The hooded man, still running, gradually slowed until he was merely walking.
Exhausted, he stopped and listened, straining to hear if he was still being followed. Hearing nothing, he paused to catch his breath.
Panting, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings.
Where the hell am I? I didn't notice before, but there's nothing around here… Were the trees in this forest always this wide and tall?
He looked behind, to the sides, and above, searching for something familiar, but nothing sparked recognition.
How far am I from Triton? Did I accidentally go deeper into the forest while hiding from that lunatic? But I was only running straight… Believe in yourself! This could be a good thing. It will make me harder to find. The forest has to end. If I keep walking in a straight line, I'll eventually find an exit. Right? Right?
Clinging to that hope, he began walking straight ahead, desperate to find a way out.
Still… this silence is unsettling. And the moon's light has stopped filtering through… I hope I can get out of here quickly.
The hooded, masked man pressed on. The forest remained the same. Unchanging and still. No wind, no rustling leaves. The only sign of life was him.
I get it's night, but this is too quiet. Not even the wind. I need to get out of here, fast.
Suddenly, a rustle from behind. Startled, he spun around, scanning for the source, but nothing stood out.
Wh-what was that? I definitely heard something… Am I going insane? I need to get out of here as quickly as possible.
He quickened his pace, but the forest remained eerily unchanged.
Eventually, the trees began to thin, and moonlight spilled into a clearing. That was when he saw it: a trail of crimson blood.
What? Why is there blood here? Is it… from one of ours? It goes straight… I'll know soon enough.
Unease gnawed at him as he followed the trail.
Could it be Sarah? Did she encounter that lunatic while she was alone?
A heavy sigh escaped him as thoughts of his companions filled his mind. Memories, both bitter and sweet, filled his mind.
Tears welled in his eyes. As he walked, he removed his hood and mask.
His face was revealed in the moonlight: a man in his thirties, rugged and unshaven, with a full-grown stubble shadowing his features. His face was worn and weathered, yet his blue eyes still carried a quiet strength. Now, they glistened with grief. His expression bore the weight of someone who had seen too much.
He wiped away his tears and continued, lost in sorrow and nostalgia.
Finally, the trail ended. A body lay slumped against a tree, torn by claw and bite marks. The face was unrecognizable, but the attire was familiar.
It was the uniform of one of his own.
It doesn't seem to be Sarah… It's a man. Who could he be?
Kneeling beside the corpse, he examined it. The face was ripped away, the muscles burned, and two limbs missing. Blood had long since ceased to flow. The eyes had fallen into the victim's lap.
It was a gruesome sight.
His expression stayed cold, as though he had grown used to such scenes.
"It seems you too were caught, friend. May she guide your soul to utopia. I hope to meet you in her embrace."
He sighed quietly, offered a short prayer, then resumed walking.
Eventually, he reached a path. Relief washed over him.
The trees thinned further, and the moonlight returned, serene and constant.
A fork lay ahead. Two dirt paths stretched deeper into the forest. No signs marked them. Even the moon refused to shine on their course.
The man retrieved a coin, its surface basking in the moonlight. It bore the portrait of Emperor Traven Turnovest, the current emperor's grandfather, an influential figure under whose rule the Turnovest had become one of the strongest empires, seizing the mountain range's resources and forging a millennium-long trade deal with the elves.
"A positive response, it seems."
Making up his mind, the man chose the left path.
It was shrouded in thick, muddy darkness that even the moon dared not touch.
With no torch or fire magic, he moved cautiously, alert to danger.
This is when fire magic would be useful… I should have learned a basic torch spell. No matter. Just keep moving.
After what felt like an eternity, he arrived at a familiar fork.
Didn't I cross this already…?
It was the same fork, but this time moonlight illuminated the path he had taken earlier.
Divination showed a positive response…
As if struck by clarity, he flipped the coin again. The same result.
It looks like that monster can intercept divinations… What should I do…?
He took the left path again.
Once more, the fork awaited him.
Again, he chose the left path.
Again, the same fork.
Do I have to take this path? Oh, Mother, please guide your child. I pray for your blessing. I pray for your love.
Hesitant, but with no other options, he finally turned right.
This path was worse. Twisted, unsettling, as though plucked straight from a horror tale.
I have to get out as soon as possible… before that monster finds me.
He pressed on.
Suddenly, light. A street lamp emerged.
I've finally reached Trinton! I wonder how long it's been… I need to get to Samul Tavern as quickly as possible.
Hope surged. He broke into a sprint toward the town, desperate to reunite with his companions and decide their next move.
Then from the corner of his eye he noticed...movement. An eyeball appeared out of thin air.
Then another.
And another.
In moments, more than a dozen eyes were staring at him.
