Alkan didn't answer the Mayor and hurriedly left the party.

  A few days later, his business finally opened but Alkan was not happy.

  “Alkan,” Gio called, sitting in the chair across from him. The sawikin tried to catch his gaze but failed. Gio sighed. “Don’t sink too low. Nothing will happen to Valeria.”

  He looked at the sawikin. “It’s been days, but the black sawikin hasn’t shown any signs. Are you sure Valeria’s still alive?”

  Gio’s lips formed a thin line. “Believe that nothing will happen to her.”

  Alkan cursed and slammed his fist on the table. “Nothing? Those monsters have no conscience. You’re not even doing anything to find her. You, bird clans, are worthless!” he said, standing up and storming out of the storage room.

  But when he stepped out, he saw Manuel.

  Alkan stopped for a moment before silently walking past the man.

  The white sawikin wouldn’t lend a hand to look for Valeria, and Alkan didn't know where the lair of the black sawikin was except for those white sawikin.

  Alkan clenched his fist and made a decision. He would go to the forest tonight. He wasn’t relying on the sawikin anymore—he would find Valeria himself.

  When he got home, he quickly took a shower and changed. After having dinner, he got dressed and left the house. He drove his car toward the forest, the place he had once promised never to step foot in again.

  But tonight was different. He needed to overcome his fear of the forest to reach the portal to the Tribal. He got out of the car and gazed at the vast forest ahead. He swallowed and grabbed the flashlight from the car. He closed the car door and took a step into the woods.

  The black clouds covered the moon, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Alkan took a deep breath and continued walking into the forest.

  He could only hear the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves as the cold wind blew through the trees.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  Alkan’s hairs stood on end at the eerie silence of the forest. He had once searched for Estong’s body with someone, but now he was alone, walking deeper into the woods by himself.

  He sighed but steadied his resolve. This wasn’t the time to be scared.

  So, he quickened his pace toward the heart of the forest. He walked for hours before reaching the center. It was the area where they had found Estong’s dead body.

  Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet. The wind didn’t blow, and the crickets stopped chirping. He gazed at the path leading deeper into the forest. Without hesitation, he walked down the path that no one had ventured before.

  Hours passed as he trudged through the path, the grass as tall as a person. At one point, he nearly scratched himself on the thorns of wild grass. Luckily, he was wearing thick pants and boots.

  Before long, he reached the heart of the forest. He saw the portal and the wide clearing around it.

  He exhaled deeply. He had finally reached the portal. The corner of his lips twitched as he quickly approached it.

  But just as he stepped onto the portal, the round moon emerged from the dark clouds.

  However, the moon that had been yellow changed color. In the blink of an eye, it turned red, as red as blood. No one noticed this strange occurrence, except for the wandering sawikin in the town of San Roque.

  Gio stood up straight, his eyes wide, staring at the red moon. In the blink of an eye, its color returned to yellow. But that didn’t ease the chill running down his spine.

  Someone had entered the portal!

  “It's Alkan,” a voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

  Gio turned around and saw Manuel. He frowned as he looked up at the moon again.

  Manuel said, “He went into the forest and crossed the portal. You need to find Alkan in the Tribal. We don’t know where that portal took him. He’s not ready to face the Black Wing Tribe.”