At last, they reached their destination. Just a few meters from the edge of the forest, the rice stalks stood untouched, swaying gently in the breeze as if no one had passed through.
There were no signs of a struggle, no footprints or disturbances—nothing to suggest anyone had ventured this way.
The air hung thick with stillness, an eerie calm that felt almost unnatural. For a brief, unsettling moment, it was as if the world itself had paused, holding its breath in anticipation.
When Kisha, Duke, and Vulture laid eyes on the object on the ground, a collective sigh of relief escaped their lips. It was as if the weight of a boulder pressing down on their hearts had suddenly lifted, and the suffocating tension that had held them captive melted away—at least, for a fleeting moment.
