The Flower Is Finished

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The Other Side

Someone was furious right now. How could they possibly have escaped from the demon that was about to devour them?

"You bastard!" he shouted, throwing a jar that shattered into pieces.

"You couldn't even kill him, even though his life was already hanging by a thread beneath you!" he said angrily, pointing at the man before him. He exhaled sharply.

"I don't know why he's like a different person. Even on the verge of death, he still managed to endure."

"What a waste, meeting you." After saying that, he left the room at once. Silence filled the damp chamber.

---

At the Palace

Arvan and his soldiers still loyally searched for Xander. It had been almost two weeks, yet he was nowhere to be found. Even his last location couldn't be traced by the werewolves or vampires.

"I don't understand, why can't we sense him at all?" Jack asked with a rough sigh.

"You couldn't even catch the faintest scent?" Arvan asked, and Jack shook his head.

"I think someone deliberately erased his scent, so no one could track him," he said. We were in the forest, searching for Xanders' whereabouts, but still couldn't find him.

"Report, Sir! We found a torn piece of Lord Xander's clothing!"

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The dog had been barking loudly for a while. At one point, it stared straight ahead, making Jack turn to look in the same direction.

"Is that a tracking dog?" Jack asked a guard, and the guard nodded.

"Yes, sir. He's a tracker, and he's the one who found Lord Xanders' clothing."

Then Jack ordered them to release the dog. Instantly, the hound dashed forward.

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"Follow that dog!"

We all panicked and ran after it together. From time to time, the dog looked back to make sure we were following.

When we reached the edge of a dense forest, we all exchanged glances.

"Did it run into this forest?" Jack asked Arvan, swallowing hard.

"I'm not sure, but it keeps barking toward the front," Jack replied.

"Should we go in?" Jack asked again. Arvan nodded.

"Yes, it seems we have to."

"Guards, wait here. If the sun sets and we haven't returned, report to the king and request that this seal be lifted temporarily!" Arvan commanded. His men nodded firmly.

"George, take your best troops. We're going in."

Then George and the others entered the royal forest to uncover what had happened.

---

We stepped into the deep, silent forest. The towering trees swayed as if whispering to one another. The howling wind made anyone think twice before entering this place.

This was the Forbidden Forest, a place where prisoners were usually sent to die. If a person had a pure heart, an owl would guide them. But if they were evil, the giant serpent spirit that inhabited the forest would devour them.

Some said the forest was created by the king's decree, and only his bloodline could unseal it.

The six of us exchanged wary glances as the air suddenly grew heavier.

"Stay alert. This place is too quiet," I told them. Everyone nodded.

"My senses aren't working properly. I can't even smell any of you right now."

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The dog barked sharply, and the trees swayed as if they too were watching what was about to happen.

"Shhhh…"

A faint whisper echoed clearly. We turned, but saw nothing.

"Aaaaa!!!"

One of our guards was suddenly snatched by the serpent's tail and disappeared instantly.

This time, we had brought full equipment — torches, fire starters, swords, bows, and flutes or whistles.

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

"Shhhh… Ahhh!"

I caught a glimpse of the serpent fading away before hearing sounds of struggle from behind. We rushed toward the source and found one of the guards barely alive.

"Give him first aid!" I ordered. Jack immediately performed CPR on the wounded man.

"Hah… hah… hah…" only heavy breathing could be heard.

"Are you all right, Sendi?" George asked his nearly-devoured subordinate.

"I almost died… that snake… it's dangerous…" he stammered, glancing around to make sure no other serpent was near.

"Did you see what color it was?" Arvan asked seriously.

"Yes, sir. I saw it clearly… it was leaf-green, and it could talk… like a human…" he replied, trembling.

We all exchanged uneasy looks.

"Do you think we entered the wrong place, Arvan?" Jack asked, scanning their surroundings.

"No. We must keep searching for Xander," Arvan replied firmly.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

The dog barked again, this time staring toward an ancient tree. From behind the thick trunks, fast footsteps could be heard.

"What's that?"

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Suddenly, a herd of elephants stormed toward us, forcing us to hide behind the trees. The ground shook beneath their heavy steps, and we crouched as low as possible to avoid being trampled.

We pulled Sendi, who was severely injured and barely able to stand.

"Watch out, Arvan!" Jack shouted, grabbing his arm as an elephant's foot nearly crushed him.

"Hah… hah… hah… what on earth is happening?!"

"Why are they running like that?" We looked around — our tracking dog was gone.

"Lucky! Lucky! Lucky!" George called desperately, but the dog didn't return.

"Didn't you see him?" Jack asked George.

George shook his head. "After I helped Sendi, I wasn't holding his leash anymore. When we found Sendi, he was still around."

We all sighed heavily.

"Could Lucky have been swept away with the herd? That can't be…"

"Do you feel like we're being watched?" Jack asked Arvan, and Arvan slowly nodded.

"All right, let's keep moving. Maybe Lucky's ahead of us," Jack said. With heavy hearts, George, Sendi, and the rest followed Arvan deeper into the forest.

By now, it was midday. Yet we still hadn't found Xander — and somehow, it felt like we were walking in circles through the same part of the forest.

"Haven't we passed this place before?" Jack asked, glancing around. Arvan stopped walking, realizing the same thing.

"Damn it, we're trapped in the forest's labyrinth," Jack cursed, kicking the dirt.

"Can we even get out of here?" George asked anxiously, still searching for Lucky.

"Lucky! Where are you?" George shouted, his voice echoing through the trees. Arvan lowered his head, guilt weighing on him for losing George's beloved dog.

"All right, let's rest for now. We need to clear our minds," Arvan said at last.

We sat on the ground, glancing around warily as the oppressive silence of the Forbidden Forest surrounded us.

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