Chapter 2) The hidden village.

I arrived outside the North Forest and parked my jeep there. After grabbing my backpack from the back seat, I went out of the Jeep and locked the door.

Staring at the vast forest in front of me, I sighed deeply and smiled, before taking a brave step forward.

I entered the forest and didn't have a hint of fear in me.

That was one of the main reasons why my colleagues and other people called me crazy. Whatever. I was not a weakling nor a coward like them. It was because of the brave risks I took that I became a renowned scientist, all thanks to the great discoveries I made.

If we begin to talk about all my accomplishments, a full notebook will not be able to record them all.

Thanks to my research, I have developed the cure for many sicknesses and diseases such as ghelira, foploeha, uriamedle, and spunidesles. These illnesses and diseases were deadly. Many people were dying without warning. That was when I stepped in and saved the day after endless days and nights of research and experiments.

I found a cure.

The things others weren't able to achieve, I had achieved them. And they dared to call me crazy? So ungrateful of them.

I knew my way around the forest.

Not to brag, but I have a photographic memory. Or should I say that I have a hyperthymesia memory?

It was because of my great memories that I decided not to mark any of the trees as a guide after stumbling into the hidden village. I did not want anyone else finding out about the village. At least, not yet. I wanted to get my answers first.

Besides, the hidden village is located deep within this vast forest that is filled with so many trees that are taller than the size of a building.

Only a crazy person would dare enter the deepest parts, or should I call it the heart of the forest?

And it was no surprise that I was that crazy person.

Forty minutes later, I arrived at my destination. It was the deepest part of the forest.

It was thick, and the trees were darker, thicker and eerier than the trees that were in the outer part of the vast forest.

I was sweating mostly on my neck, and drops of sweat were sliding down my temples. My breathing had hastened also.

Checking the time on my cell phone, I saw that it was 9am. But staying in this part of the forest was deceiving.

If I didn't have any means of checking the time, I would have thought that it was late afternoon because of the fog.

I returned the cell phone to my pocket.

Then, removing my backpack from my back, I left it on the floor and approached a particular place that was covered with leaves. I began to remove the leaves, and in less than two minutes, a hole that was about 20 inches wide at all four corners, revealed itself.

I was the one who had skillfully concealed the location of the hole using every leaf that I could find or get my hands on.

I looked inside the hole. It was dark and eerily, even for someone as crazy as me. I remember when I fell into the hole, my heart couldn't stop pounding. The place was cold. So cold. Every step I took echoed, and I was afraid that something might come out of nowhere and attack me.

I stopped peeking at the hole and went and opened my backpack, removing the ropes that were inside the bag.

Last week, when I fell into the hole, I was very lucky to have a rope with me in the backpack I hung on my back. It was the rope that I had used to come out of the hole. If I didn't have the rope with me, I can not imagine what could have happened to me.

There was a tree close by to the hole. It was a Jellesa tree. A rare tree.

You will only find this type of tree in the deepest parts of the forest. The tree was known for its hardness to grow.

Although other trees were clearly larger and taller than the Jellesa tree, this Jellesa tree, if I am not mistaken, should be over 1 thousand years old.

That was just how rare it was.

I went to the Jellesa tree and tied the rope around the tree.

I made sure that the knot was tight.

I also made sure to inspect how strong the rope was.

Even though I was certain that I was not an ordinary human being, that didn't mean that I was indestructible and would not get hurt if I injured myself.

Actually, one of the main reasons why I didn't return to the village soon was because when I initially fell into the hole, I sprained my ankle.

What I had come to realize was that the only super abilities I had were not being able to age fast, and being able to survive without food or water for a long period.

Other than that, I had no idea whether I had any other supernatural abilities.

I have done several more experiments using myself as the test subject, but I couldn't discover any more supernatural abilities in me.

Since I had finished tying the rope around the Jellesa tree, I took the rope and threw it inside the hole, before I went and squatted in front of my backpack. I took out my head torch from the backpack and put it around my head and switched on its light, before I carried my backpack and hung it on my back after closing its zip.

“This is it, Helena. You are brave and a genius. When you come out of this hole, that means you have finally gotten the answers and clues you have been seeking for, for years”. I nodded at myself as I kept on saying.

After breathing the surface air with a bright smile on my face, my face turned serious and cold. This is how I was. In my vocabulary, there was a time for playing, and there was a time to be serious.

And at a moment like this, it was time for me to become serious.

I grabbed the rope and gracefully and skillfully used it to come down the hole.

When I was only 12 inches away from the ground, I kicked the wall and jumped down, landing on the ground and causing a loud thud that echoed. And as I lifted my head in a hurry and stared at the surface through the hole, my long blue hair that covered my face flipped backward.

“I will come out soon”. I muttered, and when I turned around, the complicated buildings of the ancient village greeted me.