Zerutod stepped into the Deep Green, the towering trees casting long shadows across the forest floor. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and moss, the quiet hum of nature filling the silence as if the forest itself was breathing. The trunks of the trees stretched impossibly high, vanishing into the dark canopy above, their size giving the unsettling impression of an endless, uncharted wilderness. It was easy to understand how one could become disoriented here—the maze of massive trees seemed to extend forever, and the deeper one went, the more the world outside seemed to fade away.

His boots moved silently over the ground, each step precise and deliberate. Though his lavender eyes were sightless, he walked with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where he was going. Through his electroreception, Zerutod could sense the energy of the creatures around him—the faint rustle of animals in the underbrush, the subtle shift in the breeze as it passed through the trees. The forest was alive, and yet it remained eerily still, as though watching him.

He paused for a moment, running his hand along the bark of one of the massive trunks. The texture was rough and ancient, the tree likely older than any city in Fiore. Carved into its bark was a faint marking, a guide left by a traveler to avoid losing their way. But Zerutod knew the stories. The markings had a habit of disappearing or shifting, a trick of the forest spirits, some said. Those with ill intentions against the Deep Green often found themselves lost, their wayward paths twisting back on themselves.

A faint smile touched his lips at the thought. He didn’t believe in forest spirits, but the stories of people vanishing in these woods weren’t so easy to dismiss. The Deep Green had a way of turning the familiar into the strange, distorting even the sharpest mind. That was why most who entered left quickly if they left at all.

As Zerutod moved further into the forest, the trees seemed to close in around him, the path ahead narrowing as the light grew dimmer. Despite the looming silence, there was a sense of presence here, something old and untouched. The forest shifted subtly, and though his expression remained calm, he could feel the weight of its attention.

"Curious," he murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible beneath the canopy. Still, he continued forward, his figure vanishing into the shadows between the colossal trees, leaving only the faintest echo of his steps behind.