Before he could process it, a claw, sharp and jagged, lashed out from the shadows. He barely dodged, rolling aside as the ground tore where he'd stood.
The limb was no ordinary claw but a tentacle, thick and slimy, ending in a grotesque cluster of black spikes.
He turned toward the source.
A massive, formless body loomed in the dark. A colorless, opaque slime riddled with floating eyes, each unblinking, each fixed upon him. They radiated a thick, suffocating hostility.
What in heaven is that? It resembles a slime… but it has no elemental color. And those claws… Is it corrupted? But I've never heard of a corrupted slime…
Another claw sliced through the air. He leapt back nimbly, eyes flicking from the abomination to the faint glow of the street lamp.
If I can just reach the city, the churches will handle the rest!
He ducked beneath a swinging tendril, then vaulted over another, the monster's attacks coming faster.
Raising his palm, he began to chant:
"By the light of stormy skies. By the spark of the high heavens. I commend to you the judgment of the true spirit's weapon. Lightning Chain!"
The air stirred violently. A chain of lightning split the night sky and crashed into the slime. The creature convulsed, its body seizing as if paralyzed.
Seizing the moment, the man bolted toward the city with everything he had.
...
Caw. Caw.
A crow swooped down from above, landing in his path.
What?
The crow looked at him. And grinned.
A human grin.
His senses blurred. His body froze. He tried to lift his arm, but nothing moved.
The crow laughed.
His mind began to descend into a whirlpool of madness.
It stepped closer.
In a daze the man saw his companions. All of them had died. They looked at him. They all saw how they died. Some had claw marks on their faces. Others had limbs missing. He saw a similar gruesome scene once more. An eye missing... but this time the face was much clearer due to some inexplicable reason.
...Cyrus
One particular spirit suddenly caught his eye.
"Sa-Sarah!!"
Sarah had one of her eyes missing. Her brunette hair had been ripped out, and her lower intestine spilled out from her lower belly. She had a euphoric look on her face. All of them did.
"Join us. 'She' is a fake." Join us in the grace of the truth."
All the spirits except Sarah yelled simultaneously without changing their expressions.
His eyes darted around in terror and horror as his senses continued to dull.
Suddenly the euphoric brunette-haired woman who was missing quite a number of features spoke in a seemingly lucid tone.
"Winston, RUN! Break Free..."
Her voice started to trail off as the same emotionless and euphoric look came back to her.
But this is all he needed.
Suddenly gaining back his senses, he jolted awake and freed himself from the sluggishness he was seemingly afflicted with.
At this moment, without any time for him to reflect on his emotion, only one thing surfaced in his mind.
I HAVE TO RUN! I have to reach the city!
He started sprinting towards the street lamp, which in his mind was akin to the greatest hope in this moment. He saw countless figures rise from the ground. They were made of a similar material he had seen before. The opaque slime!
While running, he pointed his hand towards the various rising figures, and suddenly lightning started appearing from seemingly nowhere and hitting them. The lightning strikes were not powerful, but they hindered the movement of the creatures, allowing him to get out from their grasp.
His cloak fluttered as he continuously kept increasing his speed.
Suddenly two more slime figures emerged from the ground.
They had the same type of claws that were on the hands of the figures.
"By the darkness. Where the hopes of one lie. By the peace of night. Were everything visits once. I condemn you to an eternity of terror. By her grace may you be redeemed."
A sudden melody seemed to ring. Anything near him suddenly fell as if it had lost all strength.
The fallen creature suddenly started to melt back into the ground.
Out of nowhere two different figures popped up and attacked him.
But due to his sudden vigilance and lucidity. He dodged the claw and dashed under him. In this process he snaps his fingers.
Suddenly a strike of lightning hit the place. Striking the figure directly.
The man looked at the other figure. He extended his palm, jumped, and jerked his hand towards him.
Suddenly the creature stopped, and his movement became sloppy. As if it were drowsy.
He looked ahead and saw the lamp getting closer. Inch by Inch.
I am nearly there!! Just a little more.
He was about 30 m away when
Suddenly, he saw his arm fly off his shoulders.
His eyes looked at his arm, which continuously spewed blood. Before he could feel the pain, he was standing there looking at his body. Lifeless.
A dark and tall humanoid figure appeared out of nowhere. He couldn't make out the figure. Only one thing could be made out. A grin. Slowly a euphoric feeling crept over his face as he slowly lost all sense of self.
...
Light shone onto the ground. Birds chirped and trees swayed. On the ground lay a lifeless corpse. It was missing an arm. It wore a cloak that was dark purple. The arm not attached to his body lay beside him.
His face was rugged and unshaven. His stubble shadowing his features. His blue eyes looked like they had seen something unimaginable.
...
The eyeballs... they moved?