The sun was barely crawling above the jagged treeline when Kael and I prepared to leave his treehouse. The forest was still painted in cold blue shades, and the air felt sharp enough to slice skin. My left arm ached from yesterday's wound, wrapped in rough linen Kael had tied around it. The faint sting was a reminder of how close I had come to dying—twice. Once from the serpent, and again from falling off that cliff.
Kael was crouched by the doorway, checking the edges of his twin daggers. His movements were sharp and precise, like each flick of the wrist was something he'd done a thousand times before. Without looking at me, he said in that strange language of his,
"Name?"
I froze. Until now, he hadn't asked. But here, in this foreign world, "Aarav" didn't feel right. That name belonged to the boy on Earth—the one who was cursed by some goddess and thrown here like garbage. If I was going to survive, I needed something else. Something that could belong here.
I cleared my throat and muttered slowly, hoping he'd understand,
"Auren. My name is Auren."
He nodded, repeating it once—testing the sound on his tongue—
"Auren."
And then he slung his satchel over his shoulder, as if that was the end of the conversation.
We began the journey with nothing but the crunch of frost beneath our boots. The jungle stretched endlessly before us, and every step deeper into it felt like walking through the maw of some enormous beast.
Kael moved ahead like he owned the forest, eyes flicking over every shadow. I stayed a few paces behind, watching him work—how he would pause to listen, how his hand never strayed far from his daggers. The silence between us was heavy, but I didn't dare break it.
After about an hour, we reached a stretch of dense undergrowth. Kael raised a hand, signaling me to stop. My heart sank when I saw what he was looking at—a cluster of pale, almost translucent mushrooms growing in a circle. At first glance, harmless. But then I noticed the faint shimmer of threads weaving between them, almost invisible.
He knelt, tapped the ground twice, and whispered one word I could barely catch. It sounded like "Silkrath."
As if in response, a shadow burst from the foliage. It was small—barely the size of a dog—but its segmented body and multiple glittering eyes made my skin crawl. Six spindly legs clicked against the earth as it leapt toward us, razor-sharp mandibles snapping.
Before I could even flinch, Kael was in motion. His daggers flashed like silver lightning, slicing clean through the creature's head. It collapsed, twitching, green ichor pooling beneath it.
"Rank F," Kael muttered, almost to himself.
I swallowed hard. That thing was considered weak here.
We kept moving. The jungle fought us every step of the way—roots twisted like traps, vines snagged our clothes, and strange calls echoed in the distance. Sometimes, Kael would point out a sound and whisper a name. Most of the time, he'd just tell me to stay behind him.
By the fourth hour, my legs were burning, my throat dry. I didn't dare ask for a break—Kael moved with the endurance of someone used to days without rest. Then, without warning, a guttural roar ripped through the trees ahead.
It wasn't like the serpent's hiss—it was deeper, heavier, the kind of sound that made my bones vibrate.
Kael's hand shot up. "Stay."
Branches ahead snapped, and something lumbered into view. A hulking, bear-like beast with dark, coarse fur and three jagged tusks jutting from its lower jaw. Its eyes glowed faint red, steam curling from its nostrils.
"Rank E," Kael whispered. And then he was gone—just gone. One moment beside me, the next darting forward in a blur.
The beast swung a massive paw, claws gouging the earth. Kael rolled beneath it, cutting deep into its foreleg. The beast bellowed in rage, stomping down hard enough to shake the ground. I stumbled back, gripping my wounded arm.
It was over in seconds. Kael slashed both tusks at the base, dodged a final swipe, and drove his dagger clean into the beast's throat. Blood fountained, steaming in the cold air.
He didn't look winded. I, on the other hand, could barely breathe.
After six exhausting hours, we finally stepped out of the jungle. The sudden openness was almost blinding. Rolling plains stretched ahead, golden grass swaying in the wind, dotted with scattered trees. Far in the distance, I could see the faint silhouette of something massive—towers, walls, and spires catching the sunlight.
Avreth.
It wasn't just a city—it was a Kingdom carved from stone and ambition. Even from here, I could tell the walls were higher than any building I'd ever seen on Earth. The air around it felt different, almost charged.
Kael paused, glancing back at me. His gaze lingered on my ragged state—mud on my clothes, blood on my arm, the exhaustion plain on my face. Then, for the first time since I'd met him, he gave a faint smirk.
"Long way yet," he said simply. And started walking again.
I took one last look at the distant kingdom and followed. Whatever lay ahead, I knew one thing for certain—Aarav had died the moment I was thrown into this world. From here on out… I was Auren.