Chapter 7:Return But Not Escape

"I'll miss you, Leo," Joy said, his voice thick with emotion. "In these 20 days, you've saved me, protected me, and helped me more than I can ever repay. I guess we both helped each other." Leo nuzzled him briefly before stepping back, his gaze soft.

As Joy descended toward the city, night began to fall. The darkness stretched across the jungle, and Joy walked faster, eager to leave the wilderness behind. But suddenly, from the bushes, a pair of glowing eyes pierced the night. Before he could react, hyenas leapt from the shadows, circling him with snarls.

But just as they were about to strike, Leo and his family charged from the bushes. The four leopards pounced on the hyenas, attacking with swift, precise movements. The hyenas, stunned and frightened, quickly retreated into the jungle, leaving Joy unharmed.

"Oh, Leo," Joy said, his voice trembling with gratitude. "I was missing you, and here you are again, saving me. Thank you, thank you to all of you."

The leopards sat with him by the bonfire that night, guarding him as he slept, their watchful eyes ensuring no danger approached.

The next morning, as the sun rose, Joy stood and looked at his animal companions. "Thank you, once again, for everything," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Goodbye. I'll miss you all."

Leo nudged him one last time, then turned toward the jungle, followed by his family. Joy watched them disappear into the trees before turning toward the city.

"When he arrived at the gates of the city, a sign greeted him: Congo Basin Jungle, Central Africa. Joy stopped, his heart skipping a beat. He stared at the sign, and a chilling recognition washed over him. He had heard whispers about this place, about certain people who had secrets tied to the Congo Basin. His mind raced, connecting the fragments of information he'd picked up in the past. He had known of its mystery, but to be standing here, in the heart of it, was beyond anything he could have imagined. The jungle's creatures, the journey that led him here—it all felt strangely connected to the secrets he had once overheard."