My mind is spinning
I can't focus at all!
What is it with this creature? Its presence is crippling my senses, causing my focus to diminish with each passing second.
How the hell do I fight something with such an immense presence?
Honestly, I have three options right now, and each one is frankly more difficult than the last.
First, I could charge at it, but there is a ninety percent chance I end up dismembered.
Second, I could shoot at it with my last arrow.
This option keeps me at range, but its speed leaves me open to a counterattack.
Third, I could run away like a coward.
Aside from the dishonour this brings my ancestors… wait, who cares about them?
I'm about to die! Anyway, I guess I'll run for now.
Without wasting another second, I turned and bolted in the opposite direction.
Each Stride seemed to stretch for an eternity as my mind began to grow weak from exhaustion
My legs screamed in protest, threatening to buckle, but I forced myself onward, deeper into the evergreen.
With every stride, the fog in my mind lifted, and I could feel my senses sharpening.
It's rather strange.
Although just seconds ago, confronted by the beast, I was frozen in fear and unable to think straight. Now I feel eerily calm… No, not calm; I feel happy, almost ecstatic… no, that's not it either.
Strangely, at this moment, I feel completely euphoric.
Time seemingly slowing down as I took in everything around me; each sight, sound, and smell bringing me infinite bliss.
In this one fleeting moment, I feel as though I can see everything.
High on this blissful feeling, I began to call out to the forest.
"Tell me more! Enlighten me, oh great forest, show me all the truths I've been blind to all these years!"
As the words left my lips, a profound silence settled over the forest, as if it had heeded my call. Warm sunlight, tinted a mid-day orange hue, poured from the dense sub-canopy, casting ethereal patterns on the forest floor.
I stood still, eyes closed, breathing in the crisp, fresh forest air.
The sweet, earthy scent of soil filled my lungs, grounding me in the moment.
The sounds of life danced around the forest, each of its numerous oddities composing the symphony of the evergreen.
The softly rustling leaves warned of the gentle breeze that later caressed my face
bringing with it a profound sense of peace.
My mind began to clear as I slowly became more aware of the forest.
all my past worries seemed so meaningless; my introspections on life, death, friends, and family were so shallow, so devoid of meaning and fuelled by my own selfishness.
Now I know what it means to live outside myself. Now I know what it means to be connected to something greater. now I know the truth.
I continued to dance, eyes closed, as I embraced the peace of the moment. Unbothered by my troubles, I took a deep breath to soak in the serenity of the forest.
But instead of the expected freshness of evergreen, a deep, heavy scent of blood and smoke filled my nostrils, almost throwing me back from shock.
What is this disgusting scent of rot?
Opening my eyes to make sense of it all, what lay before me was not the peaceful evergreen that I had been dancing in, but a domain of death and destruction.
I had no time to worry about how exactly I got out of the forest
First, I needed to understand what exactly this hell is that I had found myself in.
In front of me lay the piled corpses of hundreds of people, lit ablaze probably to be rid of their smell
the dead were not given the respect of a proper rest.
To my right, I could see women, both young and old, being captured and chained
the few that their captors fancied for themselves were brutalized and raped.
To my left were the men
Imprisoned in cages, forced to watch their wives, daughters, and mothers as they were assaulted, just before they themselves were either executed or chained.
I slowly turned around, only to be ravaged by the sight of what these demons did to the children.
The fortunate ones were deemed invalid and executed swiftly
The unfortunate ones, male and female alike, met their end after being brutally raped.
The few who were literate or knew magic were chained and imprisoned in cages.
I can't believe this, what am I even looking at? All around me was a reality much more terrible than anyone should have to endure.
Unable to keep myself upright, I dropped to my knees.
Overcome by panic, I clasped at my head and began breathing fast.
Inhaling with such force only backfired
the scent of the dead once again filled my lungs, making me want to vomit.
Unable to take the sight anymore, I launched my hands towards my face, almost gouging out my eyes. Crying heavily and screaming incoherently, I was left a dishevelled mess on the floor.
Just as I was starting to regain my senses, one of the bandits looked towards me.
The fear that gripped me in that moment could not be understated; I felt as though a fate worse than death awaited me.
I got up as he drew closer, panicking more as he began unsheathing his blade ready to swing.
"Please don't kill me, p-p-please!", I begged as I raised my hands to intercept the blade.
As his sword came crashing down, something unbelievable occurred—the blade passed straight through me. In utter shock, my mouth was left wide agape. Just as I was processing the lifesaving miracle, a loud scream erupted from behind me. I turned around to see a woman who had been shielding her child from the chaos, now with her abdomen ripped open and her hands slashed off. The child stood motionless, completely in shock, eyes fixed on the lifeless body of her mother as it fell to the ground.
