I turn towards the other woman and give a solemn nod. "We should bury her," I say softly.

The woman responds with a gentle shake of her head, despite her tears. "There's no need," she explains softly. "The forest will reclaim her body, as it always does."

I nod somberly, recalling the sight of Leah's lifeless form being enveloped by thick vines. The memory serves as an eerie reminder of the cycle of life and death within the forest.

I turn my attention to the woman and ask gently, "What's your name?"

She moves towards Jane, carefully enveloping the young girl into a comforting embrace. "I’m Elise," she responds gently, her words barely above a whisper.

As Elise pulls Jane away from Lucy's body, I notice thin vines starting to emerge from the ground. They begin to slowly engulf her, their tendrils wrapping around her lifeless form with an almost maternal tenderness.

Elise utters the words softly, her voice filled with a sense of reverent sadness. "You can rest now, Lucy. The mother is here to reclaim you," she says, her gaze fixed on the vines that engulf Lucy's still body.

The vines enclose Lucy's body completely, covering every inch in their leafy embrace. As I watch, the very ground beneath her seems to open up, slowly accepting her into its depths.

As watch in astonishment, the vines envelop Lucy's body and the ground swallows her. I turn to ask Elise a question, my curiosity evident in my voice. "What is 'mother's embrace?'"

I meet Elise's gaze for a brief moment, noticing the tears still streaming down her face as she holds Jane. I instantly realize that now is not the time for questions. They're in the midst of mourning.

I murmur an apology, realizing the inappropriateness of my question at the moment. I turn my gaze around us, taking in our surroundings, and then speak up again. "I'll go look for some food," I offer quietly.

I turn away, silently disappearing into the thick foliage of the forest, seeking some solitude to process the events that have just unfolded. I recognize the fact that they require privacy to mourn and grieve, free from my presence.

I keep my distance short, staying within earshot of Elise and Jane, ensuring their safety from any potential attacks. From the treetops, I manage to successfully hunt down a couple of birds, adding them to my small catch.

I perch on a sturdy branch, observing Elise and Jane from above as they exchange hushed whispers, while Jake still lays on the ground unconscious beside them. My attention, however, is fixed on the bird in my hand, its feathers soft and its body still warm.

I start to carefully pluck the bird's feathers, their black and white pattern reminiscent of a magpie. My focus is on the task at hand, preparing the small birds so that we have something to eat, however meager it may be.

I land silently on the forest floor, my footsteps barely making a sound. With the birds in hand, I begin searching for some dry wood to start a small fire for cooking our meal.

----------------------------------------

I sit by the crackling fire with Jane beside me, the warmth of the flames enveloping us. A wave of gratitude towards Alex washes over me as I reflect on the fact that he pushed me into the outdoors. I shiver at the thought of being in this forest without any knowledge or experience.

The birds slowly cook over the fire, the aroma of roasting meat filling the air. We all sit in silence, lost in our individual thoughts, the crackling of the fire the only sound breaking the stillness of the moment.

I fixate on the dancing flames, my mind consumed by thoughts of finding Alex. The desperation hits me hard, and I find myself willing to do absolutely anything to get him back by my side.

I turn my gaze towards Elise, she's had enough time to grieve. I ask her a question, my voice laced with determination. "Do you know how to get to Mala?"

Elise slowly raises her head, her movements lacking enthusiasm, and meets my gaze. She gives a slight nod without uttering a word, her eyes betraying a sense of weariness and grief. She seems like a broken woman.

She’s fortunate that she knows the way, as I already have my hands full taking care of Jane and I guess Jake as well now. I can't afford to carry any more dead weight, not while Alex is being held captive somewhere.

My eyes linger on her for a moment, a sense of disappointment washing over me. Judging from her current state, it's clear to me that she won't be of much use besides providing guidance.

I break the silence and speak up firmly. "We will leave first thing in the morning," I instruct. "You will lead the way."

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

She gives another slight nod in agreement, her response lacking enthusiasm. I reach for the roasted birds and divide them into portions, handing them out to each of us.

I finish my share of the meal, extinguishing the fire and pointing towards the trees above. "We're sleeping up there tonight," I state firmly, exhaustion evident in my voice. "I'm too tired to keep watch."

I pause momentarily before starting to move away, remembering a critical detail. I turn back to Elise, asking her a question. "Did you and Lucy manage to grab any supplies?"

She finally breaks her silence, her words carrying a heavy sense of resignation. "No," she answers quietly, "our hands were full with carrying Jake."

I acknowledge her response, understanding the difficulty of our situation. Nevertheless, it's undeniably irritating that the forest seems to claim everything left behind.

I shift my gaze towards Jake's unconscious form, the only reason I even bother to keep him with us being the possibility that he will regain consciousness. If he does wake up, he'll at least provide an extra pair of hands to aid me on the journey.

