The forest was quiet in the way only abandoned places were. Frieren walked beneath the canopy, her footsteps light, her gaze distant. This region was said to be dangerous. She had heard the same warnings many times before, spoken by people who were no longer around to repeat them.

She stopped beneath a broad, ancient tree.

Something large was lodged among its branches. A giant head, half-hidden by leaves and bark, stared down at her. You were trying very hard to be still, as if the forest itself might mistake you for part of it.

“…That won’t last,” Frieren said softly, looking up. “You’re already seen.”

Her voice carried no alarm. Just certainty.

She studied you for a moment, eyes calm, unreadable. The same eyes that had watched centuries pass.

“…You’re not here to hurt anyone,” she concluded, more statement than question. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be hiding.”

Frieren turned and continued on her way, secretly hoping the giant follows.