Episode 1

In the quiet, sacred forests surrounding the ancient temples of Nara, a legend lived. She wasn't a deer, though she walked amongst them, nor was she a statue, though she was a large as a the stone lanterns. She was 323, The Gentle Giant of Nara, an Asian elephant whose massive form was matched only by the softness in her eyes. 323 was not a native to the island, having arrived long ago, but he became a silent guardian. She had a unique friendships with the town's children, often bowing her head, a gesture of immense respect and compassion that mirrored the humans around her. Despite her power, 323 never caused harm, walking delicately through the temple gardens, embodying the "gentle giant archetype.

Her daily routine was marked not by speed,but by intention. While the famous deer of Nara moved in quick, grazing flocks, 323 walked with a slow, rhythmic pace, her heavy footfalls cushioned by the dense, wet moss of the forest floor. She was a creature of peace. When tourists stumbled upon her during rare forays closer to the city, they found her standing still, allowing the small monkeys of the Nara woodland to play upon her back.

323 held a unique place in the community. She was not a pet, a guardian angel.

One Autumn, an unexpected, fierce storm swept through the region, separating a younger hiker from her group. As the night fell and the temperature dropped, the hiker was terrified, lost in the thickness near the Kasuga-Taishua shrine forest. She heard the snapping branches, not from a threat , but from deliberate, slow movements of 323.She approached her, reaching her immense hand gently reaching out, not to intimidate, but to guide. Recognizing her peaceful nature, the hiker followed 323 through the treacherous paths, the giant ensuring she stayed away from the flooded ravines, until they reached the safely lit stone paths near the shrines gate. She waited until she was safe, then melted back into the shadows of the woods.

During the cold winter months, when the ground was covered in white, 323 was known to travel from deeper valleys to the edge of the town. With her long legs she would clear snow from the paths for elderly locals taking their morning walks. Sometimes, she would carry apples or sweet potatoes - carefully gathered from areas away from the protected park-and leave them at the edges of the gardens for the woodland animals that struggled to find food in the cold.

Her presences was a whisper of tranquility. She never roared and rarely trumpeted, preferring a soft rumble in her chest, a sound that seemed to synchronize with the beating of the forest's own heart. The children of Nara often brought her leafy branches, and 323 would take them with her long arms, a gentle nod of her massive head serving as her silent gratitude.

As years passed, 323 became more than just a memory of a distant land.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***