Amidst the Forest

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Time flowed quietly in this secluded forest, like wind brushing past the treetops. J was no longer the outsider who had first arrived, viewed with wariness by all.

Ever since the night he was carried into the valley by the Big Eyes, bearing his wounds, he had used herbs, alchemy, and countless sleepless nights to help one Mo-Moo after another survive their agonizing pain. The initial suspicion and rejection quietly crumbled away, bit by bit, through every act of healing and guardianship.

Those metal instruments and potion bottles, once seen as eerie, had now become toys that the Mo-Moos gathered around in curiosity. They learned to mimic J, picking up tongs, carefully flipping through pages of herbal manuals, and even watching his experiments with excitement.

Seeing this, J decided to plant seeds of knowledge in their curiosity. In the intervals between treatments, he began teaching simple healing techniques and how to use the tools. A-Gong and Pa-Pa Big Eye took delight in this, becoming his most enthusiastic little assistants—turning the lessons into lively performances with their exaggerated gestures and cooing sounds.

Life in the forest gradually found its rhythm. More often than not, time was spent quietly watching the wind brush through vines, watching fluorescent lights flicker on and off in the night. One day, J sat before the rock wall at the Heart of the Earth Vein, his notebook in hand, watching the Big Eyes dozing off around him. Above was the slowly pulsing network of blue light; around him were the soundly sleeping Mo-Moos. He felt an emotion both strange and long-forgotten—a sense of safety in being needed, being accepted, and being allowed to stay.

It was all too peaceful—a silence one could hardly bear to disturb. But J knew this tranquility would not last forever. Beyond the mountains and forests, the roar of demonization had never truly faded. Deep within his soul, the mental interference of the Alien God had never ceased. The true storm was still lurking in the shadows, awaiting its next descent.