Chapter-51

Chapter 51: Walking Through Whispers

The deeper we go, the quieter it gets.

Not the peaceful kind of quiet—no, this is the heavy, unnatural kind. The air is thick, like it's waiting for something. Even the ground feels strange beneath my feet, like it's not entirely solid.

The Whispering Woods live up to their name.

Faint voices slip through the trees, threading into my mind.

"Turn back."

"You don't belong here."

"He will find you."

I exhale slowly. Pathetic.

This isn't a real attack. It's a test. The forest is probing, trying to push into my mind, looking for weaknesses. But it doesn't find any.

I let the whispers brush against my thoughts, like raindrops sliding off glass. It's nothing.

I smirk.

"You're going to have to try harder than that."

The whispers pause, like they weren't expecting that.

Good.

Behind me, the Mad Hatter shivers dramatically.

"Ugh, I hate this place," he mutters, adjusting his hat for the fifth time. "Always sneaking around, whispering in your ear. It's like being in a room full of nosy old ladies with nothing better to do."

The rabbit twitches nervously, its small paws clenched together. "What if we take a wrong turn? What if the trees move and we never get out?"

I glance down at it, my voice calm. "We won't."

The dragon walks beside me, her form still in its humanoid shape, though her glowing emerald eyes stand out in the dimness.

"You sound sure."

"I am sure."

She studies me, searching for any sign of doubt. She won't find any.

"This forest isn't just confusing. It changes reality itself. What makes you think you can outmatch that?"

I stop walking.

Then, without looking, I reach out and place a hand on the nearest tree.

The bark feels wrong—not quite wood, not quite stone. It shifts slightly, as if reacting to my touch.

The whispers return, growing louder.

"Turn back."

"He is watching."

"You will fail."

The forest is trying to intimidate me.

I let it.

For a moment.

Then—

I push back.

Not with brute force. Not with magic.

Just understanding.

The air shifts.

The trees hesitate.

The ground settles.

For the first time… the forest fears me.

I open my eyes and look at the others.

"Follow me."

The path ahead doesn't change anymore.

The Whispering Woods have lost their advantage.

And they know it.