I feel like something is off as I look at my surroundings. From all the living creatures, even from the plants and the soil, they are all there, but I sense something is off. A luma runs past me, it almost feels like it’s fleeing.

“Huh? What is going on here?” I say, a little weirded out, both because it’s fleeing and also because it is silent.

The luma are known for their beautiful sounds of resonation. When a luma calls, their voice resonates with their flaming spiral antlers, their fur so white it glimmers with the sound.

Ramsey looks back at me, “Hey! What’s the holdup, Fukai?!”

I turn and look at Ramsey with a little concern. “Something feels off, Ramsey! Don’t you think it’s weird that there’s no sound?”

Ramsey looks at me, trying to comprehend what I’m implying. “What do you mean, Fukai?” Ramsey begins to look around, realizing what I mean. “What the hell?”

“Huh? What’s going on, guys?” Maka looks at both of us, confused.

I march up to Ramsey, unable to hold back my feelings. “You get it now, Ramsey?! While we were standing here, arguing, we didn’t realize it!”

“Realize what?” Maka looks at me, still confused.

I point at the mechanical orb that has lost its light. “Ever since I touched that thing, there has been no sound!”

“No sound?” Maka says, even more confused.

Ramsey hesitates for a second, and then begins to listen for the sound that all of us are familiar with. A sound that our land makes; something that is ingrained into the people who dwell here. The sound of the Deep Jungle.

“Don’t you think it’s weird! We’re here in the depths of the Deep Jungle! Where millions of living creatures make all different kinds of sounds! And yet, no sound at all! No crickets chirping! No monkeys yelling! No mocker bird making fun of us! Nothing!” I shout with worry in my voice.

Ramsey closes his eyes and inhales, then exhales. “Yeah, you’re right. This is weird.” Ramsey opens his eyes and looks around. “What the hell is going on here?”

“Umm… maybe we should get out of here? This may be too much for us to handle.” Maka looks at me and smiles.

“You may be right, Maka,” I look over my shoulder back at the mechanical orb, “but can we at least check out the situation?” I look towards Ramsey and Maka as I extend my hand towards them. “Maybe we shouldn’t leave just yet.”

All of a sudden, the three of us hear an instrument being played, almost as if the person is right next to us, and a woman’s voice begins to sing.

“This fair land turns dark and gray,

as the ashes rise from night ‘til day.”

“Music?” I say as I close my belt pouch and look around, wondering where it’s coming from. “I may be going crazy, but I’m pretty sure I just heard somebody singing…”

“No, Fukai, it’s not just you. I heard it too.” Ramsey begins to think as he rubs his head.

“Umm… me too.” Maka turns and looks at me, he seems a little bit concerned. “Umm… Fukai, is that the voice you heard?” Maka grabs my arm tightly, his hands shaking. “If s-s-so, it doesn’t sound like she needs help, right?”

As I look for the direction of where the music is coming from, a sense of calmness washes over me. “I’m sorry, but this is not the voice I heard. This is something entirely different.”

As the music continues to play, I can’t help myself but be drawn towards its enticing melody.

“Ye warriors rise up from this land.

Protect this jungle with thy hands.

As the ashes spread throughout this land,

ye warriors forgot thy path, oh,

ye warriors forgot thy path.”

Within that moment, those words became etched in their hearts.