After the violet Heart shattered, the jungle lost its life. The vibrant purples faded into a dull, skeletal grey. Rudra stayed on the ground for a few more minutes, his eyes fixed on the two glowing circles that had manifested in the center of the clearing—one for the exit, and one for the descent.
But as his breathing slowed, a familiar chill crawled up his spine.
Since the moment he had stepped into the Dhougen, Rudra had felt it—a heavy, invisible gaze pressing against the back of his neck. It wasn't the killing intent of a monster; it was something colder, more calculated. It had watched him bleed against the serpents and struggle against the shadows.
He scanned the grey, dead trees, his eyes narrowing. The presence was gone. For the first time since the first floor, he felt truly alone with Ananya.
'It stopped watching...' Rudra thought, his hand instinctively hovering over his sword. 'Was it tied to the Illusion Heart? Or did it simply lose interest?' He decided to keep the thought to himself. In a place like this, paranoia was a survival tool, but sharing it might only spread fear.
"What are you staring at?" Ananya asked, breaking his train of thought. She was leaning against a grey stump, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Another one, I mean."
Rudra pulled his gaze away from the shadows. "Nothing," he said shortly.
Grumble.
The silence of the dead forest was shattered by a long, loud protest from Ananya's stomach. She froze, her face instantly flushed a deep, embarrassed red. She looked everywhere but at Rudra.
Rudra looked at the glowing portals, then back at her. He gave a slow, knowing nod. "I think we should find something to eat before we move on."
Ananya let out a long, relieved breath, her pride finally giving way to hunger. A small, tired smile touched her lips. "Right. We can't fight the Sixth Floor on an empty stomach. We have no idea what's waiting for us down there."
Rudra pushed himself to his feet, his muscles protesting with every movement. "I'll see if any of the smaller creatures are still around. The Illusion Heart is dead, so the real animals might have returned."
Ananya stood up as well, stretching her arms until her back popped. "Then we'll split the work. You head toward that clearing on the left, and I'll check the thicket on the right. If you see anything that isn't grey and dead, catch it."
"And if it tries to eat me instead?" Rudra asked, a rare spark of dry humor in his voice.
"Then scream loudly," she teased, turning away. "It'll save me the trouble of looking for lunch."
They parted ways, walking into the remains of the forest. Rudra moved silently, his boots crunching on the brittle moss, his mind still wondering about the eyes that had been watching him from the dark.
Rudra moved through the skeletal remains of the forest, his eyes scanning the grey shadows. The animals had fled after the Heart was destroyed, leaving the floor eerily empty. He approached a strange tree with deep violet bark, laden with heavy, glowing fruits.
As his hand reached for a branch, a blue window flickered in his vision.
[Notice: Analytical Eye Passive Activated.]
[Item Identified: Moon-Dew Fruit.]
[Properties: High Prana Restoration. Contains 5% Healing Salve.]
Rudra's hand paused in mid-air, a look of shock crossing his face. "It seems this system is more useful than I thought," he whispered.
He looked around the clearing and focused his mind. 'Can you detect which of these are poisonous and which are edible?'
Immediately, a digital pulse erupted from his mind, washing over the surrounding terrain. Small icons began to float above every plant.
[Warning: Deathcap Fungus (Lethal)]
[Warning: Nightshade Berry (Paralyzing)]
[Edible: Sky-Root Mushroom]
Rudra moved quickly, plucking only the safe items. As he reached for a final mushroom, a rustle in the bush caught his ear. A Frost-Hare—a forest rabbit with white fur and small horns—bolted out.
Rudra didn't hesitate. He poured a tiny, precise amount of Prana into the Firangi and hurled it. The sword spun through the air like a silver propeller, stabbing the rabbit into the earth before it could even blink.
He gathered his haul—the meat, the medicinal fruits, and the mushrooms—and headed back. When he arrived at the camp, he saw Ananya already waiting. She was standing proudly beside a massive pile of bright, colorful fruits and spotted mushrooms, a huge, triumphant smile on her face.
"Look at this haul!" she said, waving her hand toward the pile. "I found the most vibrant ones. We'll eat like royalty tonight."
Rudra dropped his rabbit and sat down. He didn't even look at her pile. "If you eat those, you'll be dead before we reach the portal."
Ananya's smile vanished. She pouted, crossing her arms defensively. "Excuse me? I worked hard to find these. Can I ask why you're being such a killjoy?"
"Because," Rudra said flatly, pointing at a red-spotted mushroom. "That causes heart failure. Those berries cause paralysis. And that fruit is basically pure acid. Everything you collected is poisonous."
Ananya looked at her pile, then at him, her face turning red with embarrassment. She didn't say a word, simply turning away and sitting down with a huff.
"The fire," Rudra said, pulling out the rabbit. "Unless you want to eat this raw."
She sighed, snapping her fingers to generate a steady, warm flame. As the meat began to roast, the smell filled the clearing, finally softening her mood.
The Silent Wound
As they ate, Ananya's eyes drifted toward Rudra's shoulder. The sleeve of his tunic was shredded, and a deep, jagged gash from the Shadow-Sentinel was still seeping blood. His side was also badly bruised, the skin a dark purple where the Golem had struck him earlier.
"You're a mess," she said softly. She reached into her belt and pulled out a small, ornate vial filled with a glowing green liquid. "Here. It's a High-Grade Healing Elixir from my Sect. It'll close the wounds and stop the internal bleeding."
Rudra hesitated. "This looks expensive."
"It is," she said, pressing it into his hand. "But I can't have my partner dying because he's too stubborn to admit he's hurt. Drink it."
Rudra drank. The liquid tasted like pine and honey, and he felt a cooling sensation wash over his injuries. The pain in his ribs faded, and the gash on his shoulder began to knit together.
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, letting the meal and the medicine work. The Dhougen felt unusually peaceful, but they both knew the Sixth Floor would be different.
"It's time," Ananya said, standing up and checking her blades.
Rudra nodded, his strength returning. He stood beside her, and together they stepped into the blue circle. The grey forest dissolved, and the weight of a new, even heavier atmosphere slammed into them as they descended.