Chapter Fifteen: The Sound of Silence

The forest was quiet in the way only early morning could offer—peaceful, silvered, and slow. Mist curled gently around frost-dusted roots and drifted through the trunks like breath. A pale dawn pressed through the canopy, painting shafts of light onto the forest floor.Vitani moved at the front of the group, her steps steady but less rigid than before. The Lion Guard walked close behind—Imara fierce and watchful, Shabaha silent and twitching, Tazama scanning every shadow, and Kasi quiet, her eyes thoughtful.But this time, they were not alone.Beside Vitani walked Kovu, his mane ruffled by the cool breeze, his expression curious. Just behind them, Rafiki tapped along with his staff, his ancient eyes as watchful as ever.“So tell me,” Kovu said, his voice light with amusement, “this Jitu—your silent ghost who vanishes at will—is he a myth, or just very elusive?”Vitani smirked despite herself. “He’s real. Frustratingly so. Saves cubs, disappears into mist, and plays with meerkats. Never says a word.”“Not dangerous?” Kovu raised an eyebrow. “You make him sound like a fable.”“He’s dangerous,” Imara growled. “Just not to children. To us? Maybe.”Rafiki’s chuckle was soft, rhythmic with the tapping of his staff. “Perhaps he waits. Perhaps he listens.”“Waits for what?” Tazama asked, hopping lightly over a root.“For a reason,” Rafiki replied, voice cryptic as always. “...To stay.”The mist parted way, as thin as a veil.The ancient tree loomed ahead, its gnarled branches stretching like arms across the sky. Beneath it stood the woodland monolith, himself.Still.Unmoving.Watching.The frost clinging to his thick mane sparkled in the morning light. His icy blue eyes didn’t flicker.Kovu slowed beside Vitani, his voice dropping low. “He’s… bigger, than I thought.”“Jitu,” Vitani called softly.He looked at her—but didn’t vanish. Not even shift.Kovu stepped forward, keeping his tone warm. “I’m Kovu. Future king of the Pride Lands.”Jitu’s eyes studied him.“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Kovu continued. “The stoic guardian of cubs. Silent shadow in the trees. You’re quite the legend. I figured you’d be… older.”Something shifted in Jitu’s face.A slow furrow crept across his brow. Then, in a voice as deep as the earth and calm as falling snow, he said:“I am the youngest here.”Silence hit the clearing like a stone.Every lion froze. Rafiki grinned like a child watching the stars. Kovu blinked, stunned.“You just—did you—”“Yes,” Jitu said, his tone unchanged. “You speak as though I am an old geezer. I am not.”Vitani took a slow step forward. “Y-You… talk?”“I... mostly choose not to,” Jitu replied. “Talking is… a choice. Rarely... needed.”Silence returned.Only this time, it wasn’t mysterious—it was maddening.Shabaha threw up her paws. “You can talk?! This whole time?!”Jitu didn’t flinch. His gaze swept over them, calm and indifferent.“Use your voice!” Imara snapped. “You have one!”He didn’t.Vitani clenched her jaw. “Please. Just tell us. Who are you? Why are you here? Why do you keep hiding?”Nothing.Kovu stepped beside her, quieter now. “If you’re in pain—if there’s something we need to know—let us help.”Still nothing.Jitu’s eyes drifted to the mist, his body shifting as if to leave.“No.” Vitani stepped in front of him. “You don’t get to vanish again.”Jitu didn’t retreat. But he didn’t answer.He simply stood, tall and quiet, like stone.Kasi sighed. “He’s all wall. A big, frosty wall.”“A wall with teeth,” Imara added darkly.Rafiki chuckled, his voice like wind in dry leaves. “Even walls speak, young ones. If you listen long enough.”Vitani stared into Jitu’s eyes. They were endless, frozen, and quiet. But behind them… something moved. Pain, maybe. Guilt. Or memory.She stepped back, her frustration now tempered with something else—resolve.“Fine. If you won’t talk… we’ll stay. We’ll keep watching you. You can't disappear forever.”Jitu’s gaze lingered on her. For a brief moment, the frost in his eyes flickered.Then he turned.But this time, he didn’t vanish into the mist.He walked.Slow, steady, deliberate.And then he was gone.Not like a ghost. Not like a shadow.Like a lion choosing not to be found.Vitani’s jaw tightened. “We’re not done with you. Not even close.”Rafiki smiled, the wind catching the fringe of his fur. “Ah… sometimes the loudest truths live in the quietest hearts.”