It was a golden morning.
Mara suddenly finds himself in an unfamiliar town. Moments later, he realizes he is standing in the same jungle again, and the realization fills him with fear. His steps hesitate as if something is stopping him from moving forward. In a low voice he says, "I can't do this…"
He places his hand on his chest and whispers, "I don't think I will survive for long… but remember, I must uncover the truth."
Suddenly, a ten-year-old girl wearing a yellow hand band appears before him. Without saying a single word, she grabs Mara's hand and pulls him toward a banyan tree.
But the moment they reach the tree, the girl passes through it and disappears into thin air.
Mara is shocked by what he sees. Suddenly, his eyes fall upon a tree where a single word is written — "Sunset."
The leaves of that tree are yellow. Looking around, Mara says softly, "All the trees here have dried up… yet this one is still alive."
He slowly walks around the tree, examining it carefully.
Then his eyes suddenly fall upon a weak and starving lion nearby. The lion looks extremely thin, as if it is on the verge of death. Seeing it, Mara becomes frightened.
In a serious voice he says, "So… this is where my end comes."
At that moment, the lion slowly raises its head and looks toward the sun.
Mara's voice grows even heavier as he whispers, "I wish… I could look at the sun a little longer…"
As he says this, it feels as if his throat has dried up and breathing has become difficult.
Suddenly, Mara's eyes open. He sits up on his bed and whispers softly,
"I wish someone could understand the language of the voiceless… What I saw in that dream… the words I heard… were they spoken by the spirit of that lion?"
Mara tries to remember the dream again, but the memories feel distant and unclear.
Just then, Alpha Core enters the room and asks,
"You're still awake, Mara?"
Mara replies quietly,
"Yes… I couldn't fall asleep."
Alpha Core asks him,
"Did you see a dream?"
Mara nods slowly.
"Yes."
Alpha Core speaks calmly,
"Don't think too much about it. Everything will be fine."
After a moment, Mara asks,
"Do you know anything about my grandfather?"
Alpha Core remains silent for a moment before answering,
"Yes… but this is not the right time to talk about it. Go to sleep now. We will talk about the rest tomorrow."
The scene changes.
A man stands on a balcony, looking toward the sky. In a cold voice he says,
"If it were up to me, I would bring the Red Moon down to Earth. And that day will come soon."
He continues,
"All I need is the spirit of a lion. But on the Red Moon, lion spirits are rare and weak. When lions grow old, they are cast out from their pride… and they die alone, hungry and forgotten."
He pauses and whispers,
"If only I could find a lion like Makhulu… a lion who ruled the jungle for seven years."
The man then sits down on a chair and says slowly,
"But I am Ajina. My fate is not to become Makhulu… my fate is to bring this entire world to its knees."
A cold gleam appears in his eyes.
He continues,
"And that Mara as well… the one whose grandfather…"
Before finishing the sentence, Ajina suddenly stops speaking.