The forest was as it had always been, nothing had changed. Giant trees surrounded him from all sides, and the atmosphere, charged with stillness and darkness, made every step Arashi took feel strange, as if it was hiding many secrets.
Days passed in the forest with no significant change, and fortunately, he did not feel hunger due to his Qi. His attempts to find an exit collided with the dense darkness surrounding him, as though the place itself refused to let him leave. Despite the new abilities he had gained, he felt that the forest was turning against him, watching him and observing every movement he made.
But on the third day, as he continued his search, he noticed something unusual. There was a faint sound coming from the distance. Faint whispers, as if people were talking far away. Arashi stopped and focused on the sound, then decided to follow it.
He began moving cautiously, glancing around from time to time, trying to keep himself hidden. But the sound grew clearer as time passed, and he felt that there were other people in this forest.
After several hours of walking on rough terrain, he reached a place that looked different. The trees were thinner here, and the spaces more open, but what caught his attention was a group of people passing through the area. They were speaking in a strange language, wearing old-fashioned clothes, as if they belonged to a different time. He didn't know who they were or how they appeared, but he was certain they were not from this forest.
Without them noticing, Arashi began to follow them from a distance. They moved with confidence, as though they knew the path they were taking very well. He avoided being noticed, not knowing yet who they were or what their purpose in this forest was.
Days passed as he silently followed them. He hid in the shadows and crept between the trees, trying to stay out of their sight. As time passed, the path they followed became clearer, and the sense of direction they were giving him grew stronger in his heart. It seemed as if they were leading him somewhere, as though they knew this was the path out of the forest.
Then, one night, as they rested in their camp, Arashi felt something strange. The sky was clearer, and the moonlight illuminated the area around them. Suddenly, he heard them talk about an exit, about "the path to the horizon." Their conversation was filled with mystery, as if they didn't want to reveal more. But deep down, Arashi knew this was a sign. A sign that the exit was near.
The next day, as they walked through another part of the forest, they suddenly stopped. Arashi, watching them from afar, saw one of them look directly at him, as if they had discovered his presence.
Suddenly, without saying a word, they moved quickly in a different direction and began walking toward a narrow passage between the trees. Arashi followed them from a distance, his heart pounding in his chest. Finally, as the sun began to set, they reached a certain point where he could see light in the distance. This was the exit he had been searching for.
Arashi managed to cross the narrow passage, and when he emerged, he felt something unfamiliar. The forest was behind him, and he had left it. He didn't know how it happened, but he knew that the group he had followed was the reason. They were not just ordinary travelers; they were some sort of guides in this lost place, knowing the paths that no one could reach alone.
When he looked back, the forest had disappeared. In front of him, the land was open, and the sun shone on new horizons, but a strange feeling accompanied him. It was as if the path he had taken was not just a coincidence, but part of a new trial, a trial he didn't yet understand.
But the truth was clear before him now: He had left the forest. But what awaited him next?