Belle stepped forward, her boots sinking slightly into the soft earth. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns across the clearing. A gentle breeze carried the scent of fresh leaves and damp soil, a stark contrast to the suffocating, twisted air of the Forbidden Forest. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe easily.
She had escaped.
The past few days had been a blur—running, hiding, fighting and surviving. The lingering tension in her muscles refused to fade, as if her body still expected an attack at any moment. But this place… this forest was different. It lacked the heavy, unnatural silence of the Forbidden Forest. Here, the world felt alive—birds chirped from the branches, insects hummed in the underbrush, and somewhere in the distance, a stream trickled over smooth stones. It was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
For the first time since waking in this world, she had a moment to pause, to reflect.
Even as she let herself relax, an odd sensation prickled at the edges of her awareness. Her body felt different—lighter, stronger, more attuned to everything around her. The air itself seemed to carry a quiet hum, a rhythm she could almost feel if she focused. This power… this overwhelming energy inside her… she had only begun to scratch the surface.
Her body had changed—there was no denying it. But just how much had she changed? She clenched her fists experimentally, feeling the unfamiliar power humming beneath her skin. It was time to test her limits.
I need to understand what I've become.
Belle decided to start with her vision. She had noticed it before—the way distant objects seemed clearer, the way her eyes could pierce through darkness with unnatural precision. But she had been too occupied with survival to focus on the details. Now, she had the time.
She lifted her gaze to the treetops, spotting a small bird perched on a high branch. The creature tilted its head, its feathers ruffling against the wind. Belle focused on it, and in an instant, her perception sharpened. Every detail sprang into clarity—the delicate texture of its wings, the soft rise and fall of its tiny chest as it breathed, the glint of reflected sunlight in its beady eyes.
Her breath hitched. I shouldn't be able to see this.
She adjusted her focus slightly, and the world around the bird faded, isolating it as though she had zoomed in on it with a high-powered lens. She could see its minuscule talons flexing against the branch, the near-invisible shift of its feathers in response to the wind. She could even spot the tiniest pulse in its throat, beating in a rhythm that matched its rapid heartbeat.
This isn't normal… I am able to see all of these?
A mix of awe and apprehension settled in her chest, but she wasn't done yet.
She tore her eyes away and scanned the surrounding forest. Instantly, everything around her sharpened. She could see the rough, uneven ridges of tree bark from meters away, the fine webbing of veins on every leaf, the way sunlight refracted through drops of dew clinging to blades of grass. In the underbrush, hidden to any normal eye, tiny movements betrayed the presence of creatures—ants marching in near-perfect formation, a beetle scurrying under a rock, a butterfly flexing its wings before taking flight.
Belle exhaled, feeling an almost overwhelming flood of information rush into her mind.
She shifted her focus to something in motion. A squirrel darted across the forest floor, weaving between tree roots before leaping onto a trunk. Her gaze followed instinctively, tracking every movement with impossible clarity. She could see the precise way its muscles tensed before a jump, the way its tail flicked to adjust balance mid-air, the miniscule particles of dust kicked up as it landed. It was as if the world had slowed down, allowing her to dissect each movement in perfect detail.
She tensed, startled.
I'm not just seeing things—I'm predicting them.
It wasn't simply heightened vision. It was understanding. Her eyes weren't just registering motion; they were analyzing it, allowing her to anticipate what would happen next. She tested it again, focusing on another creature—a rabbit, half-hidden in the foliage. Its ears twitched slightly, and without thinking, she knew it was about to bolt. A split second later, it did, exactly as she had anticipated.
Belle let out a slow breath, her mind racing.
This wasn't human. This was something else entirely.
A slow smile crept across her lips.
Incredible…
Moving on to her next ability.
Her hearing.
She had already noticed subtle differences—like how the wind carried layered sounds she would have never paid attention to before or how she could hear the quiet shuffle of small animals even when they were out of sight. But how far did it truly extend?
With deliberate intent, she tuned in to the world around her, focusing solely on sound.
At first, she picked up the familiar ones—the gentle rustling of trees, the occasional chirp of a bird, and the steady rhythm of her own breathing. But as she concentrated, those sounds seemed to peel away, revealing an entire hidden world beneath them.
A faint skittering to her left.
A beetle, perhaps? No, the movements were too rhythmic—more like a small rodent weaving through the underbrush. She could hear the individual crunches of dried leaves beneath its tiny paws, the slight pause as it hesitated, then the sudden burst of motion as it scurried away.
Belle's lips parted slightly.
I never would have noticed something like that before…
Encouraged, she stretched her senses further. The delicate flutter of wings overhead. The rhythmic creak of a branch swaying in the wind. Even the near-silent shift of dirt as a burrowing insect tunneled just beneath the forest floor.
It was overwhelming at first. A constant stream of sound layered upon itself, each detail distinct yet woven together into the vast melody of the forest. It was like being in the middle of a grand orchestra where every instrument played at once, yet she could somehow pick out each note individually.
But could she filter them?
Belle furrowed her brow and tried something different. Instead of stretching her senses outward, she focused inward, attempting to isolate a single sound.
She latched onto the chirping of a bird—not just any bird, but one specific call among the countless others. It took effort, like trying to focus on a single conversation in a crowded room. But slowly, the forest around her faded into the background, and the bird's song became the only thing she could hear.
