammed into the earth, sending a shockwave rippling through the forest.
The reptilian warriors roared in unison, rage boiling over.
'Wretch! How dare you strike down your own kin!'
'We will make you suffer for this betrayal!'
Zeyn's feet touched the ground lightly. His chakra flared again, coalescing as his palms pressed together. The earth beneath the warriors split, forming a glowing, intricate circle that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Awakening the darkness I buried long ago… you'll regret forcing me this far," he said, voice low and dangerous.
'Spare us your excuses! Once a traitor, always a traitor!' one guardian spat, leaping at him.
Zeyn sidestepped the strike, catching the attacker's arm mid-swing. His knee snapped upward, striking the warrior's thigh before slamming into his elbow.
*CRACK!
The guardian's scream echoed before a final chop to the neck silenced him.
Another came, spinning in for a kick. Zeyn caught the leg, twisted his body, and drove his elbow into the warrior's face. As the creature reeled, Zeyn seized its torso, ramming his knee into its sternum.
Two guardians crumpled to the dirt. The remaining eight recoiled, eyes wide.
'Something's wrong… Our magic—!'
'The circle! It's suppressing us!'
Their panic filled the clearing as they realized they were trapped…
'Why don't you come closer… and see what happens," Zeyn said, his tone dripping with challenge.
The forest erupted with motion. Astral beings, creatures that had been watching silently—finally surged forward. A tide of scales, claws, and fangs. Dozens became hundreds. Hundreds became thousands, circling him like a living storm.
'Charge! Tear him apart!'
Sixty of the fiercest warriors lunged first, unleashing waves of elemental strikes and spectral magic. The clearing became chaos, explosions and roars shaking the trees.
But the moment they crossed the glowing crimson circle around Zeyn's feet… their power crumbled. Their bodies convulsed, collapsing under the crushing spiritual pressure. Those who resisted were met with bone-cracking strikes. Each punch, each kick landing with lethal precision.
*BAGH! DAGH! CRACK!
"This is fun… Come on! Give me everything you've got!" Zeyn roared, his voice almost manic.
'What… is he? No human fights like this!'
'He's no human. His power rivals the forest's own ruler…'
The circle pulsed like a heartbeat, feeding Zeyn's strength with every creature he felled. His energy didn't drain. It swelled, growing heavier, darker.
He exhaled sharply. "Enough playing around."
The circle's glow surged, collapsing into his body in a burst of light. His chakra erupted, the air vibrating as his eyes flared crimson. From the swirling energy, a monstrous form materialized—an eight-headed serpent, its single colossal body spanning thirty meters, each head writhing toward a different cardinal direction.
'No… not that technique!'
'Everyone, retreat! NOW!'
"Too late."
*SSSHHHK! DRAKKHHH!
Blinding blasts of energy erupted from each serpent head, sweeping outward in every direction. Within a heartbeat, everything within sixty meters... trees, rocks, astral beings was obliterated. When the dust settled, Zeyn stood alone amidst a wasteland of ash and smoke, the echo of the serpent's final, deafening roar fading into the clouds.
He sank to one knee, sweat beading on his brow. "Damn… drained faster than I thought. Need to… recover…"
Cross-legged, he steadied his breath, beginning to meditate. Around him, countless astral beings lingered at the edges of the scorched field, none daring to take a step closer.
'He… he leveled everything… in seconds.'
'We… can't face that.'
The sky darkened. Thunder growled, lightning splitting the clouds. The pressure in the air grew so heavy it felt like the forest itself was bowing. Every creature fell to their knees.
A figure descended, stealing every breath from the clearing. She glided from the heavens on a black chariot, her long black cheongsam flowing like liquid shadow. Her beauty was otherworldly, but below her waist, her form twisted into a sleek, glistening serpent tail. The aura around her was suffocating.
'How troublesome,' her voice resonated across the forest, cold and commanding.
The Second Sister—Ayu, ruler of Vasukih Forest had arrived.
With a single gesture, invisible chains coiled around Zeyn, locking his limbs in place. The astral horde dared not move.
But Zeyn's lips curled into a smirk. He stomped once. The earth cracked. The spell shattered like glass.
Ayu's serpent eyes widened, her grip faltering.
'He… broke free? So easily?'
'Even the forest ruler can't hold him… he's worse than we feared.'
The guards drew their weapons, tension snapping like a drawn bowstring.
Zeyn stood tall, crimson chakra still pulsing around him. His gaze fixed on the descending figure.
"So, my dear sister… You've decided to come." His voice was low, a promise of violence.
* * * *