To go rescue Ruby

After a long while, the tiger being guard slowly regained consciousness, blinking groggily. The first thing he saw was a beautiful human girl sitting nearby, legs crossed, watching him. Around them, ice covered the ground, and snowflakes drifted gently down.

Upon seeing Alex, the tiger guard became visibly agitated. Despite his exhaustion, he transformed into human form and knelt on one knee before her.

"Leader, please save our queen!" His eyes were sincere, filled with anxiety as he bowed his head.

"Get up. What happened? Wasn't Ruby leading you back to the far north?" Alex asked, her expression confirming her suspicions. This tiger being guard, as Ruby's trusted aide, had clearly come all the way to the Dark Forest specifically to find her. Something must have gone wrong on Ruby's end to drive him to such desperation.