The trees swayed as Noel gracefully leaped from one to another, marking his path for the others who followed. His plan was to meet his comrades near the monster's territory, a strategy they had meticulously devised.
Moving swiftly, the cold breeze brushed against Noel's fur. The bright stars and three moons bestowed upon him the unique trait of invisibility during the night. It proved invaluable for scouting and hunting enemies during their missions.
Reaching a midway point, Noel paused, whispering to himself, "I hope we can defeat that monster." With a swift claw, he marked a tree, then leaped back upward.
As he prepared to mark another tree, a sense of unease crept over him. Hissing, he turned to see a figure emerging from behind a tree. Despite his invisibility, the mysterious woman could see him and approached slowly.
Noel leaped backward, recognizing the potential threat, and readied himself for a possible battle. A creature capable of seeing the invisible posed a danger comparable to the turtle monster's impenetrable shell. "A paral," the woman declared, revealing herself as a black-clad figure with a black veil covering her eyes and a single eye on her head. Her nails and feet were painted black, and she walked barefoot.
Noel remained silent, cautious. "Who are you?" he inquired, unsure of her intentions.
"Ranthi, one of the eight," she calmly replied, her hand on her chest in introduction.
Noel scrutinized her, wondering about the meaning of "one of the eight." His gaze fell to the void around her feet, where the grass and ground seemed to vanish, creating an instant shadow.
Without understanding the term "paral," Noel asked, "What do you mean, one of the eight?"
"You are a human, in possession of a paral," she explained. "A four-legged animal capable of invisibility during the night. And I am the guardian of the void, Ranthi. But a paral is the monster, not you; you just acquired its power."
Curiosity sparked, Noel queried, "So, the black panther I encountered was a paral?"
"We call it paral in this world. I don't know what you called it in your past world," she clarified.
Noel relaxed, retracting his claws. "So, what do you call me now?" he asked.
The woman chuckled, "I don't know, paral human?"
Suppressing a grin, Noel replied, "Well, I guess I'll stick with my name, Noel." He then inquired about the additional powers he might possess, apart from invisibility.
"Yes, but that won't go without a price," Ranthi's calm tone turned sinister, causing unease in Noel.
As the air grew tense, Ranthi abruptly mentioned, "The other humans are coming here. I need you to stop marking the trees and stay here. I need someone from them, to—"
Noel's eyebrows furrowed, and he interrupted, "What are you going to do with them? They are my friends."
"Friends for now. One of them possesses something that may destroy the balance in this world," Ranthi asserted. She revealed that the borders between habitats had been breached, leading to the appearance of monsters with divine origins.
Confused and concerned, Noel questioned the validity of her claims. Ranthi explained that tunnels between habitats should not exist, preventing creatures from different environments from entering one another. She disclosed that Noel's appearance in the marshland was abnormal and correlated with the breach of borders.
Despite his skepticism, Noel offered to help. Ranthi confirmed that someone among his friends was the cause of the disturbances. As she discussed her intentions to take them and examine them, Noel grappled with the decision to betray his friends or help Ranthi.
The conversation intensified as Noel refused to comply with her demands. Ranthi, frustrated, revealed her unique ability to traverse different worlds and explained her role as the guardian of the void. She asserted that her siblings, the other seven guardians, couldn't meet to avoid catastrophic consequences.
As Noel pondered his choice, the conversation ended abruptly. Ranthi, realizing that other humans were approaching, decided to act quickly. The atmosphere grew intense as she explained the potential threat posed by the individual among Noel's friends. Despite the urgency, Noel firmly rejected the idea of betraying his comrades.
In response, Ranthi, claiming to be the lesser good among her siblings, summoned black hands that pulled Noel deep into the ground, creating a void. The marshland fell silent as Noel disappeared into the darkness.
With a whispered acknowledgment of Rabi, Ranthi allowed the black shadow beneath her to consume her, leaving no trace of the encounter. The marshland returned to stillness, concealing the mysterious events that had transpired.