Ethan comes across an animal paw in the water and instinctively wants to rescue it. However, a stranger advises against it, leaving Ethan pale and confused. Ethan tries to ignore the stranger and jump into the water but is physically prevented from doing so. The stranger, who appears to be a homeless man, lets go of Ethan only after the animal is gone.
Ethan demands an explanation but the man just walks away. Ethan then decides to investigate the situation further and wades into the water to search for the animal. However, he is suddenly confronted by forest authorities who apprehend him and take him away, leaving Ethan bewildered about their intentions.
Ethan’s journey ends at an isolated Ranger Outpost where he is imprisoned without explanation. Ethan’s captors leave him in a small, unfurnished room, and he is left in isolation with no answers. Hours pass, and Ethan is surprised when a Ranger brings him food and water. The Ranger explains that Ethan was arrested for swimming in the water, which is strictly forbidden. Ethan is left with more questions than answers and grows increasingly uneasy as he realizes he is truly alone. However, his peace is disrupted when someone enters his cell, and he is relieved to find it is the homeless man he had encountered by the river. The man urges Ethan to escape with him, and they make their way through the forest, evading capture. Ethan trusts the homeless man as an act of survival, and together they navigate the dark woods towards freedom.
Ethan and a homeless man share a moment of shared grief after Ethan tries to save an animal in distress from toxic water. The homeless man, who had lived in the forest for many years, reveals that the water has been poisoned due to toxic waste dumping by companies, and that he had tried to alert the Rangers but was ignored. Ethan and the homeless man then embark on a journey to gather evidence of the environmental crime and present it to the local police, sparking a citywide movement against the companies and the complicit Rangers. The homeless man, whose identity as a guardian of the land is now recognized, and Ethan are hailed as heroes for their courage and determination in fighting for environmental justice.
