Chapter 9: Jump

The first rays of dawn slowly filtered through the dense canopy, bathing the forest in soft golden light. The cool morning air still carried the dampness of the night as darkness gradually gave way to day.

They had been running the entire night without stopping.

Moon's breathing had gradually grown heavier with each passing hour, yet she never once slowed her pace.

Now, as the moonlight slowly faded from the sky, Moon Fox felt it immediately.

The strength that had carried her through the night was disappearing.

Her ears twitched slightly. Every step became heavier than the last, and the psychic energy that had responded so easily beneath the bright moon now felt weaker and harder to draw upon.

Not now...

She glanced toward the small figure hopping faithfully beside her.

Whose white colour had vanished. The radiant golden halo and the tiny wings of light were nowhere to be seen. Once again, he was the same small, dark-purple Glob. His bright blue eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion, yet he still stubbornly hopped after her.

They had been running ever since they escaped.

Whenever the hunter and his Kýrex got too close, Moon would use her psychic power to teleport them a short distance away. But each use drained a little more of her strength.

To buy even more time, she led them through the territories of stronger Kýrex. The man and his Stormhound were forced to slow down whenever they encountered them, allowing Moon and Glob to widen the gap for a while.

But no matter what she did, they never truly lost them.

Now the sun was rising, and with every passing moment, she could feel her strength slipping away.

Behind them, the awakened Wind-type Kýrex, Stormhound, was closing the distance once again. Its low growls echoed through the forest as it raced through the trees with frightening speed, never once losing their trail.

Its wielder also followed behind at a steady pace. He had worn a slight frown throughout the night as Moon repeatedly led them through the territories of dangerous Kýrex, forcing him to fight or take longer routes.

But as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, the smile gradually returned to his face.

"Moon Fox can't keep using its power forever!" the man called out, his voice echoing through the forest. "Stay on their trail, Stormhound!"

"HOOOOU!"

Stormhound answered with a loud howl from ahead before surging faster through the trees.

Moon looked back at Glob, who was struggling to keep up. His small body was covered in sweat, and each hop had become slower than the last.

"Moooon..."

"Just a little longer," she said softly, her voice strained. "There's a gorge ahead. If we can cross it..."

Glob looked up at her with tired eyes.

"…Blob."

Though weak, his voice was filled with determination.

They pushed on.

Soon, the forest began to thin, and the ground rose higher and higher.

Her ears perked up as the roar of rushing water grew louder with every step.

The last of the trees disappeared behind them, giving way to an open stretch of uneven terrain covered in patches of moss and scattered with weathered stones.

They ran across the uneven terrain before coming to an abrupt stop at the edge of a gorge with steep cliffs dropping down on both sides.

Far below it, a raging river surged through, its waters crashing violently against the rocky walls.

Moon could even see the forest beyond the opposite cliff.

It was so close...

Yet the gap between the two cliffs was still far too wide to cross with a single jump.

She glanced back.

The storm-grey Kýrex had already reached the rocky ground behind them and was closing the distance with every passing second.

There was no other choice.

Moon looked at Glob.

"Moooon..."

"When I say now, jump..."

"Blob."

Glob nodded without hesitation.

Moon gathered the last of her psychic energy, fixing her eyes on the opposite cliff.

"Now!"

The two of them leaped into the empty air.

Psychic energy erupted around them as space began to twist. Unnoticed by Moon, the sun had already risen above the cliffs. The crescent mark on her forehead lost its glow, and the psychic energy surrounding them weakened.

They vanished...

...and reappeared just inches from the opposite cliff.

Moon's eyes widened.

"Mooooon...!" "Bloooo...!"

Their cries echoed through the gorge as the two of them fell into its depths.

A heartbeat later…

Splash!

The sound echoed through the gorge as they crashed into the raging river below.

Moments later...

Stormhound reached the edge of the cliff and froze. Its ears lowered as it stared down at the rushing river below.

A minute later, its wielder caught up and stopped beside it. One look at Stormhound's expression, its gaze fixed below the cliff, was enough for him to understand what had happened.

He looked down into the gorge, then across the gap to the empty cliff on the other side.

"So... they fell?"

Stormhound gave a low nod in response. Seeing this, for a long moment, he said nothing.

Then, a slow smile gradually spread across his face as he looked down at the rushing water below.

"The river won't save them," he said quietly. "It only changes where the chase continues. Let the current carry them for now. No matter where they end up, we'll pick up their trail again downstream."

Stormhound's ears lifted at his words, and it answered with a low growl.

The man and the hound gave one last glance toward the river before turning away from the cliff.

The hunt continued...

...

Far from the cliff, another search continued through the vast forest.

The next morning had already arrived, but the search still hadn't come to an end. Even after spending the entire night looking, the person searching refused to give up. He continued moving through the trees, his tired eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any sign of the little black Kýrex he had chosen.

Yes... it was me, Aiden, searching for Glob.

Just then, a sharp cry came from above.

"Driii..."

The small Bird-type Kýrex fluttered down from the sky and landed on my shoulder.

I looked at it hopefully.

"Did you find anything?"

It shook its head.

I let out a quiet sigh, my gaze drifting deeper into the forest.

"Where are you, Glob?”