Shadow of the forest

The inside of the temple was dark and suffocatingly still. Dust floated in thin streams of light breaking through cracks in the ceiling, casting eerie patterns across the walls. Zeke wandered aimlessly, his boots crunching over shards of bone and loose chains scattered across the ground.

He crouched, picking up an old skull before dropping it back onto the ground with a sigh. "Nothing here but dead things." He stood, stretching his arms. "What a damn waste."

On the other side of the room, Arina was engrossed in the wall inscriptions, his eyes squinting to make out the faded carvings. "These symbols… Zeke, do you know what they mean? What is this place?"

Zeke turned toward him, irritation plain on his face. "How the hell should I know? Who cares? I'm hungry."

Arina let out a small exasperated sigh and muttered under his breath, "Of course you're hungry."

---

The fire crackled in the center of the temple's main hall, its orange glow softening the grim surroundings. Zeke rummaged through his bag and pulled out a magical creature—a strange rabbit-like beast with glowing spots on its pale skin. It was clearly dead. Without hesitation, he began skinning it expertly with his dagger.

Arina watched, his face contorting with disgust. "Is that… necessary?"

Zeke didn't even glance up. "Yeah. Unless you're planning to eat dust."

Minutes later, the smell of grilled meat filled the room. Zeke tore off a piece of the crispy flesh, savoring it with a satisfied grin. Catching Arina's look of pure horror, he smirked and held the meat out toward him.

"C'mon, princess, one bite won't kill you."

Arina recoiled, waving his hands frantically. "Get that thing away from me!"

Zeke snorted, popping another piece into his mouth. "Your loss."

Arina pulled out his own food. He ignored Zeke's smirking as he nibbled on his meal, turning his attention to the view outside. Through the broken archway of the temple, the forest stretched endlessly, lush and green despite the decay elsewhere. Arina's expression softened, a faint smile appearing.

"This side of the forest looks fine… peaceful, even."

Zeke paused mid-bite and laughed harshly. "Not for long."

Arina's smile faltered as he frowned at Zeke. "Why do you always have to be so damn pessimistic?"

Before Zeke could retort, a low, calm voice echoed from the darkness.

"Zeke…"

Both Zeke and Arina shot to their feet, spinning toward the sound. Out of the shadows stepped a tall figure—a centaur. His powerful body was covered in thick fur, his torso bare except for a simple leather strap holding a quiver of arrows. His face was sharp and stoic, framed by long dark hair, and he gripped a bow in his strong hands.

Zeke let out a frustrated sigh, relaxing slightly. "Dammit, Kara, you scared us!"

Arina blinked, his mouth slightly open as he stared at the centaur in amazement. "A centaur…"

Kara approached them, his hooves echoing lightly against the stone floor. "You've gone soft, Zeke. I wouldn't have startled you before."

Zeke grunted, sitting back down by the fire. "Yeah, well, blame the company I keep." He jerked his head toward Arina, who was still staring wide-eyed.

Kara's cold gaze shifted to Arina, studying him carefully. "And who's this?"

"Arina," Zeke said gruffly. "Kava's student."

Kara's expression softened slightly, though a flicker of sadness crossed his face. Silence fell over the group, heavy and lingering. After a moment, Kara spoke again, his voice quiet. "Zeke… I'm sorry about what happened to Kava."

Zeke stared into the fire, his jaw tightening. "Don't be. There's no need. It's been years, anyway."

Kara nodded solemnly, then turned to Arina, who was still staring at him with bright, curious eyes. "You've got something to say, don't you?"

Arina broke into a grin, his previous nervousness replaced by excitement. "Your village… What's it like? I've read about centaurs in old texts, but I've never seen a real one before! Is your village hidden? Do you live deep in the forest?"

Kara chuckled at Arina's enthusiasm, his cold demeanor thawing slightly. "It's not as magical as you're imagining. We're a hidden village, like many others, trying to stay out of sight." He frowned, his voice turning serious. "The creatures of this world are in hiding. The shadows… they've forced us to withdraw."

Zeke, who had been listening quietly, glanced up. "What are you doing out here anyway, Kara? Thought you'd be holed up in your little village."

Kara's face darkened, his brow furrowing with worry. "Some of our hunters have gone missing. They leave to hunt but never return. We've started guarding the outskirts of the village to keep watch."

Arina's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you mean… we're near the Centaur Village?"

Kara smirked faintly. "Thirty meters from here, give or take."

Arina's face lit up, and he spun to Zeke, excitement written all over his features.

Zeke groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Don't even say it."

Arina ignored him, practically bouncing on his heels. "Zeke! We have to see it! It's not every day you get to visit a centaur village!"

Kara tilted his head, amused at Arina's reaction. Zeke shot him a sharp look. "You hear him? You're making my life harder, Kara."

Kara's laughter rumbled softly in his chest. "You could come, Zeke. Spend the night there. It's safer than sleeping in this rotting temple."

Zeke stared at him in disbelief, then slumped forward in defeat. "You've got to be kidding me."

Arina beamed, already gathering his things. "This is going to be amazing!"

Zeke pointed a finger at him, his expression deadly serious. "If you embarrass me in that village, I swear I'll leave you there."

Arina grinned unapologetically. "You'll thank me later."

Kara smiled as he stood, motioning for them to follow. "Come on, then. The village isn't far."

Zeke groaned as he pulled himself to his feet, muttering under his breath about "troublemaking students." But despite his complaints, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as they left the temple behind and stepped into the moonlit forest.