The forest is too quiet today. I can feel it—something’s off. But I keep moving, step by step, like I’ve done a thousand times before. The trees stand tall, their leaves rustling faintly, but there's no breeze. No animals. It’s like the world is holding its breath.

I don’t like wandering this far out. The sect has rules, warnings, and stories that echo through the halls. The deeper parts of the forest are forbidden to disciples. Too many risks. Too many dangers. But I’ve got no choice. I need to find something worthwhile to bring back to the sect—something rare enough to sell, something that’ll buy me a pill.

A pill that might help me cultivate faster.

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The herbs I’ve gathered so far won’t cut it. The price is too low. But if I can find something valuable, something that the sect doesn’t have in abundance, I can get the resources I need. I need that pill.

The path beneath my feet is narrow, overgrown with tangled vines and rocks that shift with every step. I push forward, the weight of my satchel pulling at my shoulder. It’s too quiet, and I’m not sure if it’s the silence or the worry gnawing at my insides that makes me uneasy. I force myself to keep going.

But then, there’s a thump beneath my feet. A soft rumble. The ground gives way.

I don’t even have time to react before the earth crumbles beneath me, and I’m falling.

I brace myself, but it’s no use. The rocks scrape against my skin, the wind rushing past my ears, and then—thud. I hit the ground hard.

Everything goes black.