The sound ca slowly at first.
A distant vibration above the forest canopy.
Then it grew louder.
The heavy roaring of helicopter blades sliced through the quiet Sylven air. Leaves trembled. Birds scattered from the trees as the machines descended toward the clearing behind the hidden town.
One helicopter.
Then another.
And another.
They hovered briefly before landing on the open ground beyond the settlent walls.
Dust and leaves spiraled upward in violent circles as the rotors slowed.
The doors opened.
Military personnel in uniform jumped out first, rifles secured across their chests. Behind them stepped several officials dressed in dark suits.
They walked forward carefully, their eyes scanning everything around them.
Even they were unprepared for what they were seeing.
Concrete houses hidden inside the forest.
Stone roads.
A fountain in the center of the town square.
Bodies.
Blood.
Unconscious n.
The aftermath of a brutal confrontation.
One woman in a grey suit stopped beside the path, looking around with disbelief.
"I did not expect sothing like this when they said we were coming to Sylven Forest."
The man beside her adjusted his glasses.
"I heard the Sylven Forest was once ruled by a king."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
He looked amused.
"What, you do not know?"
She shook her head.
"We are going to et the Prince."
The woman stopped walking.
"What?"
Her voice filled with disbelief.
"The Prince?"
The group continued moving forward through the town.
Ahead of them stood Miles, Zella, Basil, the Monk, Hilda, and the tribals.
Kaelo and his remaining n were still lying on the ground nearby, barely conscious from the electric shock.
Zella leaned slightly toward Miles.
"Do we need to prepare, Prince?"
Miles shook his head calmly.
"No, Chief Zella."
He looked toward the approaching officials.
"They are here on official business."
Basil, the Monk, and Hilda exchanged confused glances.
Within monts the group arrived at the square.
The woman in the suit looked down at the bodies lying around.
Her face hardened.
"What a horrible scene."
Her voice softened slightly.
"This is practically a battlefield."
Behind her the military personnel stopped and raised their hands.
In perfect synchronization they saluted.
One officer stepped forward from their formation.
"Greetings General."
He stood straight.
"I am Lieutenant Edmund."
He gestured toward the two people beside him.
"And these are Miss Janet and Mr. Paul from Interpol."
Miles returned the greeting with a small nod.
"At ease, everyone."
He stepped forward and extended his hand.
"Hello Mr. Paul. Miss Janet."
They shook hands.
"I am Miles."
Janet glanced around the square again.
"So this is the end of the treasure hunters, I assu?"
Miles nodded.
"Yes."
He pointed calmly.
"The dead man over there is Elias Finch."
He paused.
"Also known as the Curator."
Then he pointed to another body.
"And the one lying here is Artem Belov."
Janet exhaled slowly.
"This will be difficult."
She looked at the corpse again.
"He was a well established politician."
Miles shrugged slightly.
"Do not worry Miss Janet."
His voice remained calm.
"The full record of his criminal activities is currently being broadcast across Russia."
"The local police are searching for him."
He looked down at Artem’s lifeless body.
"But they will never find him."
Janet smiled faintly.
"It seems cleaning up was part of the plan as well."
Miles nodded.
"Yes."
"The President played a very important role in this operation."
He gestured toward the unconscious figures nearby.
"These n on the ground."
"This is Kaelo from Africa."
"And that is Hilda."
He looked toward Janet.
"As discussed, she cooperated during the operation."
"Her sentence should be reduced."
Janet nodded.
"Noted."
Miles added calmly,
"The Sheikh is also dead."
Janet glanced around.
"What about his body?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"Perhaps the anacondas have already eaten it."
"That is all."
He deliberately said nothing about the Monk.
Or Basil.
The military personnel moved quickly after that.
Survivors were restrained and carried toward the helicopters.
Bodies were placed carefully onto stretchers.
Paul began docunting everything, checking identities and writing reports.
After a mont Janet stepped back toward Miles.
"General, do you require dical attention?"
Miles shook his head.
"Not really."
Janet hesitated slightly.
"May I ask sothing?"
Miles nodded.
"Of course."
Janet looked around the settlent.
"I am very curious about this place."
"The town."
"The people."
Miles followed her gaze.
"They are peaceful people."
"They have survived this forest for centuries."
"Traditional, but slowly adapting to modern developnt."
Janet nodded slowly.
"And the funding?"
Miles smiled.
"They are part of a lineage."
"One of the most famous queens of the old era was born here."
"She later married Prince Oswin Sterling."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"The Sterling family still funds them."
Janet looked impressed.
"That is fascinating."
She looked around again.
"I cannot believe a place like this exists in your country."
Miles chuckled softly.
"Anyway."
"The operation report will be sent to Interpol soon."
Janet nodded.
"That will be very helpful."
At that mont Paul approached with a clipboard.
"General Sterling."
"I need your signature here."
Miles took the docunt.
"Sure."
As he signed the paper, Janet’s eyes widened slightly.
She had heard the na clearly.
Sterling.
Paul took the docunt back and nodded.
Janet smiled politely.
"It is ti for us to leave."
She gestured toward the helicopters.
"Would you like a lift?"
Miles shook his head.
"Thank you Miss Janet."
"My ride will arrive soon."
Janet nodded.
"Alright then."
She extended her hand again.
"It was nice eting you."
"You too."
Janet and Paul turned and walked back toward the helicopters with the military escort.
As they walked away, Janet leaned closer to Paul.
"So..."
She spoke quietly.
"That was the Prince?"
Paul nodded.
"Yes."
Janet shook her head slowly.
"What exactly is his story?"
She looked back once more at Miles standing in the square.
