Chapter 5: The Silenced Voice

The stale scent of old paper and dust lingered in the air. I stood before the polished oak counter of the Capital's Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Sunlight filtered through the tall windows but was stifled by thick, heavy curtains, casting the room into a cold, formal atmosphere—so different from the warmth of my little cottage and the vibrant life of the forest I called home.

I had traveled to the capital at dawn, clinging to the hope that official channels might provide some answers about what I had discovered in the Whispering Forest. The crumpled piece of paper bearing the words "clear the area" and "classified" remained tucked inside my satchel, a burning reminder that something was deeply wrong.

"I would like to inquire about the borderland development project near the Whispering Forest," I stated to the middle-aged woman behind the counter. Her expression remained impassive, her gaze drifting past me as if I were little more than empty air.

She flipped through a few pages of a ledger with deliberate slowness before replying in a monotone, "The borderland development project is overseen directly by the Prime Minister's office. The Department of Forestry is only responsible for providing resource assessments upon request. We do not have full project details."

"But I have seen boundary markers deep within the forest—an area that should be protected," I pressed, keeping my voice steady. "There was a designation labeled Sector Gamma. Could you tell me—"

"Sector Gamma?" Her brow arched slightly before she shook her head. "That code does not appear in any of our official documents. It could be an internal designation from the Prime Minister's office, or perhaps something used by private surveyors. Do you have any proof that this is an official government operation?"

Proof? All I had was a crumpled scrap of paper and a metal marker embedded in a tree—one I had not dared remove. I described what I had seen, but she merely shrugged.

"If there's no official documentation, there's nothing we can do," she said, her tone indifferent. "Perhaps you misunderstood. The forest is vast, after all."

I forced a polite thank you before stepping out of the department, frustration and disappointment gnawing at me. They were deflecting. The way she reacted to Sector Gamma before shutting down the conversation—it didn't make sense.

I tried the Land Bureau next, hoping to find records of land acquisitions or permits. But the response was eerily similar. An official checked the land history, including the recently seized Stonehand estate, but found no records of any "development project" deep in the forest, nor any mention of strange zoning designations.

"Everything is in order, ma'am," the young clerk assured me with a practiced smile, though his eyes held nothing behind them. "That land is now under federal jurisdiction by court order. The rest of the forest remains a protected reserve, unchanged."

Lies. I wanted to shout it in his face, but I swallowed my anger. Either they were deceiving me outright, or the information had been deliberately locked away beyond their reach.

As I turned to leave the Land Bureau, a man in a dark suit, leaning casually against a nearby pillar, spoke just loud enough for me to hear.

"Sometimes… digging into things that aren't your concern can wake up something best left undisturbed."

I froze. Turning sharply, I found him gazing out the window, not looking at me directly. But the slight smirk on his lips sent a chill down my spine.

Was that a threat? A warning from someone with power—someone who didn't want me asking questions?

I hurried out of the building, my heart pounding. A creeping sensation prickled at the back of my neck as though unseen eyes were following me. I cast a glance over my shoulder, but the man had vanished.

Every official avenue I had pursued had led to dead ends—not just avoidance, but outright deception. And now… an unspoken warning.

This confirmed my suspicions. This wasn't just some routine development project. It was something far more secretive, something protected by powerful individuals.

Fear coiled in my gut, but the anger burning within me was stronger. I would not let them destroy my home, pillage the natural world for their own greed.

If the official path was blocked, I would find another way—a path more dangerous, more uncertain, but necessary.

I had to uncover the truth before it was too late.