Carefully, a young boy walked through a chaotic environment.
Under the shadow of large buildings in an ancient metropolis, vines and other plants cascaded down their walls, clinging to the corners and cracks of the structure, as if trying to conceal the marks of a time long forgotten.
In the center of it all, the youth advanced with light steps while carrying a bow with an arrow already nocked, but with the string still un drawn.
Among large chunks of concrete, with thick rebar protruding from them, and twisted metal structures that had long since lost their original forms, he passed beside vegetation that was not very tall but well-developed, which not only hid him amid its foliage, but also some debris from the old city.
These bushes grew over the concrete, their roots seeking out the hidden soil amid the cracks of time beneath that thick layer of cement and steel.
Choosing where to step, he sought out places where the concrete was visible, so that the sound of branches and leaves would not betray him, but with deft steps, he advanced quickly over the terrain.
Stopping near a bush, he began to draw the bowstring.
Made of metal, it had an old appearance, covered in marks of use such as scratches, dents, and worn spots, but it was well-maintained, something perceptible from its cleanliness and the thin layer of grease over the metal.
Aiming through the leaves, his target was a white rabbit.
A few meters ahead, on the other side of the bush, it was feeding on bluish fruits from a small shrub.
Standing on its hind legs, using its mouth, it plucked the fruit hanging among the leaves of the laden plant and dropped it to the ground to eat.
As soon as it finished, it sought another. With a few hops, it shifted its position under the next one and began to stretch to reach it, but, being higher than the others, it was having a bit of difficulty.
The youth, pulling the string slowly, tried not to alert the animal, but the bow, even though well-maintained, under a tension that was increasing gradually, ended up showing signs of its advanced age with a small metallic noise.
Though faint, in the silent environment they were in, where only the sound of the wind passing through the plants could be heard, it was enough to alert the animal.
Startled, it turned toward where the sound had come from, directing its ears there as well.
Under the animal's gaze, to avoid producing any more noise that might alert it further, he stopped drawing the bow and held his breath. Completely still, he remained in the same position, trusting that he was well hidden there and that his clothes, with colors that blended into the surroundings, would keep him camouflaged behind the bush.
In the tense seconds that followed, as if to ease the atmosphere, a strong gust of wind passed between them, shaking all the vegetation. However, still suspicious, the rabbit kept its eyes fixed on the bush.
Unable to move even a centimeter while keeping the bow drawn, he began to feel his arm tingling.
As a drop of sweat trickled down his face, feeling that he was nearing his limit, with a tremor in his arms, the rabbit finally let its guard down and returned to feeding.
Without missing that chance and knowing he couldn't hold out much longer, taking a breath, he drew the rest of the bow, which produced another creak, before releasing the arrow.
Even having noticed the sound again, it was already too late for the rabbit, as it saw an object hurtling toward it at high speed.
Struck, the animal's body was pushed to the side by the impact, but...
"Damn it!"
It hadn't killed it.
Frustrated, he watched the rabbit run off after surviving for the second time, having missed the vital spots. But without giving up, tossing the bow aside, he chased after it.
Even wounded, with the arrow still lodged in its body, it ran through the plants and concrete blocks in a desperate attempt to shake him off, displaying great speed and agility, but jumping over some and dodging others, the youth followed steadfastly right behind it.
In the midst of this pursuit, leaving that open area, they headed toward the buildings that surrounded them.
Passing quickly down an empty street, both entered an abandoned building, with the ground-floor entrance completely open.
There, they entered a spacious entry hall, where a long reception counter and a marble floor were covered by a thick layer of dirt and leaves.
However, even stained by time, broken, and covered in grime, the richness of the place transcended the marks of decay, as in the case of a beautiful crystal chandelier still hanging from the ceiling and some golden tones that had escaped the humidity.
Passing through that space, the rabbit darted into the first passage it found, venturing into the interior of the structure.
Following down a corridor, although the youth initially maintained a constant distance between them, the animal began to gain an advantage by pulling away from him little by little.
Not wanting that advantage to grow, and sensing that he was nearing his own limit, he gave it everything he had with one final burst of effort to catch up.
But even so, the distance between them continued to widen even as he felt his legs growing heavy.
That was when, suddenly, entering one of the doors on the side of the corridor, the rabbit vanished from his sight.
Invading his senses, a bitter taste of defeat washed over him; however, for no apparent reason, the animal reemerged into the corridor, something that reignited his hopes, for although it had been only for a short time, it was enough to close the necessary gap.
Without missing the opportunity, the youth pounced on it.
"Got you!"
Trying to resist, the rabbit began to wriggle to break free, but in a swift motion, drawing a knife from his waist, he finished off the animal, halting its movements.
"Yes!"
With a broad smile, the youth, kneeling down, paused to catch his breath. After that exertion, upon stopping, he felt all the exhaustion hit his body at once.
After a few seconds, knowing he had to head back soon, he took the backpack off his shoulders and, using simple ties, bound the animal's legs to secure it to the pack. Once finished, he slung the backpack back over his shoulders to stand up, but that was when he heard the sound of something nearby.
Coming from behind him, it was slow and steady, like something soft walking on the marble, but with a sticky noise at the end, something that was growing louder and louder.
Feeling a chill run down his entire spine, he turned slowly toward the source of the sound, which made his heart race as he froze in terror at the sight of what it was.
A slender being, well over two meters tall and with skin as white as snow, where its bones were perfectly outlined beneath it, stood just a few meters away from him.
As it took a step toward him, its bare feet slapping against the marble, something that snapped the youth out of his daze.
In that moment of clarity, mustering the strength he had left, he stood up, drawing his knife again and pointing it at the creature, even though he knew it posed no greater threat to it than a twig, for it was something he could not possibly face.