It was mesmerizing.
She could detect the subtle changes in its pitch, the tiny hesitations between each note, the way its song carried through the trees and echoed faintly in the distance. Every tiny fluctuation, every breath it took before calling out again—it was all so clear.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
I can control it. I can focus on what I want to hear.
A thought occurred to her.
If I can isolate sounds… then I can listen for specific things.
Belle took a deep breath and shifted her focus again, this time seeking out something more distant. The bird's chirping faded, replaced by the murmur of the wind weaving through unseen corridors of the forest. She pushed further.
A faint rustling—a rabbit nibbling on grass.
A tiny crack—a twig snapping under the weight of a passing creature.
A distant ripple—the gentle trickling of a stream she hadn't even known was nearby.
Belle's eyes opened slightly in surprise.
A water source.
If I had this ability back when I first woke up, I wouldn't have struggled to find drinking water…
It was a humbling realization. Even with all her newfound power, she had barely scratched the surface of what she was capable of. This wasn't just strength—it was a whole new way of experiencing the world.
But how far could she take it?
Could she hear something beyond what a normal human would ever perceive?
Belle hesitated for a moment before closing her eyes again, stretching her awareness to its limits. The forest sounds blurred into a symphony of whispers, echoes, and distant movements. She strained her senses, pushing deeper, further—
And then she heard it.
A deep, rhythmic pulse.
It wasn't loud, nor was it distinct. More like a vibration carried through the air, something massive shifting far beyond her immediate surroundings. A presence, heavy and deliberate.
Belle's eyes snapped open, a sudden chill running down her spine.
That wasn't just an animal…
She held her breath, listening again, but the sound had already vanished—like a fleeting echo carried away by the wind.
Her heart pounded, not out of fear, but out of sheer exhilaration.
Not only could she detect distant sounds, but she could also sense something beyond the range of normal hearing. And whatever that was… it was real.
Slowly, Belle exhaled, her grip tightening slightly.
She was just beginning to understand her new self.
And she had only just begun.
The weight of exhaustion settled over Belle as she finally allowed herself to rest. She perched on a fallen log, her fingers absently running over the rough, moss-covered bark.
The forest, once a vast and unknown expanse, had become slightly more familiar, yet it remained just as mysterious. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, painting shifting patterns of gold across the forest floor. The rhythmic rustling of leaves and distant calls of unseen creatures filled the air, creating a strange yet soothing harmony.
She tilted her head back, gazing at the fragments of blue sky peeking through the branches. The warmth of the sun touched her face, a stark contrast to the lingering chill of uncertainty in her chest.
What is this place? she wondered, her thoughts drifting like the soft sway of the trees. It's not Earth… but it feels real. Too real to be a dream.
The thought sent a shiver through her. There was no waking up from this. No jolting back to her old life, where she would find herself in her bed, her sister teasing her for sleeping in too late. Her heart ached at the memory.
Lumine…
She missed her sister's bright laughter, the way she filled every room with warmth and mischief. Lumine had always been the adventurous one, devouring fantasy novels and dragging Belle into her endless daydreams of magical worlds and heroic quests.
A faint smile ghosted across Belle's lips. If Lumine were here, she'd probably be freaking out… or maybe she'd be excited. She let out a quiet breath. She always did love adventure stories.
But this wasn't a story.
Her smile faded as the reality of her situation pressed down on her like an invisible weight. There was no turning a page to the next chapter, no neatly written resolution waiting for her. She was alone in an unfamiliar world with no idea where to go next.
Belle ran a hand through her silver hair, the strands still strange to her touch. I need to find a way out of here. But how? I don't even know where "here" is.
Her thoughts wandered back to the Cyber Dragon. The moment it had fused with her had been a blur of overwhelming energy, burning light, and something beyond her understanding. But she could still feel its presence within her—an echo, a lingering power woven into every fiber of her being.
She clenched her hand into a fist, watching as a flicker of electricity danced between her fingers before fading away. What did it do to me?
The questions came in a flood, each one more frustrating than the last. How did I end up here? What am I supposed to do now?
There were no answers. Only silence.
She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to push the uncertainty aside. Sitting here and worrying wouldn't help her survive. She needed to keep moving, keep training, and figure out what this world was.
Her gaze shifted to her surroundings—the towering trees, their bark pulsing faintly with an otherworldly glow; the strange, bioluminescent vines curled around the roots; the way the air itself seemed charged with an unseen energy.
Belle frowned.
Why does this forest feel so… alive?
She pressed a hand to the ground, fingers sinking into the cool earth. It wasn't just the plants. The very land beneath her feet pulsed with something—something deep, something ancient. She could feel it now that she was paying attention, an unseen rhythm thrumming just beneath the surface, like the quiet heartbeat of the world itself.
Is this place connected to the Cyber Dragon? Or is it something else entirely?
And then there was her power. The flames, the lightning, the unnatural strength and speed. Where did it come from? Was it hers now, something permanent? Or was she just borrowing it? And if so, from what? Or… from whom?
She swallowed, her grip tightening against her knees.
No matter what the answers were, one thing was certain—she couldn't stay here forever.
A gust of wind stirred the leaves, sending a ripple through the trees. The world around her felt too vast, too unknowable. But she had survived this far. And she wasn't about to stop now.
I'll figure it out… I have to.
End of Chapter 6