Entering the unknown is one thing. Learning how to navigate it is another.
In the forest, they were almost nothing. Or rather... They were doing everything they could not to be noticed. They were overwhelmed by so much beauty, abundance, and magnificence. Their footsteps made only the faintest sounds, swallowed by the moss. A crack too soft to be heard. A breath blending into the damp air.
Jazz moved close to the ground, dome lowered, tracing an invisible path ahead while his sensors continuously validated the route. Suddenly, Aria raised her hand. Sophie stopped instantly. To their right, a ditch appeared beneath the ferns. It wasn't very deep—maybe two meters—but the mud at the bottom looked unnaturally dense. In places, it bubbled gently, as if something underneath was breathing.
"We cross with the rope," Sophie said calmly.
She touched her ear. The pain was still there, dull and persistent, but the blood had dried.
"Want me to disinfect it?" Aria asked.
"No. Not here. We'll do that when we're really safe. What about your forearms?"
Aria stared at her for a second.
"Promise me we'll check your ear as soon as we can. My arms are fine. I took what I needed."
"Promise."
Jazz added softly:
"Medical confirmation: 'later' ideally means 'as soon as the environment no longer contains hostile drones.'"
A brief smile crossed Sophie's face. Then she pulled out her grappling rope. The motion was precise and automatic. With a sharp throw, she launched it. The multi-clawed hook dug into a cluster of thick roots. It held.
She tugged once more, testing the resistance, then began crossing, feet braced against the wall and body fully engaged.
"Smooth and controlled," she thought.
Good thing I used to climb... before Kaissa shut down every climbing gym in the city.
Once on the other side, she secured the rope around a sturdy root to make the crossing safer for Aria and Jazz.
"Okay, it's solid. Send the bag."
Aria slid the backpack across first. No problem.
"Setup validated," Jazz commented. "Human load supported."
"Perfect," Sophie said. "Your turn."
Aria slipped on the harness, placed Jazz inside the backpack, clipped a carabiner onto the line, and lowered herself down. The mud lightly grabbed at her shoe. A wet sound echoed below. She held her breath as the rope vibrated.
"You're good," Sophie said, never taking her eyes off her.
Aria nodded.
"One step at a time."
She moved forward : carabiner clipped, one foot against the wall. Sophie, already at the far end, guided her toward the final hold.
"Six more meters..."
Aria pushed, shifted her weight—and tipped over onto the other side. She struggled up the slippery slope. For once, Jazz said nothing. A few more steps. Then, just as she reached the edge, the moss gave way beneath her shoe.
"Aria!"
She slipped. Sophie instantly grabbed her forearm before she disappeared into the mud. For a second, neither moved. Then Jazz broke the silence.
"And that's two. Efficiency: eight out of ten. Elegance: two out of ten."
"We'll take it," Sophie replied while retrieving the rope.
They packed everything quickly and moved on. The ditch disappeared behind them, swallowed by vegetation as though it had never existed.
After weaving between giant trunks for several minutes, they finally stopped. A real silence, not the kind found on a TV set.
Sophie took a deep breath.
"Okay... we crossed."
She looked around.
"Now what?"
Aria followed her gaze.
"Nothing. Just green. Roots. Shadows. And this strange feeling of being far away from everything."
"Honestly... our plan stopped at 'cross the Crack.'"
Jazz blinked.
"Confirmation: Plan A completed. Plan B... currently being improvised."
"Fantastic," Aria muttered.
Silence settled between them.
Sophie inhaled again.
"In the city, I know how to read people. Movements. Intentions..."
She hesitated.
"Here... I don't understand anything."
Aria answered more gently.
"Nobody understands the first time. Let's keep it simple and trust our instincts."
Jazz projected a minimalist map.
"Sensor range: twenty-five meters. Beyond that: unknown."
A gentle slope appeared on the display.
"Priority A: find higher ground. Priority B: secure water. Priority C: shelter before nightfall."
"And one main rule: no noise and no tracks."
Sophie nodded.
"That actually makes me feel better. Having a plan, even a shaky one."
"Northwest direction," Jazz continued. "Probable wooded ridge."
Aria adjusted her backpack.
"Okay. Let's move."
Jazz slid ahead.
"Let's not forget discreet trail marking. I can use my beam to mark our path. I propose a heart symbol."
"Denied," Aria replied immediately.
"Noted. I shall revise my artistic standards, though I currently have no alternative proposals."
He continued:
"Additional recommendation: micro-breaks every fifteen minutes. Hydration is extremely important, and your legs will thank me tonight."
"Approved," Aria said.
Sophie looked up toward the canopy. The tension was still there, but different now, calmer.
"We're not trying to be stronger than the forest..."
"No," Aria replied.
"We want to be guests."
"Exactly."
"Then let's take it slow."
They walked deeper into the woods. The forest swallowed them. Behind them, the clearing vanished as though it had never existed.
The Guardian Angel: Entering an unknown world is not enough to understand it. First, you must learn to observe, to listen… and sometimes accept that the rules you once knew no longer apply.
To be continued… 🔥
Thank you for reading.
And you… if you were in Aria and Sophie's shoes, would you have dared to venture deeper into this forest?
A new chapter every Sunday
Follow the story so you don't miss what comes next.
Elea
More echoes from the world of Worlds Reconciled: https://linktr.ee/worldsreconciled