Her heart raced as she tried to think of what to do.

Then, suddenly, an idea popped into her head. The leader of the wolf pack had told them: If you’re ever in unpredictable danger, howl to call for help.

She tried. She really tried. But her voice was dainty, her howl weak and trembling.

Panic rose in her chest. Then she spotted something on the ground — a large shell.

Wasting no time, she grabbed the shell and blew into it with all her strength.

The sound echoed across the jungle.

The wolves heard it.

They sprinted toward Somji, fast as lightning.

“What’s wrong?!” they asked urgently.

Somji explained everything as fast as she could, breathless. The wolves didn’t hesitate. They immediately dove into the water.

Just before they disappeared under the surface, Somji noticed something strange: a scar on the wolf leader’s eye. One moment he blinked — and his eye was white. She blinked in confusion, but when she looked again — it was brown, like nothing had happened. Strange…

Meanwhile, the wolves swam deeper and deeper, the water pressing on them from all sides, the air getting thinner. The waves tossed them around, one by one.

Somji’s stomach twisted. She paced on the riverbank, praying.

The wolves were searching as hard as they could, but the water was murky. Visibility was almost zero.

Then, suddenly — movement in the distance.

One of the wolves squinted. At first, it just looked like flowing seaweed — but no — that was them! Nimji and Kimji, tangled in thick strands of underwater plants, unconscious.

His heart dropped.

He barked sharply, calling the others, and signaled to start cutting them loose.

They were still breathing — but just barely. They had to hurry. Time was slipping away.

Almost done cutting through the seaweed and tangled vines… when suddenly — the eel came back.

Its dark, slithery body shimmered under the murky water, circling, ready to feast on its dinner.

The eel was not happy. One by one, it began zapping the wolves. And one zap meant sleeping with the fish.

The leader finally finished untangling the seaweed. He called over whoever was still alive and signaled them to help lift Nimji and Kimji. They swam up, kicking furiously, and escaped.

Luckily for them, the eel lost track of them in the murky water.

Once back on the shore, Nimji and Kimji had to be revived. The wolves pushed on their chests to force the water from their lungs. After coughing and choking, huffing and puffing, they got to their feet again. Breathless, but alive.

They thanked the wolves with deep, grateful nods — and continued their journey.

Down at the undergrowth, they could see the river’s end creeping closer — but it was still far off. They kept walking and walking, taking long breaks, which, once again, was wasting time.

Finally, after countless blisters, bruises, sunburns, and the trauma of drowning, they reached the turning point for the Red Blossom Trail. They turned left and stepped into it.

The fields were full of tall cherry trees, red and bright, with the sweetest of scents. The falling petals blanketed the path, different shades of red and pink carpeting the ground like velvet.

But while the ground view was beautiful — if you dared to look up at the sky — you’d regret ever setting foot here.

Thunder.
Great winds.
Heavy rain.
Perilous storms.

Shivering, Nimji, Kimji, and Somji pressed forward. They tied some of the surrounding bushes and leaves around their armor to help protect them from the cold. Even though they were wearing armor, metal didn’t work the same as fur.

They trudged on.

Then, suddenly, one day —

“Hey… um, guys — the sky,” said Kimji, his voice nervous.

All three of them looked up.

A great storm was rolling in.

“OKAY,” Nimji barked, snapping into action. “Kimji, Somji — LISTEN. I’m the largest here. You two can hide in my armor. You’ll be shielded from the cold, and our body warmth will keep us protected from getting blown away.”

Without wasting time, Kimji crawled into the hollow of Nimji’s massive armor. Then Somji fluttered in. Kimji had to be careful — not only was Somji a butterfly, but her delicate wings could easily be crushed. He had to protect her at all costs.

The storm began.

The crushing winds slammed against Nimji, but with his will to protect his friends, he kept marching forward, step by step.

Suddenly, through the howling winds, he heard a scream echo from inside his armor.

“KIMJI?! WHAT’S WRONG?!” he shouted, trying to overpower the storm’s roar.

“I — I CAN’T — I CAN’T FIND SOMJI!!!”