A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

"By the way, how did you guys find me? I didn't tell anyone I was coming here," Amaterasu asked, tilting her head in genuine confusion.

"Your husband filed a missing deity report," Jiuge replied with a smirk. "Also, we tracked your location through your tablet. You do know your phone's navigation is synced with it, right?"

"What?!" Amaterasu looked genuinely startled. "No, it isn't. I don't even remember doing that." Then her expression shifted. "Wait—you said Tsu-chan filed a report?"

"Yup," I chimed in, holding up the crescent amulet. "He also gave us this to detect your presence."

Amaterasu's eyes lit up as soon as she spotted it. "Oh! It's the amulet I gave him for his birthday!"

She beamed, reaching for the one around her neck.

"It's part of a pair. It's how we stay connected, even when we don't get to see each other much."

She held hers up proudly, the faint glow matching the one in my hand.

"Uh, yeah. That's nice," I said, awkwardly brushing past the sentimental moment.

"Anyway, did you notice anything weird or uncomfortable when you entered the ruins here?"

Amaterasu shook her head, her brows knitting slightly. "No, not really. I feel normal. Why do you ask?"

"Because your essence has traces of darkness," Jiuge interjected, her tone blunt. She narrowed her eyes at the goddess. "Are you sure you're fine, Tera?"

The lighthearted air seemed to shift. Amaterasu hesitated, glancing between us before replying, "I... I feel fine." But her voice wavered slightly, betraying the confidence she tried to project.

"Maybe you should let us double-check," I suggested gently, my gaze flicking to Jiuge, who nodded in agreement.

Amaterasu's lips pressed into a thin line before she sighed. "Fine. But if I'm glowing ominously, it's your fault for pointing it out."

The moment Jiuge extended her senses toward Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess gasped. A faint shimmer of light radiated from her body, only to flicker unnaturally as if part of her essence was being siphoned away.

"What—what's happening?!" Amaterasu exclaimed, stepping back, her face pale.

Jiuge's eyes widened, alarm flashing in them. "Part of your essence is chipped... The ruins are pulling it from you."

The realization hit like a thunderclap. Amaterasu instinctively clutched her chest. "It's been... stealing from me? How long—how much—"

"Let's not stick around to find out," I said urgently, grabbing her arm and motioning toward the exit.

The three of us bolted from the ruins, stumbling out into the sunlight, where Amaterasu collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.

"I thought it was just the flow of time that felt off in there," she muttered, her voice shaking. "But to think it's been draining me..."

"That wasn't random," I said, catching my breath. "Someone wanted you to enter that forest—and those ruins specifically. Someone who knew it would affect you."

Jiuge nodded, brushing dust from her coat. "It's too targeted to be a coincidence."

I turned to Agnos, who was leaning against a tree, deep in thought. "What exactly did you read about the Forest of Forgotten Tales? What made the Council so concerned about it?"

Agnos furrowed his brows, rifling through his memories.

"Most of what I remember are accounts of creatures going missing. Either they never returned, or when they did, they weren't... themselves. It's like their essence had been devoured and replaced by something darker. Corruption."

"That lines up with what we saw back there," Jiuge said grimly.

"Then the forest druid must be the culprit," I suggested, my voice edged with frustration.

Amaterasu shook her head. "No. The druids don't operate like that. They're guardians, sure, but they're more scholars than predators. Mischievous, yes, and they'll keep intruders for research or their own curiosity, but they always release them. Eventually."

Agnos nodded. "There are also records of a small number of creatures who survived encounters with forest druids unscathed. All of them reported the same thing: the druids warned them not to venture deeper."

I frowned, my thoughts racing. "But that druid didn't warn us. He let us in, only making us solve his puzzle."

Amaterasu's eyes narrowed in thought.

"That is strange." She paused, her expression growing more troubled.

"Now that I think about it... the forest druids I've met always gave warnings. Every single one."

"You've met more than one?" I asked, startled.

"Eight," she replied, still visibly shaken. "Eight different druids."

Her golden eyes widened as if she'd only just realized something. "You only encountered one?"

Jiuge and I nodded, sharing a confused glance.

"That's... unusual," Amaterasu murmured, looking deeply unsettled.

"What did the druids tell you when you met them?" I pressed.

Amaterasu hesitated, her voice quiet but weighted. "They all said the same thing: 'You are not worthy to enter and uncover the truth.'"

The weight of her words settled over us like a suffocating blanket. A chill ran down my spine.

"Not worthy?" I echoed. "What truth are they guarding?"

Something fishy was definitely going on, and I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

If I cracked this mystery, I'd have not one but two career-defining achievements under my belt. And maybe, just maybe, that coveted extra "V" on my evaluation form.

My grin widened at the thought.

Amaterasu leaned toward Jiuge, lowering her voice but not nearly enough. "Is he... alright? I'm starting to think something in the ruins scrambled his brain." Her golden eyes flicked back to me warily.

Jiuge snickered. "Oh no, this is normal. He gets that look when he's cooking up one of his grand plans. Just give it a few minutes—he'll try to drag us into it."

Agnos crossed his arms, smirking. "He's probably already scheming something that'll either be brilliant or a complete disaster. My money's on disaster."

I scowled at all of them. "I am not scheming. I'm strategizing. There's a difference!"

Agnos raised a skeptical brow. "Yeah, sure. Just like how you 'strategized' that time you accidentally—"

"—Don't," I cut in quickly, holding up a hand. "That was a minor setback. This is completely different."

Amaterasu blinked, glancing between us. "...So he's always like this?"

"Always," Jiuge and Agnos replied in unison