Kon slowly moved farther away from the area where the humans were gathered. Before disappearing completely between the trees, he cast one final glance toward the group and, as if he had simply lost interest, dashed deeper into the forest at incredible speed, vanishing into the darkness within seconds.
Ariana watched silently and, in a way, felt satisfied by his appearance. Kon's presence served as an important reminder: darkness was not the only danger lurking within Arcadia's forests. There were creatures in that world the humans still could not understand, beings that observed from afar without necessarily attacking, yet whose mere presence was enough to create tension.
After the scare, the humans slowly returned closer to the fire. By now, it had already become a natural habit for them. Every night, they instinctively gathered around the flames, as though the fire represented safety amidst the unknown vastness of Arcadia. Now that they had learned how to create fire on their own, the night no longer felt as terrifying as it had during the first few days.
During the day, however, they had begun wandering farther and farther away from the clearing to explore their surroundings. They gathered fruits, observed the environment, and even hunted small animals such as rabbits and wild chickens. None of them truly understood why they did these things.
It was simply instinct.
Survival.
Ariana noticed that they were evolving in visible ways.
Stones were no longer just stones. Some of the humans had started intentionally breaking them apart, creating sharp fragments they used while hunting and also for cutting leather and meat. Little by little, they had begun reusing parts of the animals they killed. Rabbit hide, for example, was wrapped around their hands and feet to lessen the cold during the night.
Small changes.
But important ones.
They had also begun storing food. Near the fire, a small pile of fruits had been carefully organized in a rudimentary manner. Apples, bananas, grapes, and other fruits gathered during the day were kept there in case hunger struck during the night.
The serious-looking man observed the rest of the group that night before finally speaking. The firelight partially illuminated his face while his eyes carefully scanned each of them.
"We're not safe," he said firmly. "In the same way we hunt those small animals… larger ones can hunt us too."
The group remained silent, listening.
"We need shelter. Tomorrow, we'll search for a better place."
Everyone slowly nodded. No one disagreed. After encountering Kon, the feeling of vulnerability had become far more real.
The night continued advancing while Ariana wandered through Arcadia's skies. She still occasionally observed other parts of the world, but most of her attention remained focused on the humans. At least during this early stage, she wanted to closely watch everything that happened to them.
Then something caught her attention.
The fire.
The flames began spreading with unexpected speed. Since they were in the middle of a forest, dry branches and leaves covered the ground everywhere, perfect fuel for the fire to spread without resistance. The night wind only made things worse.
Within moments, flames began surrounding the group.
The humans slowly woke in confusion before realizing what was happening. By the time they looked around, the fire had already spread to nearly every side.
They were trapped.
Ariana's heart sank.
Her expression darkened immediately.
One of the girls let out a sharp scream while trying to back away. Part of the flames struck her arm, leaving the skin reddened.
"What do we do?!" the ordinary-looking young man shouted desperately while looking around. "We're surrounded!"
Some tried approaching the flames to escape, but the wind caused the fire to surge aggressively, forcing them back once again. The ring of fire continued shrinking.
At the center of the group, the injured girl had fallen to her knees, supported by another girl while tears gathered in her eyes.
"It hurts…!" she said with a trembling voice.
Ariana watched everything in silence.
Then she let out a heavy sigh.
"What a careless mistake…" she murmured to herself. "I should've realized fire would be dangerous in a forest."
The flames had already grown high enough that even she could feel the heat from the skies above.
And then Ariana made a decision.
Her body suddenly descended toward the ground, as though the invisible force keeping her afloat had vanished for an instant. Her long green hair cut through the air as she passed through the orange glow of the flames.
The humans widened their eyes.
Ariana's appearance was impossible to ignore.
She did not arrive in some grand or explosive manner.
Her arrival was silent.
Calm.
Her feet touched the ground without making a sound.
The kneeling girl slowly lifted her head and met Ariana's eyes standing before her.
Ariana simply smiled softly.
A gentle smile.
A reassuring one.
"It's alright," she said calmly. "I'm here."
Every gaze immediately turned toward her.
Then Ariana lightly moved one of her hands.
And the flames disappeared.
They did not weaken.
They did not slowly fade away.
They simply ceased to exist, as though they had never burned there at all.
The group remained frozen in shock, staring at the mysterious woman who had erased the fire before their eyes.
While the first encounter between Ariana and the humans unfolded within Arcadia, somewhere impossibly far away, an enormous gate slowly opened.
It was colossal.
So massive it seemed endless.
The structure possessed an ancient and majestic appearance, as though it had existed since before time itself. Unknown symbols covered its entire surface, faintly glowing amidst the surrounding void.
A man stepped through the gate.
His appearance was flawless. His perfect face carried an almost inhuman coldness, while long, grand robes silently brushed against the ground as he walked. At his waist hung a relatively small sword compared to his overwhelming presence, yet the aura radiating from it made space itself feel heavy.
Throughout the entire walk, the man kept his eyes closed.
He advanced through a long, silent corridor surrounded only by endless darkness. No sound existed there besides his own footsteps.
Until he finally stopped.
At the end of the corridor, the man knelt without hesitation.
"As ordered… every form of life within that world has been completely eliminated."
His voice was calm.
Emotionless.
Yet the presence released from his body was unfathomable, heavy enough to slightly distort the surrounding space.
Then, before him, the void manifested.
A voice emerged from the darkness.
Celestial.
Ancient.
Carrying a calmness that seemed to transcend entire eras.
"Very good…" the voice slowly said. "Bring that world closer. We will make use of its remaining resources."
The kneeling man remained motionless for a few seconds before speaking again.
"There is one more thing."
The voice did not respond immediately.
"You sensed that presence as well?" he asked.
The silence that followed seemed to last longer than it should have.
Then the voice echoed once more.
"Yes… I felt it."
For the first time, a subtle change could be heard in its tone.
"It has been millions of years since a new god appeared."
The man remained kneeling silently.
"For now… we will simply observe," the voice continued. "Her world still lacks resources."
The presence within the void slowly weakened.
The man merely lowered his head in acknowledgment, rose to his feet, and began walking back through the dark corridor, slowly disappearing into the silent immensity of that place.