Editing Arc 1: Origin (section)

== The Village Scene ==
[[Nine]] wanders aimlessly, searching for a place to call home. Every village and town shies from her appearance — each visit ends in misery. Weeks later, she spots an isolated village barely visible in the distance.

She approaches cautiously through a tree-bend doorway and crawls down a narrow path into the village. Vine-covered roofs, tree-bark walls, giant brown leaves as doors. Multiple structures serving as homes.

=== Encounter 1: Young Tiger (Comedic) ===
Banging cooking pots, black figure darting around. Nine calls out, investigates, gets bowled over. Tiger lands stuck in a cooking pot. Wears moss pants and stiff mushroom shirt. Lightest green fur with orange stripes. Not child, not adult. Foolish yet curious. Tiger speaks Valspiren — Nine understands and responds. Tiger panics and runs.

=== Encounter 2: Guard Tigers (Tension) ===
Nine explores further, finds a large structure in the far back. Guard-like tigers block her path, screaming aggressively.

=== Encounter 3: Large Tiger (Confrontation → Resolution) ===
A large tiger appears behind the guards, wielding a bamboo spear with metal/stone point. Challenges Nine in Valspiren. Nine stares into his eyes and says one word: ''suaknacetaukroyk''. The large tiger is taken aback and points Nine to the giant leaf-like door of the structure.