The Forbidden Grove – Escape Through the Branches

Jimmy moved steadily toward the river, his pace calm, mind attuned to the terrain. It had been nearly twenty minutes since his last encounter, and no one else had appeared. The silence had grown unnatural.

He paused near a crooked willow and unfolded the map.

A red X-shaped arc marked the region ahead—faintly etched with the words:

"NO ENTRY. Controlled Zone. General-Class Whisp: Four-Handed King."

His brow tensed.

"Too quiet," he signed to Luna, who emerged beside him from the tree's shadow. Her luminous mane flickered in caution. He turned, ready to back away from the forbidden area—but then—

A shrill screech echoed through the trees.

Not one. Several.

Jimmy stopped.

The air grew denser. A ripple of danger pulsed through the ground beneath his feet.

Then he saw them—five silhouettes emerging from the brush and branches, monkey-shaped figures leaping between vines and trees, each one more unsettling than the last.

...........

Balight

Type: Electric

Appearance: Lean and wiry, with oversized red-glowing eyes, and a metallic sphere fused at the tip of its long tail. Its chest is marked with arc-line arrays, which pulse in a sequence like a living circuit.

Fangkut

Type: Steel

Appearance: Short but heavily built. From the top of each hand, hidden blade-like knives emerge when near an enemy. Its fangs are long, curved, and black as obsidian. It moves in silence, preferring ambushes.

Nimbusimi

Type: Wind/Fairy

Appearance: A body shaped from floating cloud-like fluff, semi-transparent with soft eyes. It drifts rather than walks, its tail formed from storm clouds. Occasionally crackles with light rain energy.

Guardrell

Type: Water

Appearance: Slender and agile. Its blue-pink curly hair dances with every motion. Its limbs end in three-fingered paws with jointed guards on the knees and wrists. A small red scarf flutters around its neck.

Simvarok 

Type: Ground/Ice

Appearance: Towering and brutal, with four muscular arms, each ending in six jagged fingers. Three icy feathers rise from its head like a tribal crown. Its feet are wide and prehensile, able to crush stone. Cold mist trails its breath.

..............

Jimmy crouched, hiding between two boulders, watching them emerge—each moving with deadly coordination. Luna pressed against his side, ears flat and glowing faintly blue.

They were searching.

Then from the far tree line, Balight's sphere-tail sparked, detecting presence. Simvarok turned.

A low growl rumbled from its throat as it pointed all four arms outward. The other four instantly dropped into combat formation.

Jimmy didn't hesitate. He clenched his palm, mentally signalling Luna to prepare.

"No need to fight. If we can go south from here, there territory ends and we will get near river." he signed sharply in the Mind's Garden. "We slip past. Make a clone and send it towards west."

Jimmy's back pressed against a jagged rock as he observed the troop of five Whisps.

The air felt heavy—not just from tension, but from presence. Each of the monkey-like Whisps wasn't just rare. They were trained, intelligent, and hunting in sync.

Jimmy tapped the edge of his boot twice—code for evasive play. Luna's glowing eyes narrowed. She understood.

.................

The five simian Whisps advanced:

Ballight floated higher, its tail-sphere emitting soft psychic pulses.

Nimbusimi evaporated partially into mist, drifting low.

Fangkut vanished into the bushes—clearly circling.

Guardrell moved protectively near the centre, shield-like arms ready.

Simvarok, the four-armed bruiser, thumped his fists into the ground, signalling territory control.

....................

Jimmy crouched beside a tree whose roots twisted like veins into the soil. His hands brushed the dirt carefully—until his fingers found it: a gnarled, knotted root with a pungent, sticky scent.

It was Pheroroot—a rare plant known to attract sensory-driven Whisps.

"This will buy us seconds," he whispered to himself.

He snapped the root off, then sealed it inside two tight jars to contain the scent temporarily. The plan had to be precise. No early alerts.

Luna, watching from the shadow of the boulder, gave a flick of her ears. She understood.

One of her clones shimmered into form, solidifying with a splash of bioluminescent water. It trotted over and bit down gently on the jar, cradling it in its mouth.

Jimmy nodded.

"Run in circles—fast. Let them see you."

The clone darted out, circling the perimeter of the five simian Whisps like a teasing comet.

Ballight shrieked first—sensing the pheromone-laced air.

Then Simvarok pounded the ground.

"KEEK-KRAA!"

All five turned toward the movement.

Cloud-puffs rose under Nimbusimi's tail as it tried to pursue, launching vapor darts. Guardrell swung his rock-clad arms like battering rams, but hit only mist.

Fangkut slashed at thin air.

The Whisps roared in fury—but none of their attacks touched Luna's clone. She was too fast. Too precise. She made wide, deliberate arcs to taunt them, drawing their attention fully away.

Jimmy hid behind the boulder, calculating.

"Too many shouts. If we taunt longer, we'll pull the rest of their pack."

He peered out and whispered:

"Change of plan. Let's direct their chase."

He pointed downriver.

"Run toward that slope. Pull them downhill."

The Luna clone gave a low bark and shot forward—heading east, toward the riverbend. A splash echoed as it hit muddy ground.

Three of the simian Whisps bolted after it.

But two stayed behind.