"Don't be sad, love. Your bitch mother isn't here any longer to keep a pretty little thing like you away from me. I know, I'll cheer you up by giving you some of my love", the sick bastard called out to the girl with a smile on his face, licking his lips as he unfastened his belt.
I lunged at him, intent on holding him back and giving the girl a chance to escape.
What had once been a lifesaving miracle had now become my curse
The same intangible hands that had protected me from the previous attack phased through the rapist, I realized I was powerless to help.
I could only call out,
"Wait! Please don't do this! Hey! Stop this, you bastard, LET HER GO!"
The rapist only continued with his assault
unbothered by my shouting, or perhaps unable to hear me.
He showed no signs of stopping, only proceeding to do away with the girl's clothes.
Unwilling to watch, I buried my head in my hands, cursing my own weakness.
I could only cry as the sounds of the girl's muffled screams filled the air.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?! What the fuck is this? Why am I being forced to watch this? Why can't I do anything about it?
It's not fucking fair!
Is there no salvation for these people?
What could they have possibly done to deserve this?
Left with no choice, I pleaded with the mysterious force that had brought me here.
"Whoever you are, I know you can save them! No matter the price, I'll pay it—just put an end to this madness. I'm begging you!"
As if answering my call, a figure emerged from the flames and smoke.
His green, sleeveless, priest-like robe hung loosely over his gaunt frame, torn and scarred from battle. Both the man and his attire were horribly sun-beaten, their colour faded as if drained by time. Only his eyes shone vividly through the leather mask concealing his face—an ethereal, otherworldly blue.
His long, snow-white hair cascaded down to his shoulders, partially covering the intricate symbols tattooed on his neck. His hands bore deep, jagged scars—wounds once healed by magic, marking him as a master of the arcane. His softly tanned skin appeared sickly, his presence seemingly fragile.
Yet despite his frail exterior, the pressure he exuded was suffocating.
Unwavering, he strode forward, indifferent to the destruction surrounding him. With each step, the very earth trembled beneath him—a presence more monstrous than man.
Then, with calm precision, he lifted his right hand and removed the leather mask shrouding his face.
Now seeing him fully, his mesmerizing eyes held an intensity that sent chills through me.
Bowing slightly, he offered a silent prayer to the fallen, his movements exuding an air of nobility.
I couldn't understand it.
The pressure of this seemingly ordinary man was overwhelming.
What would someone have to endure to obtain such strength?
Desperate for answers, I watched closely.
Slowly, the man raised both hands toward the sky.
Then, in a loud, broken tongue, he began to chant.
The words were foreign—ancient—perhaps the runic language used by old mages and scholars.
As if answering his call, the sky twisted, clouds contorting into a massive, churning vortex of darkness.
How was such a feat of magic even possible?
The man was bending the world itself to his will.
The bandits took notice.
"A mage!" one of them exclaimed.
"His blood should fetch a good price," another sneered, licking his lips at the thought of carving him open and selling his remains to ritualists.
Their savage cries sent shivers down my spine.
They weren't the least bit worried about the ridiculous show of power the man had just displayed, they were only concerned about the wealth they would get for selling him off.
Yet, the man remained indifferent.
He simply gazed at them, sorrow flickering behind his piercing eyes.
Then—
He raised his hand.
A low hum vibrated through the air, blue energy crackling from his fingertips.
The bandits froze.
But it was already too late.
A blinding flash erupted, and lightning rained down like wrathful judgment.
In an instant, the raiders were reduced to dust and ash.
Then, with his chanting uninterrupted, the storm expanded—engulfing the town, claiming innocent lives as easily as it had destroyed the guilty.
Unmoved, the man resumed his march.
I stood there, breathless.
This wasn't right.
Who was he?
What was this terrifying power he wielded?
Desperate for answers, I tried to chase after him—only to remember that I wasn't truly here.
I was merely an observer, trapped, powerless.
Determined to resist, I pushed forward—but my body moved as if submerged in water, sluggish and unresponsive.
Once again, I was helpless.
Then, just as if acknowledging my futile struggle, the man turned back.
His gaze met mine—hollow, unreadable.
Then, he nodded.
A quiet, polite greeting.
I stiffened.
Could he see me?
Was that even possible?
None of this made sense.
Seizing the moment, I called out.
"Wait! Who are you? Why did you do this? And how can you even see me?"
The man didn't answer.
He simply turned away and kept walking.
His indifference ignited my frustration, and I cried out again.
"Hey! I know you can hear me! You greeted me just now—none of the others even knew I was here!"
Still, he marched forward, not sparing me a glance.
I refused to give up.
"Were you the one who brought me here?"
Silence.
I clenched my fists.
"At least explain why I'm watching you murder these people!"
