Lately, the forest has become a magnet for unknown animals. What could they be seeking? Food, prey, shelter, or perhaps something else unknown? The beauty of this forest is truly captivating, yet it remains a place visited by only a select few humans. It takes true bravery and hunger to venture into its depths. Surprisingly, even animals seem to avoid making this place their home, except for the occasional bird or two. So why, all of a sudden, do animals find themselves drawn to this enigmatic realm? The mystery continues to deepen.
(•ω•)
During days gone by, the fog in Heart-ling Forest was quite invigorating, and Nira liked it because she could hide within it. A scuffling sound suddenly came from inside the bathhouse, where both Nira and Larisa resided. "Breathe slowly, breathe slowly," Larisa would always tell her.
Nira walked cautiously inside, carefully examining the ground. Before she could react, two striking white eyes stared at her, followed by a pounce into her open arms. The creature began licking her face with excitement. "Mr. Foxxy looks happy to see you today," Larisa nodded.
Before them stood an abnormal-looking big fox with a bushy tail that seemed to have a mind of its own, sometimes standing up like a cobra in a striking pose. It had silver eyes, huge triangular pointy ears, and sapphire-blue fur. The expression on its face was permanently smiling, with a rather feral and wild look.
When she first met the fox, it was whining, either in pain or fear. As soon as Nira heard the whine, she ran far away, whimpering and crying loudly herself. If she wanted to hide better, she needed to make fewer sounds, as anyone within a 2-mile radius could hear her and know her location. The fox stopped making a sound, curious about the loud noise, and slowly came to investigate.
Stealthily, it entered the bathhouse and stood motionless, observing Nira as she continued to whimper and cry in the corner of the room.
She had no idea it was there. When she turned around, she let out a large gasp, but the fox remained there with a heart-melting smile on its face. It walked slowly up to Nira, licked her arm, and she finally stopped making a sound, softly patting the fox on its head. Nira tried to give the fox food, but it didn't want to eat anything she gave it. The fox just wanted to be close to Nira.
This was the first time she interacted with anyone other than Larisa.
When Larisa first learnt of Nira and her new companion, she was overwhelmed with joy. She knew that Nira had longed for companionship for a long time.
Of course, she always had me, but Nira needed to find connections and interactions elsewhere for her well-being. I could tell she needed it badly.
In the past, whenever I tried to make my presence known within Heart-ling Forest, even when encountering animals, she thought about getting close to one and befriending it, but ultimately, she ended up running away and wailing.
Unlike myself, Nira couldn't control her invisibility, so she took delight in playfully spooking human visitors to the forest in any way she could. But, without a doubt, she adored observing me scare away annoying campers who boasted and acted overly macho—Nira always giggled profusely when I did so. There was some humanity there.
Once Nira gained a firm grip on her emotions and kept her focus, she would be able to improve her ability to maintain her invisibility and choose who could see her.
Looking at Nira with the fox in her lap, there was something bizarre about them—they were howling and growling today. Nira could speak; but, she spoke sparingly.
I saw Nira looking right into the fox's eyes, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt a bit of happiness forming inside her.
For a brief second, the fox became translucent. I saw Nira's smile drop instantly, and a tear formed in her eye.