The Back Mountain
The forest on Back Mountain was thick with trees, their dense branches blocking out nearly all the sunlight. The air was damp and heavy, and the ground was shrouded in shadow. Not even a single insect buzzed in this eerie silence. The whole place felt lifeless, as if the darkness itself was a giant beast waiting to swallow anyone who dared to enter. A chill clung to the air, making the quiet even more unsettling.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of chewing-"crack, kick." It was Shibi, sitting on the ground, rubbing his full belly and letting out a satisfied burp. He looked down at his bloated stomach and sighed. He wanted to eat more, but he was simply too full. With a helpless shake of his head, Shibi turned to Reo, who was still examining a nearby fruit tree.
"Reo, what are you doing?" Shibi called out.
"I'm trying to figure out what's different about this fruit tree compared to the ones outside the forest, but I don't have any answers yet," Reo replied, gently running his hand along the tree trunk, his attention fixed on the bark.
Bored, Shibi started fidgeting. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He kicked his feet out in front of him, pushing his upper body forward with a thud. The noise made Reo glance over. "What are you doing?" Reo asked.
"I just had an idea, hehe," Shibi said, lifting his chin and waiting for Reo to ask more.
But Reo only muttered, "Ohh," and went back to studying the tree, clearly uninterested in playing along.
After a while, Shibi realized Reo wasn't going to ask, and he grew frustrated. He jumped to his feet and shouted, "Hey! Why don't you ask me what my idea is?"
Reo didn't even look up. "If you have an idea, just say it. Why do I have to ask?" he replied bluntly, making Shibi grit his teeth in annoyance.
"Hmph, fine! I don't care anymore. How about we go deeper into the forest? If the fruits out here are this good, maybe there's something even tastier in the center!" Shibi's eyes sparkled as he imagined all kinds of delicious food. He was so lost in his daydream that he didn't notice he was drooling.
Reo frowned, glancing around at the thick trees. He felt uneasy, as if something was wrong with this place. "I don't know, Shibi. This place gives me a bad feeling. We came here just to eat, and now that we've done that, maybe we should go back to the village."
"What, are you scared, Reo? Are you a coward?" Shibi teased, trying to provoke him.
Reo's face turned red. "I'm not a coward! We're just kids. What if something dangerous happens?" Even though Reo had unusual strength, he still felt nervous about the unknown.
But Shibi wasn't discouraged. His curiosity was too strong to ignore. "Haha, if there's danger, I'll protect you-even if it costs me my life!" Shibi said with a bright smile.
Reo was stunned by Shibi's courage. He'd never known anyone who could smile while talking about risking their life for a friend. Shibi's words gave Reo a bit of courage, too.
"But how can I let you protect me? I'm the one with weird strength. I should be the one protecting you," Reo said, standing up straighter. "Alright, let's go."
"Okay, let's do it!" Shibi cheered, pumping his little fist in the air.
Shibi led the way, swinging his iron-wood sword at the undergrowth and making plenty of noise as they walked deeper into the forest. He looked like a child seeing the world for the first time, poking and prodding at everything. Reo followed behind, rolling his eyes at Shibi's antics.
In the thick silence, every sound seemed to echo. Neither of them realized how much attention they were drawing. In a normal forest, they would have been noticed by wild animals long ago, but here, in this mysterious place, they had no sense of danger at all.
Hidden in the shadows, a pair of yellow eyes watched them intently. It was a Black Panther, its sleek body rippling with muscle beneath its dark fur. The beast's claws flexed, ready to strike.
Unaware they were being hunted, Shibi and Reo kept moving. The Panther, driven by instinct, finally sprang into action. It shot out of the darkness like black lightning, the air swirling in its wake. Its fierce eyes locked onto its prey, and it lunged.
Shibi felt a sudden chill and instinctively shoved Reo, sending him tumbling backward just as a black blur streaked past. Reo, still on the ground, saw the shadow flash before his eyes, bringing with it a foul stench that made his stomach churn.
Shibi scrambled to his feet, gripping his iron-wood sword and facing the Panther, which now stood with its back to him. The Panther, surprised its ambush had failed, didn't retreat. Instead, it turned around slowly, moving with the confidence of a predator in its own domain. Its cold eyes ignored Reo completely, focusing on Shibi, who looked ready to defend himself.
Reo, still dazed, stared at the Black Panther, his heart pounding in his chest.
Shibi stood his ground, barely daring to blink, afraid the Panther would attack the moment he looked away. But the Panther seemed almost amused, as if it was toying with Shibi.
Suddenly, the Panther crouched, muscles tensing, and sprang forward with blinding speed. Shibi swung his sword on instinct, creating a rush of wind, but the Panther twisted at the last second, dodging the blow.
Shibi managed to sidestep but not completely, sharp claws raked his right arm, leaving a shallow, bleeding wound. The Panther paused, licking the blood from its paw and watching Shibi with a cruel glint in its eye, as if entertained by this small challenge.
But to the Panther, Shibi was still just prey.
The Panther attacked again, moving so fast that Reo could only see flickers of black. Shibi fought back with all his might, blocking and dodging as best he could, but soon he was covered in shallow cuts. Oddly, none of the wounds were deep, almost as if the Panther was holding back.
Finally, the Panther paused. Shibi was bloodied and exhausted, barely able to move. He looked desperately at Reo, who was frozen in place.
"Reo, run! Get out of here!" Shibi shouted.
But Reo couldn't move. He was paralyzed with fear, as if something invisible was holding him in place.
The Panther watched, amused, then turned its attention to Reo. It padded over, eyes gleaming, and raised a massive paw, ready to strike.
Reo stared at the Panther, unable to move, feeling only despair as the claws came down.
Suddenly, a shadow darted between Reo and the Panther. It was Shibi!
------------------------------------------
A/N: If you like the fanfic please show your support. Throw some stones ;)