I decided to take stock of my surroundings, hoping to get a better sense of where I was. The forest stretched endlessly in all directions, the trees towering and ancient, their dense canopy blocking out much of the sky. Something about this place felt wrong, though I couldn't put my finger on it.
As I scanned the area, I caught sight of an ominous figure standing just beyond the tree line, watching me intently. My heart skipped a beat. I took a cautious step forward, but when I looked back to call out, the figure had vanished, leaving me bewildered. Maybe I was just exhausted, I thought. I decided to push it out of my mind and focus on surviving the night.
It was getting late, and I needed to prepare. Gathering sticks and stones, I set about building a makeshift shelter. The sky seemed clear enough, so I figured I had time. I found myself oddly enjoying the process—cutting down small branches, stripping them of leaves, and even using my sword to fell a few trees. The blade was incredible, slicing through wood like it was nothing, its edge as sharp and unyielding as the day it was forged.
As the hours passed, I managed to craft a small bed of branches and leaves. It wasn't much, but it would do for now. As night fell, the forest came alive with the sounds of wolves howling in the distance. Just as I was beginning to drift off to sleep, a sudden noise jolted me awake—someone was approaching, their footsteps crunching on the forest floor.
Quickly, I conjured a light source and called out, only to see a humanoid figure emerge from the shadows. It was a redwood fox, injured and bleeding profusely, stumbling towards me with desperation in his eyes. He was panting heavily, clearly exhausted. I moved to help him, but he backed away, suspicion and fear evident in his expression.
"Are you part of the group that's hunting me?" he asked, his voice laced with distrust.
I stared at him, confused by his question. "No, I'm not. Who's hunting you?"
But before he could answer, we both tensed as the sound of footsteps grew louder. His enemies were closing in. The fox's gaze hardened as he took a defensive stance, ready to fight me if necessary. But before either of us could react, I saw a shadowy figure with a raised blade rushing toward him. Instinct took over, and I shouted, "Duck!"
The fox dropped to the ground just as I swung my sword, intercepting the shadowy figure's attack. The clash of our blades echoed through the forest, and with a powerful slash, I severed the figure's hand, eliciting a pained scream. Realizing I needed to end this quickly, I brought my sword above my head, the blade glowing with a dark green aura, and with a single, swift motion, I cleaved the figure in half. Blood splattered across the forest floor as the figure crumpled, lifeless.
But there was no time to rest. More figures were emerging from the trees, racing toward us. Without hesitation, I moved my sword to my hip and slashed through the air, the force of the swing sending shockwaves that felled the surrounding trees and enemies alike. Bodies dropped to the ground, lifeless.
Breathing heavily, I turned to the fox, who was still lying on the ground, his eyes wide with terror. "Come with me," I said, offering my hand. "I'll help you."
Relief washed over his face as he nodded, but the exertion was too much for him, and he passed out. "Oi, oi, oi… you can't just pass out like that," I muttered, but there was no response.
With no other option, I hoisted him over my shoulder and carried him back to the makeshift shelter. As I laid him down, I noticed the severity of his injuries. He was bleeding heavily and missing part of his ear. "How are you still alive after all this?" I wondered aloud as I began to remove his torn clothes to bandage him up. Among his belongings, I found dog tags with names and dates that were unfamiliar to me, as well as a small, locked book, its cover red and worn. I didn't bother trying to open it; the fox's survival was my priority.
Using what little I had, I patched him up as best I could. The night passed slowly, and I only managed to catch a few hours of sleep, always on guard, listening for any more threats.
As the sun rose, I started a small fire and began preparing some food. The fox, now awake, groaned in pain. Our eyes met, and I broke the silence, offering him some food. "Want something to eat? The name's Retro. What's yours, kid?"
"Atlas," he replied weakly. "My name is Atlas. Thank you for helping me."
"Not a problem, Atlas. But we can talk more after we eat." As we ate, I noticed Atlas staring off into the distance, his gaze fixated on something. I followed his line of sight and felt my blood run cold—the same man from before was standing there, watching us, his hand clutching his chest as if he were bleeding out.
Atlas and I both turned to look behind us, following the man's gesture, but when I looked back, he was gone, just like before.
"What the hell… again?" Atlas muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "Why does he keep doing that?"
I shook my head, equally confused. "I have no idea. This is only the second time I've seen him."
"Second time?" Atlas echoed. "What do you mean?"
I explained briefly. "I was brought here from my own world. My memories are a bit hazy, and I found myself in this place just yesterday."
"Hold on," Atlas said, reaching for his book. As he opened it, he began scribbling furiously, bombarding me with questions. "What kind of world are you from? What was the last place you were before you woke up here? How does your world compare to this one?"
"Whoa, slow down," I interrupted, holding up a hand. "That's a lot of personal questions all at once."
Atlas looked embarrassed, his ears drooping slightly. "Sorry, I just got caught up in it all. I'm really curious about where you're from."
"It's fine, Atlas. But we need to get moving. If someone's hunting you, they might return with reinforcements."
We packed up quickly, dismantling the makeshift camp and setting off in the direction the shadowy figure had pointed. Our journey had just begun, and though the road ahead was uncertain, one thing was clear: we were in this together, for better or worse.