- H-Help you?

Na didn't understand what the girl was saying. She nodded, her hand still holding the young man's.

- In order to go home, I need your help.

- ...

Na knew nothing of this world and wondered if this kind of ordeal was common. The girl in front of him did not hide her determination and was tightening the hand of the young man. He did not know what to answer. On the one hand, he wanted to find Sheerah and get out of here, but on the other…

- How could I help you?

Bibi let go of his hand and answered him without hesitating a single word.

- There is a place near here called “Great Sanctuary”. Our test is to be able to belong there. You know, to be accepted as a member.

Na blinked, confused. She sighed.

- You and I. Both of us were teleported here to take this test. Why the two of us? I have no idea... But I know that you are the one in the same situation as me.

She stared intently into Na's eyes, explaining in more detail what she knew.

- We are in a city with a name forgotten by time, ruined and destroyed in many wars... but some call it the city of the Colossus.

- The city of the Colossus?" Na repeated.

She nodded.

- You'll soon understand why... Never mind those details.

She held out her hand.

- We need to be accepted into the Great Sanctuary to show that we are 'worthy'," she explained with a neutral air.

Na understood what she was saying, but he was having trouble putting it all together in his head. There wasn't too much information, but it sounded so confusing and strange. She didn't seem to be lying and didn't hesitate in her words, but Na didn't know Arcave well enough to know if he was caught in a trap or not…

- But either way...

He was on his own here. If he didn't accept her proposal, maybe she would force him? And even if didn’t accept it, where was he going to go, all alone? Hoping to find help in a ruined city, where even the wind was silent? He had no other choice.

- I don't want to take her hand...

It wasn't necessarily his instinct that spoke, but his shyness and lack of courage. He didn't know her and this talk about a test made him uncomfortable. He was barely out the door and now he was being tested...? Was Maslow... behind this?

Would Sheerah have offered him a ride because she was behind it too?

While the many questions ran through Na's head, Bibi watched him without saying anything. She had told him what he had to do, so now he had to accept her proposal. Without Na, she would not be able to return home. He was probably lost in his mind, but she understood him. The problem was that she didn't really know him. She was sure that the doubts in Na's eyes were because they had only just met. Why would he trust her when they didn't know each other at all? He had been teleported to a deserted city, he must have been lost and uncomfortable. Bibi had been here once before, so she wouldn't have any trouble finding her way around... She knew exactly where the Great Sanctuary was, but she couldn't go there alone... It was clear that she had the choice to try without him, but why leave him alone? She wanted to help Na, so she would offer him her hand. He was probably thinking "Don't take her hand" inside, but she wouldn't leave him alone.

- Sorry, I cut you off. What's your first name?" she asked, a faint smile on her face.

When she had an expression like that on her face, she seemed much more... friendly. Na was on his guard, but the more questions he asked himself, the more he understood something: he had no choice but to follow her. If he stayed there, hesitating, he would never advance. He didn't know who she was, but she had no reason to lie. When he heard her speak, he heard... sincerity in her voice. He swallowed loudly and answered her question, shyly.

- My name is... Na.

- Nice to meet you, Na. I'm sorry to rush you like this, but I'd really like to get out of this place.

- Is there any way to just... escape?

Bibi stared into his eyes for a few seconds before closing his own, smiling at his remark.

- Unfortunately, we can't get out of here until we get to that sanctuary.

- But why go to this sanctuary? Why this ordeal? Why the two of us?! Is there only the both of us…?!

Na was about to ask "How do you know so much?", but before he could ask, Bibi let out a sigh.

- You have a lot of questions,” she cut him off. I'm not the one imposing this test, you know. As I said, this is to prove that we are worthy. Deserving.

- Deserving of what??” asked Na.

- Deserving…

Bibi was about to finish her sentence when she stopped and shook her head.

- To be honest with you, I'm not sure. I don't know all the details.

She held out her hand again.

- I need your help to complete this ordeal and you need mine to return to where you came from. We are allies, we have a common goal.

- But how... how do you know all this?

Bibi looked him in the eye for a moment and then smiled.

- I'll explain when we're done, okay?

Na watched her beaming smile, mouth agape. He could do nothing but believe her. She had such a calm voice, so beautiful... A restful tone and eyes that could sometimes be threatening and yet…

Filled with light. Sublime, beautiful. Eyes that reassured him.

Na's inner voice had repeatedly told him not to accept her hand, to find a way out on his own. Nevertheless, he had no more doubts: this girl with the name Bibi... She was an ally. A friend.

He could trust her. He had to trust her.

Na trusted her.

He took her hand and nodded.

- I'll do it.

He only let go of this one word, still somewhat shy, but it pleased Bibi enormously and did not hide it. She thanked him and told him to follow her.

- So you know where to go?

- The Great Sanctuary is well hidden without being hidden,” she said, walking beside him, still holding his hand. I already know the place, so I know where to go and how to get there. It will not take us more than ten minutes of walking, do not worry.

- OK... I'll follow you, Bibi.

She was happy to hear him call her by her first name and thanked him again. She thanked him for his trust. Bibi, when she said she needed Na, was not lying. She was totally serious and having him by her side filled her heart with joy. She wanted to hug him, to tell him that they could both get out of here quickly, but she didn't want to scare Na. She just wanted to get through this quickly.

- Woaah...