"He is far too young to be a General."
She looked at Paul.
"You served in this province before, right?"
Paul smiled slightly.
"You are lucky."
Janet frowned.
"Lucky?"
Paul nodded.
"That man..."
He looked toward Miles again.
"...is a legend."
.....
The sun was already sinking behind the endless walls of the Sylven Forest.
Golden light poured through the trees and spread across the hidden town like a quiet blessing after the storm.
The battlefield that once echoed with gunfire and screams now carried laughter.
Children ran through the streets.
Villagers gathered in the open square.
The calamity that had shaken the forest for days had finally co to an end.
Chief Zella stepped forward in the center of the town square.
Her voice carried clearly through the settlent.
"Everyone."
People turned toward her.
"The calamity is over."
She looked across the gathered tribesn and won.
"Everyone played their part."
For a mont there was silence.
Then the entire settlent erupted in cheers.
The tribal warriors raised their hands and roared in celebration.
The sound echoed across the hidden valley.
Children rushed forward laughing and shouting.
So of them ran directly toward Miles.
"The Prince!"
"Prince Miles!"
The little ones gathered around him like excited birds.
So hugged his arm.
Others simply stood close to him, staring with bright eyes.
Miles smiled faintly at them.
For them, he was not the Ghost of the Graveyard.
He was simply their Prince.
Across the square, a small group had gathered near one of the stone benches.
Maddock sat relaxed .
Veronika sat beside him, her arm patched and secured with dical cloth.
Basil and the Monk stood nearby, holding glasses filled with strong tribal liquor.
They all looked toward Miles from a distance.
Veronika shook her head with a small smile.
"Every ti I et him..."
She looked toward the crowd surrounding Miles.
"...he surprises again."
Maddock chuckled.
"It is more like a profession for him."
Basil raised his glass slightly.
"I only hope he can live peacefully with his family."
The Monk slowly sipped his drink.
Then he looked toward Basil.
"What do you plan now, Mr. Basil?"
Basil exhaled softly.
"I think I will retire."
The thought seed to relax him.
"I have grandchildren waiting for ."
He smiled faintly.
"I would rather spend my days playing with them."
The Monk nodded with approval.
"Good for you."
Basil looked back at him.
"And you?"
The Monk placed his cup down.
"I believe it is ti I visit my master."
His voice carried quiet respect.
"I have not seen him for a long ti."
Maddock suddenly laughed.
"That old man is still terrifyingly strong."
The Monk turned his head.
"You have t him?"
Maddock nodded.
"I did."
The Monk raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Then both n laughed quietly.
The atmosphere had beco warm.
Light.
For the first ti in many days, everyone felt relaxed.
Across the square Miles sat beside Zella on a stone bench near the fountain.
The golden sunlight reflected on the water.
Zella looked toward him thoughtfully.
"May I ask sothing, Prince?"
Miles took a slow sip from the cup in his hand.
"Of course."
Zella tilted her head slightly.
"That Arab man."
"The one we saved from the river."
"Why did you send him back earlier?"
Miles smiled faintly.
"Well..."
"My company has been looking to acquire a crude oil business in the Middle East for a long ti."
Zella listened quietly.
Miles continued calmly.
"And this was the perfect opportunity."
"I made a deal with a prince there."
Zella’s eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"He happens to be the enemy of the Sheikh."
Miles leaned back slightly.
"We give him the Sheikh."
"And he gives us the business."
Zella suddenly burst into laughter.
"That was quite a move, my Prince."
She shook her head in admiration.
"You have grown up well."
Her voice softened.
"You have always helped our people."
"You provided us with education."
"You protected this land."
Miles looked at the villagers playing in the distance.
"You call Prince."
He spoke quietly.
"But you are all my people."
Zella smiled proudly.
"All the best for your future, Prince."
At that mont the sound of helicopter blades returned.
Another group of helicopters slowly descended toward the clearing outside the town.
Dust and wind swept across the square again.
It was ti to leave.
One by one the outsiders prepared to depart.
Goodbyes were exchanged.
Hands were shaken.
Within minutes everyone who had co from the outside world boarded the helicopters.
The rotors roared to life again.
As the machines lifted into the sky, the hidden town of the Half Moon Tribe slowly disappeared beneath the forest canopy.
Inside one of the helicopters Maddock leaned back comfortably.
"That was fun, Young Master."
He stretched his arms.
"If you ever plan another adventure like this..."
He grinned.
"Please call ."
Miles gave him a sideways glance.
"I would rather not make Clan Supre angry."
Maddock laughed loudly.
Miles then turned toward Veronika sitting beside him.
"You alright?"
Veronika nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her voice was calm now.
"Thank you for everything, Miles."
She looked down at her hands.
"I feel relieved."
Miles watched her quietly.
"What will you do now?"
Veronika looked out the helicopter window.
"I will go ho."
Her voice softened.
"I want to visit her grave."
She paused for a mont.
"Then maybe..."
"...I will start a family of my own."
Miles raised an eyebrow.
"Already getting married?"
Veronika looked at him with playful annoyance.
"Well."
"I had to find soone else."
"Since you rejected before."
She folded her arms.
"Hmph."
Miles laughed softly.
"I wish you a good life, Veronika."
She shook her head.
"You are so an."
The helicopter flew above the endless green ocean of the Sylven Forest.
Far ahead, the shining coastline of Star Harbor slowly appeared on the horizon.
That was where Miles’ family was waiting.
The mission was over.
The enemies were gone.
The forest was quiet again.
Miles had long retired as a rcenary.
But the question still remained.
Would the world ever truly allow him to retire?
To be continued...
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