He moved forward until he caught up with Yamka, standing beside her so they could follow Noroi together through the vast forest, filled with towering trees that reached so high into the sky they resembled skyscrapers whose tops you couldn't even see.
Even the tallest of humans would feel like some kind of insect in comparison to this world.
Noroi climbed over one of the massive tree roots stretching above the soil, its surface covered in green moss, with clusters of fungi growing beside it, feeding on the nutrients they absorbed.
Yamka and Haruki followed in his footsteps, matching his pace exactly, their eyes wandering around with curiosity.
Everything in their surroundings caught their attention,from the strange creatures lurking in the shadows to the bizarrely shaped plants that seemed alive in their own ways.
Haruki stopped, captivated, as he stared at a flower with glowing eyes.
It had long, slender petals of a mesmerizing violet hue.
An awed "Ooooh…" escaped his lips as he crouched down to get a closer look, reaching out to pluck it.
"Don't touch it."
Noroi's warning came sharp and strict.
Haruki immediately withdrew his hand, hiding it behind his back as his eyes darted everywhere except toward Noroi's narrowed, stern gaze.
"I didn't mean to touch it."
He lied in an attempt to dodge the scolding that Noroi gave him almost every day and which Haruki was supposed to follow - the first rule: do not touch anything you like - because in this world everything that is beautiful is danger in his eyes.
Noroi gave him one last warning look before turning his back again, and continued forward following the route Seraphine had pointed out.
A frown appeared on Haruki's face before he straightened his bent knee to stand upright again.
A light laugh escaped Yamka at Haruki's scowling expression.
She curled her hand into a loose fist before punching the boy's shoulder beside her with what she considered a "friendly" and "harmless" punch.
Haruki's whole body lunged forward but he caught himself before falling on his face, regaining his balance at the last second as he muttered to himself, complaining in pain.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
"This girl will break my shoulder one day."
Yamka moved toward him again, seeing him rub his shoulder in pain.
Her lips curved into a playful smile before she grabbed both of his shoulders with her hands and shook his whole body back and forth, saying.
"Come on, don't be as fragile as a tree branch in autumn."
Haruki's body swayed with Yamka's movement, and before he could react or say anything, Noroi raised his hand high , a clear signal for complete silence.
The two froze in place, their breaths caught in their throats as they sensed the danger in Noroi's body language.
Yamka's hands slowly slipped off Haruki's shoulders, and she moved forward cautiously, her hand reaching upward to grasp the wooden handle of her axe.
Noroi's eyes fell on a pebble beside him that was trembling, bouncing slightly off the ground ,about half a centimeter ,and his eyes widened in realization of the danger surrounding them.
Noroi turned toward both Haruki and Yamka, extending both of his hands to grab each of them by their clothes, pulling them hastily before shoving them forcefully behind one of the trees so that their backs pressed against its trunk.
Yamka opened her mouth, about to protest, but Noroi quickly placed his hand over her mouth, forcing her into complete silence.
The ground shook more violently beneath their feet, in intermittent and rhythmic tremors, each time growing stronger, until a massive creature with four limbs appeared, its face was that of a wolf's skull but a hundred times larger than normal size.
Shadows emerged from its body like a vast aura, shifting with its every movement as it approached from afar.
A drop of cold sweat ran down Haruki's back, and his eyes widened in fear as the creature reached the other side of the tree they were hiding behind.
The creature's jaw opened downward, revealing rows of sharp teeth from both upper and lower jaws, capable of grinding anything between them, before a roar escaped from the creature, making the three of them feel the air around them grow heavier.
The creature moved its head in both directions, as if searching for prey to satisfy its hunger, and when it failed to find anything within its range, it continued on its way, moving farther away.
Haruki let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as the creature moved away from their location.
His heartbeat rose and fell rapidly, he had gone through plenty of disasters in this world, but things seemed to be getting scarier by the minute.
Noroi slowly lowered his hand from Yamka's mouth, his expression still cautious as he made sure of the creature's whereabouts before shifting his attention back to her.
She was glaring at him, lips curved into a deep frown, her arms crossed tightly under her chest.
Noroi couldn't tell what had made her so irritated, but he didn't need to ask, because she shouted in frustration.
"Why did you stop me? That creature would've made the best grilled meat feast ever!"
She uncrossed her arms and placed both hands on her stomach , she was starving, and her belly was growling.
She hadn't eaten anything since last night, which was far too long for her.
Haruki's jaw dropped open at her words. He shook his head, trying to process what she had just said.
She was talking about cooking that creature, while he had nearly wet his pants from fear.
Even little Tomoi was hiding in the side pocket of his cloak, every feather on him still trembling.
Noroi waved his hand dismissively behind him, clearly indifferent to her hunger, his expression returning to its usual state ,calm and emotionless ,as he said coldly.
"We'll find you something to fill that black hole of yours."
Yamka furrowed her brows, her lips still twisted into a deep frown as she replied in annoyance.
"You better do it."
Yamka watched Noroi's figure as he started moving again to get them back on the right path.
