I tried to move.
But this frail, battered body no longer obeyed. Every breath was torture.
The Elderwood Beast didn't wait.
A sharp claw tore across my back. Not to kill—but as if to force me to stand.
I gritted my teeth, dragging my broken body behind a large tree.
I knew it would find me.
But this time… I wouldn't run.
I began piecing everything together.
Its body was injured.
One arm—gone.
Its legs dragged as if close to breaking.
And most important of all: it only had one eye left.
That was its weakness.
But how could I make it lose that last eye?
I hadn't figured it out when—
It was already beside me.
I looked up. That grotesque face loomed close, staring straight into me.
I didn't avert my gaze.
I... stared back.
My stare made it hesitate.
Curiosity flickered in its eye—wondering why its once-terrified prey now dared to look it in the eye.
It leaned closer, lowering its head right next to mine.
Inside, I was secretly thrilled.
It wasn't on guard.
It saw me as trash—a weak, harmless prey.
But right then and there, I would make it understand
Even the scorned… could kill.
I slowly backed toward a pile of rubble.
It kept approaching, without a hint of suspicion.
When my hand reached a sharp stone, I drew a deep breath.
My eyes—no longer filled with fear.
I stabbed the rock into its last remaining eye.
The beast shrieked in madness.
It thrashed about wildly, a blind creature lost in agony.
I wanted to run, but—
A claw swiped straight toward me!
Suddenly, the vines on its back emerged and wrapped around its own body, holding it in place.
A voice rang out from behind it.
"Run!
We can't hold it for long!"
"We"?
I didn't know who—or what—was helping me.
But I didn't hesitate.
I got up, dragging my wounded body, and ran deep into the forest—with every last ounce of will I had left.
Something was changing.
This was no longer the fragile Mira.
This was a survivor—one who used pain, memory, and instinct to fight back.
Even blinded in both eyes, the beast didn't stop.
It still chased me.
Each of its heavy steps shook the ground.
Trees snapped and fell around me.
Its roars echoed from behind—letting me know it was still hunting.
I realized—it was following the scent of blood.
With no other choice, I tore off my blood-soaked jacket and threw it in another direction.
Then I veered off the path, quietly slipping into the shadows of the trees.
As I'd hoped—it chased after the jacket.
I gasped, not out of relief—but because I knew:
Running only delays death.
I had to end this.
In my hand were shards of the flute Ashen had given me—pieces I still held tight despite my injuries.
I picked a thick, solid branch and used all my strength to break it.
Then, I tied the sharpest flute piece to the tip with vines—a makeshift spear.
As I secured the binding, a memory surged back—
The moment interrupted by the beast earlier.
Back when Ashen had led me to the bullies and confronted them alone.
Even though they were stronger and more numerous—he still won.
Not with strength.
But with what he was best at: playing dirty.
He didn't care about fairness.
He didn't need honor.
He only needed victory—to protect me.
I remembered the look in his eyes as he turned to me: cold, clear, as if to say:
"Know what you're good at—and use it to win."
Now, I understood.
My strength was my mind.
My eyes.
My ability to learn.
I brought the spear to a glowing tree.
Slashed its bark—the phosphorescent sap spilled out, glowing with an eerie green light.
Behind me was a dark cave.
Its darkness seemed to swallow the world. No sound. No light.
Then I remembered what Kai once said:
"The Elderwood Beast terrifies all weaker creatures.
Its lair spreads across this area.
No monster dares approach its territory."
So this cave… should be empty.
A plan took shape in my mind.
I gripped the spear tighter.
This time… I would be the one hunting.
Meanwhile, with the Elderwood Beast…
It had realized it was tricked.
It tried sniffing again to confirm—but this time, it didn't need scent.
I was right behind it.
"I'm right here!" I shouted.
It whipped its head around—blind eyes burning red with fury.
It roared like it would rip me apart.
I ran.
No hesitation, it charged after me like a living storm, crushing everything in its path.
I led it to the trap site. Once there, I turned and yelled again:
"Right here!"
It roared and charged at full speed—
BAM!
A massive impact.
It slammed straight into the giant tree I'd climbed earlier.
The collision crushed one side of its head. It staggered, dazed.
I didn't waste time.
Jumping down, I threw a rock at its head and dashed straight into the pitch-black cave.
It followed—blind and angry.
As it entered, I hid behind a boulder.
Right as it neared, I leapt out—and stabbed the spear into the wound on its leg.
"GRAAAAAA!!"
Its scream ripped through the cave like a blade through eardrums.
It tried to strike back—but its massive arm got stuck in a narrow crevice.
In this tight space, its size was now a burden.
I sprinted deeper into the cave.
Thanks to the glowing sap I had smeared along the walls earlier, faint ghostly light guided my way.
The beast stumbled behind me, growling, tugging at its trapped arm.
I grabbed a backup spear and climbed a vine to a high ledge—a perfect ambush point.
The beast roared again and stumbled further inside.
It could no longer smell my blood—I had covered my scent with mud.
As it sniffed desperately, I held my breath…
…and jumped.
The spear plunged deep into the wound on its back.
It howled, body convulsing wildly.
But suddenly—the sunflower-like blooms on its back moved.
They wrapped around my arm— holding me in place.
I struggled, until—
A voice echoed from the flower: cold, low, and chilling.
"Push deeper."
I froze, then clenched my teeth—and drove the spear in with everything I had.
The beast screamed as if its soul was being torn apart.
It thrashed and, in a frenzy—charged deeper into the cave, taking me with it…
…along with its burning, unquenchable hatred.
Scene Shift – At the Bottom of the Abyss
Kai was the first to open his eyes, coughing violently.
He was still alive—thanks to a massive underground lake that had broken their fall.
Beside him, Ashen surfaced, gasping for air, blood dripping from his brow.
Both of them were soaked in freezing water.
"Mira!" Kai cried out, frantically swimming toward the rocky edge. "We have to go back and save her—right now!"
Ashen climbed out, glancing at him with calm eyes.
"Kai. Calm down."
Kai turned, his eyes red with panic and anger.
Ashen shook his head.
"We can't climb back. And I can't teleport either—my energy's drained."
"Then what do we do?!" Kai almost broke down. "If we don't go back, Mira will—"
"Kai!" Ashen snapped. "If you panic, we'll achieve nothing."
Kai bit his lip and clenched his fists.
After a moment, he nodded, voice trembling.
"…Alright. I'll try."
They sat there, catching their breath, soaked and shivering in the cold, dark abyss.
Suddenly—a cold breeze blew from the left.
Kai turned, eyes wide.
"A cave…"
Ashen narrowed his gaze, then nodded.
"I see it.
Looks like we don't have a choice."
The two of them stepped into the darkness, weapons drawn, every step careful.
As they went deeper, the tunnel widened… until they stepped into a vast, hidden chamber.
Faint light shimmered from crystals along the walls, creating a surreal, dreamlike glow.
Before them—stood ancient ruins.
Shattered statues.
Stone steps leading deeper still.
And countless cryptic symbols etched into the rock.
Kai whispered, eyes wide:
"What… what is this place, Ashen?"
Ashen stepped forward, crouching to study the cracked stone floor.
His expression darkened.
"Something forgotten by time," he murmured, voice hoarse with cold and worry.
"And it lies right beneath where we used to live…"
Neither of them knew—
They had just stepped into more than a cave.
They had entered the Altar of the Forsaken.
A place once drenched in blood.
A place where unspeakable rituals were carved into stone.
Welcome… to the Demon's Temple.