I hoist Jake up, his body slung over my shoulder, and start to climb the tree that will serve as our sleeping spot for the night.

I lay Jake down on the sturdy branch we'll be sleeping on and hear a soft voice behind me, asking for assistance. "Can you help me up too?" Jane requests quietly.

I let out a sigh but comply with her request, turning around to help her up onto the branch.

As the night drags on, sleep slowly overtakes me. In my dreams, I find myself grappling with the thought of leaving Alex behind.

----------------------------------------

I jolt awake covered in sweat, gasping for air. Even in my sleep, the weight of my guilt relentlessly pursues me.

I stealthily drop down from the tree, careful not to wake the others who are still fast asleep. I quietly make my way towards the previous battle site, the darkness of the night slowly giving way to the first hints of dawn.

I cautiously tread through the area where the battle took place, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any traces of the struggle. However, to my surprise, it seems as if the very evidence of any battle has been consumed by the forest itself, leaving no visible signs behind.

I can't shake off the feeling that there's something inherently menacing about this forest. It almost feels as if the entire place is alive, the thought that sends a shiver down my spine.

I decide to return to our makeshift camp after a fruitless search, having discovered no clues or supplies among the previous battle site. As I approach, I notice the others stirring, slowly starting to wake up from their sleep.

I approach Jake, picking him up with determination etched on my face. "Let's go," I declare firmly, my voice brimming with a sense of urgency. There's no time to waste, we have to keep moving.

I assist Jane and Elise as they descend from the tree, their movements still weary from the night's rest. Once everyone is on the ground, we start trekking through the forest, following close behind Elise as she leads the way.

I trudge along, with Jake slung over my shoulder and Jane holding onto my side. My thoughts wander to the forest's mysterious behavior, particularly its tendency to seemingly devour everything in its path. Curious, I address Elise as we walk. "Why does the forest seem to devour everything? Is this normal?"

She hesitates momentarily, her steps briefly pausing, before resuming her stride. "The forest is alive," she explains. "They say that years ago, it only used to cover a portion of the land, but as it consumes everything left behind, it grows and expands."

I listen intently as she continues her explanation. "Now, it extends over the entire plane, but it doesn't just spread out, it grows vertically as well. Its voracious appetite for everything it consumes fuels its relentless expansion."

I acknowledge her words with a nod, processing her explanation. Then, curiosity piqued, I ask, “What about the ‘mother’? What does that mean?”

She responds, her voice filled with a sense of solemn reverence. "The Mother is what the forest is known as. As you said, she consumes, but she also gives. We originate from her, and when we die, we return to her embrace."

We walk onward, the silence hanging heavy between us as my mind absorbs the newfound knowledge about the forest. I notice Jane looking at me with a curious expression, but choose to disregard it for now, focusing on continuing our journey.

As the sun begins to sink below the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest, we decide to call an end to our day's journey and set up camp for the night.

We settle down in our makeshift tree shelter, and I notice that Jake is starting to show signs of life. His eyelids flutter open, and he slowly glances around at our surroundings, seemingly attempting to make sense of his new environment.

Elise approaches Jake's prone form, her gaze intent as she carefully examines his body. After a moment, she nods in satisfaction and helps him rise into a sitting position.

Jake slowly gathers his bearings, his gaze roaming around before settling on my face. He speaks, his voice laced with confusion, “What the fuck is going on?”

As Jane slithers behind me, I turn my gaze towards Jake, my tone curious. "What do you remember?" I inquire.

His body visibly trembles as he recollects his memories. "I remember feeling like I was burning to death," he says, his voice laced with a hint of fear. "And then everything went black."

Jake's gaze flickers between us, his expression filled with desperation for answers. "So, tell me—what the hell happened?" he demands. "And who the hell are you people?" He carry’s on, as he looks towards Jane and Elise.

I feel Jane press even closer against my back, her small form seeking refuge behind me. I eye Jake cautiously, assessing him with skepticism, wondering if he might be more trouble than he's worth.

Before I can respond, Elise interjects, her voice cutting through the tension. "We helped heal you once you saved our village," she explains. She then introduces herself. "I'm Elise, and that's Jane," she continues, gesturing towards the girl cowering in my shadow.

I observe Jake's agitated expression, his anger and confusion evident in his demeanor. I interject, sensing that we need to address his questions. "We have a lot to discuss," I say firmly.

As the night progresses, I delve into a detailed account of all that has occurred since Jake lost consciousness, recounting the events with precision and clarity.

I realize it’s been the longest conversation I’ve had with someone other than Alex in a while. I find the whole experience uncomfortable and unpleasant.

But I understand the necessity of it. If Jake can be of any help in locating Alex, it’ll make all this effort worthwhile.

I will find him. No matter what.