My voice cracked with desperation.
"Are you not a savior? A hero? I was certain you could save them after killing those bandits—yet you slaughtered them all! Men, women, children—innocent lives lost without mercy. At least tell me why!"
At last, the figure halted.
The ruined city stood silent.
Only the two of us remained.
As his piercing gaze locked onto mine, his aura pressed against me with suffocating intensity.
Slowly, he parted his lips to speak.
Then, in a drab, melancholic tone, he finally responded
"Those who know nothing should not speak on matters beyond their understanding. If you truly seek the truth, then find the one who sent you to 'watch me murder these people.' Perhaps then, you will find peace, child. I can assure you, chasing after me will only bring you more suffering."
I could not accept his indifference.
After watching all that chaos, my mind was completely shattered, and here was-the only person with any capacity to explain it all telling me he knew nothing—I simply couldn't accept it.
"Don't give me that high and mighty bullshit…" I yelled out as tears began to stream down my face.
"I just spent the last ten minutes in hell, only for you to come here, wave your hand, and offer your empty platitudes. The least you can do is end my suffering and send me the fuck back!"
Unimpressed by my pleas, the man only maintained his stoic expression. After some contemplation, he gave me his response.
"How truly ridiculous. 'End your suffering', you say. How is it that one who claims to have seen the true horrors of the world could think so selfishly?"
Shocked by his response, I leaned back. Before I could say anything, he continued.
"Have you no shame at all, boy? Wipe those tears and open your eyes; Everyone here died suffering! What makes you, the only one who lived, even worthy enough to ask for my help? Is your life not enough for you?! And as for going back, that is completely up to whatever sent you here; your return home is none of my concern."
After concluding his speech, the man turned away from me, unwilling to say more.
I began to ponder what he had just said.
Was I truly selfish and thinking only of myself?
What even was my role in all of this, and why was I even sent here?
The burden of all these thoughts sent me into a spiral. Nothing made any sense!
Why weren't my questions being answered? I tried once more to call out to the man, seeking the identity of the one who sent me here.
As I began to utter the words, I felt my mouth seize, the words sharply stopping.
Clawing at my face, I could no longer feel my mouth; whatever sent me here was seemingly silencing me, wanting to stay anonymous.
The man, oblivious to my plight, stopped walking and began chanting once more. His hooded head was enthralled in a strange blue light, whilst a halo of runes began to encircle it.
Recalling the magic history classes I took as a child, I finally realized who it was I had been watching all this time.
My initial suspicion that the man was not normal was a great understatement of the truth.
The man before me was a conduit-a group of few mortals who held the powers of gods and deities as their own.
Although certainly real, people talked about them as though they were legend.
Never in my life did I think I would see one, much less converse with one.
Before I could marvel more at his power, the world around me began to fade, signalling my exit from this nightmare; just as suddenly as I was thrown into this strange world, I was being sent back.
A bright, white emptiness replaced the world that I stood in. Shielding myself from its blinding effects, I closed my eyes whilst putting my right arm over them.
Before long, the brightness began to fade, and I felt assured in opening my eyes again. With my eyes fully open, I now found myself lying unharmed in the middle of the forest.
After looking around and frantically touching myself and my surroundings, I became certain that I was finally back, breathing a sigh of relief.
The calmness I felt after returning did not last long, as I soon began to recall bits of my time away. The flashes of chaos and disorder brought me immense pain, leaving me crying and shaking violently as I rolled around on the ground.
Falling deeper into despair, I began to wonder how I could ever live normally after seeing those terrible things.
what's more, returning to the forest meant returning to the crippling isolation I briefly escaped during my time away.
The bleakness of my future and the hell that traumatized me left me isolated, truly afraid, and longing for an end.
"So even a child such as yourself can glimpse through the eyes of the forest?"
A seductive voice pierced through the silence, resonating from an unknown place and breaking my thoughts with its advent.
"Be a good boy and wait for me. I'll make sure nothing eats you while you're passed out cold," the voice teased while chuckling gleefully.
Confused by what I heard, I hurried to my feet, swivelling my head around in search of the lady I undoubtedly just heard.
Shamefully, just as quickly as I got up, I found myself about to come crashing down.
No longer could I stand, my legs giving way under the weight of my body.
It was now clear to me what the voice had been referring to when it said I would be 'passed out cold'.
Distracted by my encounter with the conduit, I completely forgot the long chase I had with the beast from before, at least the voice promised to protect me, right?
Now mentally and physically fatigued, my body completely gave out as everything went black.
With my consciousness slowly fading, I could do nothing to stop myself passing out in the middle of the forest like a fool. All I could do was hope that the voice would have answers to the many questions that still seared in my mind once I awoke.