The forest held its breath.

The tiger lay defeated, face down, his breathing heavy and uneven. Around him, the leaves were slowly falling, like a curtain of silence.

Arnaud, panting, a proud smile on his lips, leaned against a tree.

"Well... did you see that? I'm really too strong."

Shadow, his sharp eye, raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't do it all by yourself, you know? Without this fruit, we would all have died long ago."

"Ah, shut up. Let me savor my moment."

Trafalgar, worried, scanned the shifting shadows around them.

"It doesn't matter who did what. He's down, it's time to get out. He could get up at any moment."

Albert nodded gravely.

"We're not staying here."

Bass, leaning over Maxime, who was still trembling, whispered:

"Max, are you okay? Breathe. It's over, we're here."

Maxime nodded slowly, his eyes still misty.

"I thought we were going to die."

The forest's breath grew heavy, oppressive. But fatigue hadn't yet overcome them.

A hoarse growl cut through the icy air.

"What are you doing... on this island?"

They all froze.

Slowly, they turned around.

The tiger, wounded but standing on one knee, scrutinized them with a dark, almost human gaze, filled with a weighty question.

Arnaud, stunned, whispered:

"He just spoke, didn't he?"

Shadow, on guard, raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"How is that possible?" The tiger's deep, slow voice echoed again:

"Answer my question."

After a charged silence, Shadow stepped forward, determined.

"We're from another dimension..."

The tiger closed his eyes for a moment, his jaw clenching.

"That's what I thought."

Bass frowned.

"How?"

The tiger recounted, his deep voice filled with regret.

"Two years ago, a human appeared here. Alone. He said he was from another dimension too. And without explanation, he attacked. I had to kill him."

Albert was speechless.

"Damn it..."

Trafalgar asked in a trembling voice, "And... you thought we were like him?"

The tiger nodded.

"I saw the portal you came through. The same one he used. I panicked. I attacked without thinking."

Shadow clenched his fists.

—But we just wanted to defend ourselves.

The tiger lowered its eyes, visibly ashamed.

—Yes... I see it now. I felt neither hatred nor cruelty. Only fear. And courage.

Arnaud approached cautiously, his voice soft.

—We're not that kind. We don't want to hurt anyone.

The tiger, appeased, replied slowly:

—Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my fear got the better of me. If that's the case... I owe you an apology.

Shadow nodded.

—You protected yourself, we understand.

At that moment, it was as if the tiger were their human counterpart. No one, or almost no one, was afraid of it anymore. It's when the powerful reveal their weaknesses that they become less imposing.

Arnaud approached him to help him get onto his two legs. But as he reached out, a sudden noise pierced the bushes, followed by a shout.

"The Guardian is under attack! Attack!"

Armed figures appeared: men and women brandishing spears, bows, pitchforks, and rusty machetes. They immediately surrounded the group.

Trafalgar, Albert, Bass, Shadow, and Arnaud took up arms. Maxime stood up abruptly.

A man armed with a bow pointed his arrow at Shadow:

"Don't move! You've wounded our Guardian!"

Another, machete raised:

"Let me do this, Tiger. It'll only take a minute."

The tiger, his voice firm and authoritative:

"NO. Lower your weapons."

An icy silence fell. Then a deep, gravelly voice, full of experience, emerged from the ranks.

A tall, wiry old man, covered in scars, stepped forward, brandishing a carved spear.

"Tiger... you're bleeding. Do you really want to trust them?"

The tiger calmly replied, "Yes. I was mistaken. They're not enemies. They were simply defending themselves. They showed neither hatred nor pleasure in fighting. Only fear... and respect."

The old man scrutinized the strangers for a long time. Albert lowered his eyes, Trafalgar trembled, Arnaud kept his hand raised, Shadow held his gaze. Bass and Maxime remained silent.

The leader growled, his fingers tightening on his spear, then sighed.

"Very well. We'll spare them. But they remain under your watch. One mistake, and I'll erase them myself."

The tiger nodded.

"I'll take responsibility."

The villagers lowered their weapons. A breath of relief rippled through the clearing.

Bass murmured, relieved, "We had a close call with death."

Trafalgar smiled weakly, "It's stuck with us."

Arnaud addressed the tiger, "Thank you... truly."

The tiger faltered, and Arnaud held him back.

"You're safe... for now."

Shadow said, "We'll remain worthy of your trust."

The old man looked at the villagers, then at Tiger.

"Come get treatment in the village." And if you want them to accompany you, so be it.

The tiger seemed moved by such humanity.

"Yes, I would like them to come with us. They came from elsewhere, like the other one. But they're different."

Shadow nodded.

"We'll follow you... if that's all right with you."

The tiger smiled weakly.

"No. That reassures me. I owe you that."

The others nodded.

Shadow, as leader, walked towards the old man and extended his hand.

"Don't worry, sir."

The old man grasped it firmly, but said nothing.

After that, the villagers led the way, pushing aside branches and foliage.

They all slowly moved deeper into the forest.

All... except Albert.

Frozen, motionless, his gaze lost in the abyss of his thoughts.

Arnaud placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, brain... let's go."

Albert blinked, regaining consciousness.

"Yeah. I'm coming."

Then he started walking.

Maxe, at his side, was also moving, his face closed, his gaze fixed on the ground, searching for an invisible answer.

Shadow approached slowly.

"Are you going to be okay, Max?"

"Yeah, I'm recovered."

They walked in silence, under the weight of the forest, escorted by the wary glances of the villagers.

In the back, the tiger watched discreetly, admiring their faltering steps, their fragile courage.

He lowered his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"I hope I'm not mistaken."

And so the group moved deeper into the forest, towards the hidden village, still invisible behind the trees, bearing hopes... and promises.