Ballight hovered high, scanning the terrain with narrowed red eyes.

Simvarok, the bruiser, growled. He stepped toward the boulder Jimmy hid behind.

Jimmy sighed silently.

"Guess we have to fight."

The air stiffened.

The moment their footsteps creaked against the forest debris, Jimmy raised a hand toward Luna.

"Make them ice… on my count. 3… 2… 1… Now."

BOOM.

Luna burst out from behind the boulder like a tidal lance, her mane flaring with frozen light.

Ballight shrieked in alarm—too late.

A shard of jagged frost struck him straight in the chest. His body crystallized midair, eyes locked in confusion, wings stiffening as he fell like a frozen ornament.

Simvarok roared, ducked, and tried to counter—but ice splashed around his legs, binding him knee-deep in frozen soil.

His biceps tensed. He was about to call out.

But Jimmy moved faster.

He grabbed a smooth riverstone, darted forward, and slammed it against Simvarok's open mouth, muffling the cry.

The bruiser struggled, but his legs were locked. His upper arms flailed blindly as Jimmy darted past him.

"Luna! Run—now! Your clone's already within reach from my last timing."

Luna leapt like a shadow in water—her body trailing droplets of ice and sparks.

They darted through the fog-drenched trees, heading for the river. Jimmy didn't look back.

Behind them, Simvarok screamed into silence, still gagged.

Ballight, still frozen, glimmered like a warning beacon.

And deeper in the woods… other eyes were waking up.

.........................

Scene: Riverbend Pursuit — Howls in the Canopy

The forest was no longer still.

Jimmy and Luna dashed between trees, leaping over roots and ducking under low-hanging branches. Leaves scattered in their wake. The cold mist from Luna's attack still clung to the air, curling like ghost fingers behind them.

Behind them—roars. Shrill, primal howls.

The three simian Whisps that had chased the clone realized the deception. And now they were coming back.

And they were furious.

Jimmy clicked his tongue once. Luna veered left with a graceful leap, sending a ripple of water off her hooves to cover his escape path.

"They'll try to flank us," he signed quickly to Luna in the Mind's Garden. "We stay low. We don't stop until we hit water."

But suddenly—BOOM. A tree branch exploded just meters to their right.

Fangkut burst through the smoke, eyes wild, claws extended.

His face was twisted in fury. "KRAAA!"

Jimmy dove under a fallen log as Luna slid between stones, flinging a mist wall behind her to blind the chase. The air filled with steam and claw slashes.

From the canopy above— other Nimbusimis descended, floating like a cloud demons, shooting rings of compressed vapor down at them. One missed Jimmy's shoulder by inches, carving a crater into the dirt.

"They're boxing us in," Jimmy whispered under his breath.

Another screech— more Guardrell were charging from the side, rock-arm swinging like a hammer.

Luna ducked and slid, Jimmy vaulted off her back with perfect timing—hurling two binding seeds toward the trees. The seeds exploded into thorny vines, wrapping around Guardrell's arms and slowing him just enough.

"Fifty meters to the river. Move!"

They sprinted again—Jimmy's coat fluttering, Luna glowing with electric light to keep their pace sharp.

But suddenly—

CRACK.

A whip of branches. Something leaped from above.

The fourth Whisp, the one with shielded knees and scarf on throat—Joweldrift—landed in front of them, slamming his twin paws into the dirt.

A glowing barrier formed instantly, cutting off the river path.

Jimmy's momentum faltered for half a heartbeat—but Luna didn't.

She leapt over the shield. With her hooves sparking, she struck it once, cracked it with frost—and burst through with a second strike, shattering the front.

"Now!" Jimmy shouted.

They both tumbled past Joweldrift, who turned—angry and baffled.

Then—SPLASH.

They hit the riverbed. Cold, slippery stones, running water—freedom.

Jimmy turned for one last glance.

The five Whisps howled from the forest edge, frozen to the border line. None of them crossed.

He checked the map. It was true—this river marked the border of the no-entry "Cross-Ark" region. Even the wild Whisps respected its laws.

"We made it," he whispered, heart racing.

Luna gave a breathy growl, not just from fatigue—but warning.

Because far ahead on the other side of the river, a silhouette waited.

Not a monkey. Not a wild Whisp.

A human figure. Cloaked. Still. Watching.

Jimmy narrowed his eyes, tilting his head.

Another challenge?

Or something worse?

To be continued…

## Thank you all so much for your incredible support. We've officially reached 100 chapters—a milestone I never imagined hitting so soon. What started as a simple story has grown into a world full of mystery, emotion, and battles, thanks to you. Every comment, every moment you spent reading, fuelled this journey. Jimmy, Luna, and the rest still have so much left to uncover, and this is only the beginning. I'm deeply grateful for your patience, feedback, and belief in this world. Let's keep climbing together—toward the next twist, the next fight, the next fire. Onward to the next power!

So from me to you—

✨ Thank you for walking this path with me.✨ Thank you for believing in the journey.✨ Thank you for helping this world come alive.

The next arc? Oh, it's coming. Bigger. Deeper. Wilder.So stay close. The climb to the summit has only begun.

With gratitude and fire,—Pixel Alchemist