Na was in awe of the view he was being offered. The ruined buildings should have scared him, but the more he looked around, the more he found it… beautiful. Sure, the landscape around them was lifeless, but that added beauty to it. There was very little vegetation and no visible animal life. However, the rays of light from the sky bouncing off the broken windows, playing with the shapes of the buildings, the quiet of the city destroyed by time and battles…

It was as if time was on pause.

Bibi and Na walked leisurely towards their destination. The sound of their footsteps was the only thing that broke the surrounding silence. Their presence was the only life in this city. Bibi blushed faintly as she thought about it.

She felt like they were all alone in the world.

Na didn't understand how Bibi could find her way around this place: almost all the streets were the same. However, she did not hesitate in the turns. He followed her without fear, keeping his hand in hers so he wouldn't get lost. He knew that if he followed her, he could get back to the Federation. He would be able to see Sheerah's face again and the faces of the others. He still wanted to see the beautiful scenery that the Kemono had described to him...

Bibi was his only hope right now and he didn't intend to lose sight of her. Without her, he would probably end up dying alone in this city.

- I wonder who she is, though.

Despite his great confidence, Na still didn't know much more than her first name. She had explained herself, but there were still many questions he had. Whether it was about the ordeal, this city or about her. He would like to be sure that no member of the Kemono Federation was behind this. He hoped with all his heart that he had not been betrayed... He wanted to be sure, to be reassured.

- Nevertheless, I'll just trust her.

He might ask for more when they finish this test. When they've reached the Great Sanctuary and can go home. All he had to do, right now, was to follow her. She wanted his help, but without Power and without prowess in any area, he would probably end up being just a burden... but she seemed to want him by her side more than anything.

- So I'll do my best to help her!

He wasn't sure yet what he was going to have to do, but there was no reason to wonder until they arrived. For now, he would take advantage of this walk to observe the ruined landscape that was in front of them.

- W-Woaaah...

Na was speechless in front of the sight that was proposed to him. Bibi turned her head towards him and smiled.

- This is why we call this place…

Na was amazed. Even more impressive than the ruined buildings.

- "The city of the Colossus".

A giant human body stood before them, ruling over a large part of the city.

This behemoth was more than impressive. It must have been hundreds of meters away from them, but it felt like it was just a few steps away. The body of this giant was covered with moss, greenery and trees growing inside it. Its eyes were missing, empty, hollow orbitals, and the skull was fractured on top, letting vegetation grow out of its corpse. Na couldn't take his eyes off this beauty. He was sure that this giant was dead, but even after his life, he imposed it on this city... He was like the eternal king of this place.

- A body of a Colossus, an extinct species.

- Colossus...

- Giants with tenfold strength who could destroy cities with a wave of their hand. However, they were not aggressive, except when attacked.

Bibi looked at the corpse of this behemoth as she spoke. She too, the first time she had seen it, had been stunned. After all, how could she not be amazed by something like that? This corpse must have been lying there for hundreds of years and yet it still had a certain "life". It was well preserved and its pose gave her chills. His head raised to the sky, one arm grasping the ground and the other reaching for the clouds. It was as if this Colossus was trying to escape from the ground into the heavens... She didn't know how this corpse had ended up here, but it was the kind of mystery that didn't deserve an answer.

- Because if one comes to know the why...

Then the mystery will disappear. Bibi looked at Na, watching the gleam in his eyes. He too was impressed by such a sight and could probably stand there for hours looking at the corpse of the Colossus.

- Sorry to interrupt your wonder, but we're almost there!

Na blinked and turned her gaze to the girl on her right.

- Do we have to go to this giant?” he asked.

- You're interested in him, ahah! I'll have to disappoint you, because we don't go that far, sorry. It's between two destroyed buildings, a little further.

- Ah...

Na couldn't hide his sadness. He would have preferred to see the Colossus closer... Bibi started walking again and Na followed her without saying anything. He looked one last time at the giant reigning over the city before he disappeared behind large ruined buildings.

- Here we are!" Bibi said.

She let go of his hand and walked towards the two large buildings that rested on top of each other, forming what looked like the entrance to a huge cave. Na watched what was in front of him, wondering if one day they would collapse, not being able to stand each other anymore

- A-Ah!

He saw Bibi getting further and further away and finally ran to catch up with her. When he arrived at her side, the girl knocked a few times on a piece of wood looking like a door. She waited and Na imitated her, wondering what was going to happen. A few seconds passed when all of a sudden—

- Yeah?

A voice sounded behind the piece of wood. It was impossible to see anything behind, huge rocks forming a giant wall. They were probably the cause of the fall of the two buildings above their heads. The piece of wood was the only thing out of the ordinary here... but one would think that it was just another object that had fallen from the buildings. Na would have thought that.

- Hello, we wish to join the Great Sanctuary," Bibi said, not wanting to beat around the bush.

- ...

The voice did not reply. They were waiting for an answer when the earth shook beneath them. Na and Bibi took a few steps back.

- W-What is...?!” the man asked himself.

He didn't understand what was happening, but it didn't last long: the rocks in front of them began to fly through the air. The piece of wood fell to the ground and part of the wall in front of them... opened. The rocks fell aside, floating next to each other, like doors opening. The inside of the "cave" was now visible and the first thing Na noticed was

- Eeeeh, you want to join us...?

A man. The person... who controlled the floating rocks.

- For what reason, though?