Rumors spread quickly, as they always do, even in the most dangerous places. Whispers of a man surviving in the Forest of Death, where no human could endure, reached the ears of three brave—or perhaps foolish—adventurers.
They stepped cautiously through the dense undergrowth, each movement deliberate, aware that even a single misstep could mean death.
"Are we… really going to find someone here?" the warrior whispered, hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
"They say he's stronger than any monster," the mage replied, staff glowing faintly in the dim forest light. "Some kind of reincarnation of evil… but that seems impossible."
The rogue, trailing slightly behind, shivered. "Stronger than the forest itself… and we're supposed to just walk in? Are we suicidal?"
A movement caught their eyes. There, among a small clearing, a man tended to a tiny garden. Barefoot, dirt-stained, calm. The picture of tranquility, and yet impossibly handsome.
The warrior's eyes widened. "That… that man… is living here?"
Before any of them could react, a low rumble echoed through the trees. A monstrous shape emerged from the shadows—a beast larger than any castle gate, claws like jagged blades, teeth sharp enough to crush stone. Its eyes glowed crimson as it lumbered forward, growling menacingly.
Jazz, still kneeling to water a row of carrots, didn't look up. He hummed quietly, brushing dirt from his hands.
The adventurers gasped. And then, their jaws nearly hit the forest floor.
The monster froze. Its massive body trembled, nostrils flaring. It took a hesitant step backward. Then another. And without warning, it turned and fled, crashing through the undergrowth in blind panic, knocking over trees as it went.
The mage staggered backward. "I… I saw that… the monster… it ran from him?!"
The rogue pressed a hand to his chest. "This isn't… possible…"
The warrior swallowed hard, voice shaking. "Even the deadliest beasts… obey him… or fear him…"
Jazz finally noticed the adventurers. He smiled nervously, as though greeting old friends. A soft, awkward curve of his lips—but the effect was catastrophic.
The aura surrounding him pressed down like an invisible weight. The adventurers felt their lungs tighten, their hearts pound. Fear clawed at them, suffocating and relentless. No matter where they tried to step, the forest felt smaller, oppressive. Every instinct screamed to run, but nowhere was safe.
"I… just want to live quietly," Jazz said softly, brushing soil from his hands, still smiling.
The adventurers froze, unable to comprehend what they saw.
"A human… living here… and monsters flee from him?" the mage whispered, voice trembling.
"Could this… truly be the reincarnation of evil?" the rogue muttered.
"No… it's impossible," the warrior said, knees shaking. "But I… I saw it. With my own eyes…"
Jazz returned to his garden, calmly adjusting a tomato plant, humming as the sun dipped behind the twisted canopy. He did not notice the adventurers frozen in disbelief behind the trees. He did not see the monster that had fled mere moments ago, hiding and whimpering in the distance.
All he wanted was a simple life, tending his garden, living quietly, and perhaps enjoying a few peaceful sunsets.