The evening light began to descend, slipping through the leaves as thin lines that kept growing shorter. Dio noticed the change when the color of the tree trunks appeared darker than before. Shadows also grew longer—easier to twist shapes into something misleading.
He stopped in a slightly more open area. The ground was uneven, but dry enough. Only one large root crossed the way, and several low shrubs stood on the right side.
He checked the surroundings.
No heavy footsteps.
No breaking twigs.
But because of that… he knew the day was entering its unfriendly part.
Dio touched the nearest tree, feeling its rough bark. He made a small scratch using the back of his sword's sheath—a short line he knew wasn't made by nature. That line became a new marker, a reference point if he needed to return.
After a few seconds, he walked again.
The forest responded with silence.
Silence that wasn't peaceful…
but like someone holding their breath for a very long time.
---
As he walked deeper, the ground turned firmer. Small branches scattered everywhere. Dio tried to avoid the brittle ones, but some still hit the tip of his shoe—the sound soft, yet enough to break the quiet.
From afar, another sound echoed.
A twig breaking.
Once.
Then stopping.
Dio stopped as well.
His eyes scanned between the trees.
No movement.
No falling leaves.
No small animals running.
He waited.
Steadied his breathing.
Let the small sensations in the air tell him if something was moving.
Nothing.
He walked again.
This time he didn't move in a straight line. He shifted slightly—avoiding areas that were too dense and choosing paths that gave him more room to see.
He knew he wasn't alone.
The forest knew he wasn't alone.
But whoever or whatever followed… still chose a safe distance.
---
Several minutes passed before he found something different.
A large fallen tree lay ahead.
Its trunk was as wide as two adults standing side by side. Moss covered much of the bark—sign it had fallen long ago. But one part on the left side was clean, as if something large had passed and scraped the moss away.
Dio approached slowly.
He placed his hand on the trunk's surface.
The bark was rough, but the clean area felt warmer than the rest.
He lifted his hand.
No liquid.
No scent.
But that warmth… couldn't be from the evening sun almost gone behind the canopy.
He turned his body, tracing the mark with his gaze.
The trail circled around the trunk, then disappeared between two large trees.
Dio lifted his shield—not too high, but enough to cover the right side of his body. His shoulders tensed slightly again. His breaths grew shorter.
He followed the area slowly.
Not far from where he stood, there was a depression in the ground. Not large, not deep. But its shape was familiar—pressure from something heavy, not steps from something with feet.
The shape resembled the one he had seen earlier.
Same pattern.
Same weight pressed into the center, edges lifted.
But this one was newer.
The soil still soft, not fully settled.
Small cracks lined the edges—signs of weight shifting from one side to another.
Dio touched it.
The soil was still warm.
For a moment, the air felt heavier.
Not because of any strange energy.
But the heaviness that came from knowing something large wasn't far from where he stood.
He stood again.
Steadied his breath.
No running.
No speeding up.
Because running only told whatever followed him that he was scared.
Dio moved like someone avoiding thorns—slow, but not hesitant.
---
The low shrub on his right rustled.
Not much.
Just a little.
Like something accidentally brushing the outermost leaf.
Dio stopped walking, but didn't turn.
He simply tilted his head slightly.
The shrub moved again.
But this time the movement was smaller…
more careful…
more like something holding its breath behind it.
He didn't try to approach.
Instead, he moved left, choosing a path that put him out of a direct line with the shrub. He didn't want to provoke something he didn't know.
But he still heard something from there.
Not a growl.
Not a hiss.
Just… a very faint breath.
Large creatures didn't breathe this softly.
Nor did humans.
The sound came from something small.
Dio waited until the sound disappeared.
Only then did he continue his journey.
The shrub went still again, as if it had never moved.
---
As the sky above the canopy darkened further, Dio finally decided to stop.
He found a small space between two large roots curling like natural walls. The ground inside was dry and wide enough to sit.
He set his shield beside him.
Not far from his hand.
His sword remained at his waist within reach.
Dio sat slowly.
His back rested against the tree root warmed by leftover sunlight.
He drew his legs slightly inward, giving his body room to adjust to the temperature.
He exhaled long.
The forest didn't suddenly become friendlier.
But from there, he could see more shadows ahead.
Enough to notice if anything approached.
The last light of the day vanished completely.
Darkness fell slowly like a giant curtain being lowered.
A faint sound of water in the distance.
A soft breeze passing once, then gone.
A small twig snapping somewhere unseen.
Dio stayed still.
Not sleeping.
Not fully awake.
Just watching.
The forest turned black.
No moon visible through the canopy.
No lights.
No fire.
But then…
one step.
Far away.
Just one.
Not repeated.
As if something was confirming he was still there.
Dio opened his eyes.
He waited.
Only waited.
The darkness gave no answer.
Only the sound of his heartbeat slowly settling into rhythm.
And the forest, though unmoving, felt as if it was watching him from every direction—without intent to approach, without intent to leave.
Just… observing.