He opened his eyes.
Light filtered through the canopy above, slipping between layers of leaves and branches before scattering across his vision in fractured shades of green.
The world felt distant at first, blurred by the lingering haze of sleep. For a moment, he had no idea where he was.
He sat still, his back against the trunk of a tree, staring upward as the leaves rustled gently overhead.
Sunlight flickered between them whenever the wind passed, painting the forest ceiling with shifting patterns of light and shadow.
Slowly, he raised his hands in front of his face.
His fingers curled inward, then stretched again. The movement felt… strange. Familiar, yet distant—like rediscovering something he had once known but long forgotten.
He flexed them again, watching the tendons move beneath the skin. Then he shifted his attention lower and moved his toes.
Testing. Feeling.
The sensation traveled clearly through his body, smooth and natural.
He paused. It was a feeling he had almost forgotten.
Moving freely. Unburdened. Control.
A quiet breath escaped him as he pushed himself upright.
Beside him, half-hidden in the grass, lay a sheathed sword and a satchel. The items looked as though they had been placed there deliberately, waiting for him.
He picked them up without hesitation.
The sword felt solid in his hand. The weight was unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable.
Satisfied, he slung the satchel over his shoulder and slowly rose to his feet.
For a brief moment, he just stood there, feeling the ground beneath him and the faint forest breeze against his skin.
Remembering what he had done in the celestial realm, he steadied his breathing and focused his gaze. His eyes narrowed as he swept his vision across the surrounding forest, moving slowly from one direction to another.
Every patch of shadow, every cluster of leaves, every broken line among the branches drew his attention. He searched for movement. Shapes that did not belong. Anything that might be watching him first.
The forest answered with silence.
Nothing.
No sudden rustle in the undergrowth.
No low growl hidden beneath the wind.
Only the whisper of leaves shifting high above, and the distant call of birds.
After several long seconds, he allowed his shoulders to relax slightly.
At least for now… he seemed safe.
He exhaled quietly and lifted his gaze again, this time not seeking threats but taking in the world.
Trees stretched in every direction.
Tall trunks rose like pillars from the forest floor, their crowns woven together far above to form a vast green ceiling.
Sunlight struggled through the thick canopy, breaking into scattered rays that drifted down like dust made of light.
Beyond the nearest trees, the green stretched endlessly—a wilderness without end.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Slowly, he tilted his head back and looked up at the patchwork sky visible between the leaves.
"I was starting to think differently of you," he murmured.
For a brief moment, only the wind answered.
Then his smile widened faintly. "But I take it back. You're cruel after all."
He stood there a moment longer, gaze lingering on the sky framed by leaves.
The wind stirred the canopy overhead, branches shifting softly as sunlight flickered across his face. For an instant, he just watched it, weighing something in his mind.
Then he moved.
A small hop first—nothing serious.
His feet left the ground for only a heartbeat before touching back down on the forest floor.
But even that small movement made him pause.
His body felt… light.
He frowned slightly, rolling his shoulders and shifting his weight from one foot to the other, measuring the strength hidden in his limbs.
A quiet thought crossed his mind.
Then muttered under his breath, half to himself:
"There's only one way to find out."
He bent his knees.
Muscles tightened.
And then he pushed off the ground with all the strength in his legs.
The forest floor vanished beneath him. Air rushed past his ears as his body shot upward faster than he expected. Branches flashed by in a blur of green until he reached out instinctively and caught the thick limb above.
His feet landed smoothly against the bark.
"Whoa..." He exclaimed as he balanced himself on the branch.
He blinked.
Wow... I didn't expect that to work. He thought to himself.
A faint grin crept onto his face.
Once again, he tapped his feet on the branch lightly, and then. Without hesitation, he pushed off again.
Branch to branch.
His body moved with surprising ease, leaping through the upper layers of the tree as though it had always known how.
Leaves rustled around him, small clusters of twigs snapping beneath his weight as he climbed higher. Sunlight grew brighter the further he went. The air felt clearer.
Then the branches thinned.
He steadied himself at the top of the tree and lifted his gaze beyond the leaves.
Green.
Nothing but green.
The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, rolling outward like a living ocean beneath the sky.
No roads. No smoke. No villages.
Just wilderness reaching all the way to the distant horizon.
He had been right.
Wow... seriously? Being dumped in the middle of nowhere pricked him.
He inhaled deeply, calming himself down.
Now that his situation was clear, he knew he should start thinking about his next move.
His mind began assembling plans almost automatically.
But as his gaze drifted across the landscape, those thoughts slowly faded.
From the top of the towering tree, waves of green rolled toward the horizon, leaves shimmering whenever the wind swept through them.
It was vast.
Untouched.
Beautiful.
Far north was a mountain range, stretching like a natural border between the wilderness and whatever lay on the other side.
He closed his eyes.
Feeling the cool breeze sliding through the branches, brushing lightly against his face and arms.
Warm sunlight filtered through the canopy, settling gently across his skin.
The contrast made him pause.
He breathed in slowly, savoring the sensation.
For the first time in a long time, there was no stiffness in his body.
No weakness,
No invisible weight dragging at his limbs.
Just movement.
Just breathing.
Just the quiet rhythm of being alive.
Words slipped from his lips before he realized he had spoken.
"Ahh… this is life."
He exhaled slowly, savoring the warmth of the sun a moment longer before shaking his head. The peaceful feeling faded as thoughts returned to reality.
Standing on a treetop enjoying the scenery wouldn't keep him alive.
There were more important things to do.
His eyes opened again, sharp and focused.
From his perch above the canopy, his gaze swept across the forest with purpose. He scanned the distance carefully, searching for anything that didn't belong among the endless trees.
Movements.
Signs of life.
For a long moment, there was nothing. Just the wind moving through the leaves like waves across a living ocean.
He was about to give up when something finally caught his attention. His eyes narrowed.
One tree stood taller than the rest. Its massive trunk rose far above the surrounding canopy, its crown spreading wide like a natural tower. Even from a distance, it dominated the forest around it.
And not far from it—something else. A faint silver line wound its way through the sea of green, glimmering whenever sunlight struck its surface.
A river.
"Bingo..." He whispered.
That settled it.
He crouched slightly on the branch beneath him before pushing off. His body dropped through the leaves, landing smoothly on a lower limb.
The branch dipped beneath his weight before springing back as he launched again.
Tree to tree.
Branch to branch.
The forest rushed past beneath him as he moved through the upper canopy, leaves brushing against his shoulders and arms.
For now, he decided that travelling above ground felt safer.
After all, there was no telling what might be waiting below.