The forest swallowed him whole.
The deeper Vincent walked, the more the world behind him seemed to fade, replaced by towering trunks thicker than stone pillars and branches that wove together like ancient ribs overhead. Sunlight filtered down in thin, fractured beams, scattering over moss-covered roots and the vast carpet of fallen leaves.
Every sound felt amplified in the quiet.Every shadow felt alive.
Vincent's steps were careful, almost reverent.
I… have never been in a place like this. It's beautiful… and terrifying.
The voice struck through his thoughts like a blade of cold silver.
« Beautiful? You truly have simple tastes. This is nothing more than a wilderness. And you have barely set foot in it. »
Vincent rolled his eyes internally.
Do you ever say anything encouraging?
« Why would I? Encouragement is for the weak. You need direction, not comfort. And I am the only thing preventing you from wandering like a headless beast. »
He exhaled through his nose.
« You know, one day, you might try being pleasant. »
« I am not here to be pleasant. I am here to elevate you. Try not to confuse your desires with my purpose. »
Vincent muttered under son breath.
I made a pact with the most arrogant being in existence…
« You did, in fact. Consider it a privilege. »
He continued walking, deeper and deeper.The trees grew thicker.The light dimmer.The silence heavier.
Then, without warning, the voice sharpened.
« Stop. »
Vincent froze.
« What? What is it? »
« Ahead. Observe. »
The undergrowth trembled.
A low rumble rolled out from the bushes, thick and hungry.
A creature emerged.
Huge.Muscular.Its fur shimmered with a cold silver sheen.Its tusks curved like blades, glistening with dried sap and old blood.Its eyes burned an unnatural red, swirling with a feral intelligence that sent a shiver crawling up Vincent's spine.
It was a boar.But not one born of any normal forest.
Vincent's breath hitched.
What is that…? That thing isn't natural…
« A silver boar, » the star replied, voice dripping with disdain. « Rare. Powerful. Easily angered. A creature that would happily tear you apart. This is your first true test. Try not to disappoint me. »
The boar lowered its head.The earth quivered beneath its weight.
It charged.
The forest exploded around him.Leaves tore from branches.Roots shuddered.Vincent leaped aside, barely avoiding the gleaming tusks.
« Roll, you fool. Farther. »
He rolled across the moss-covered ground, leaves and dirt clinging to his clothes.The boar slammed into a tree behind him, splitting bark with a deafening crack.
« I cannot fight that! » Vincent shouted.
« You can. Because you must. If you flee, it will catch you. If it catches you, it will crush you. Now move. Behind the larger trunk. Not the small one, the larger. »
Vincent dashed behind the indicated tree, breath ragged.
The boar snorted, steam curling from its nostrils.
« It is fast… faster than it should be… »
« It is hungry. Hunger sharpens instinct. And your fear is only feeding it. Control yourself. Watch it. Measure its weight. Its path. Its folly. »
The beast pawed the ground, muscles coiling.
Then it charged again.
Vincent threw himself behind a fallen log. The log shook violently as the boar smashed into it, sending splinters flying.
I'm going to die. I'm absolutely going to die.
« If you die here, know that I will be profoundly disappointed. Now rise. Move left. No, left. Do you not know your directions? »
Vincent gritted his teeth but obeyed.
« Good. Now, when it charges next time, do not dodge early. Wait. Wait until the last moment. Its momentum is its weakness. Not that you would have realized such a thing on your own. »
« I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. »
« Pretend whatever you wish. Survive. »
The boar roared and charged yet again.Vincent stood rigid, heart pounding so loudly he thought it would burst from his chest.
Closer.Closer.Closer—
Now.
He threw himself aside, sliding across the damp earth.The beast lunged past him, confused by the sudden absence of its prey.
« Behind it. Quickly. Strike behind the left shoulder. A soft point, if you can even reach that high. »
Vincent rushed forward, raised his sword with trembling hands, and drove the blade into the instructed spot.
The steel pierced flesh.Blood welled around the wound.
The boar shrieked, enraged, but not defeated.
« Too shallow. Again. Unless you wish to be trampled. »
It charged once more, wounded, furious.
Vincent dodged again, this time with slightly more control.He pivoted, breathless, and the star's voice thundered inside his mind.
« Under the chest. There. That is your moment. Take it! »
Vincent drove the blade upward with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The sword plunged deep.Warm blood spilled over his hands.The beast howled, stumbled, fought… then crashed onto its side in a tremor that shook the ground.
Silence fell.
Vincent stood there, shaking, chest heaving, staring at the lifeless creature.
I… killed it… I actually…
« You survived, » the star said with a hint of condescending approval. « A feat I did not entirely expect from someone of your… humble abilities. »
Vincent almost laughed from exhaustion.
« Thanks… I guess… »
« Do not waste time. Approach it. »
Vincent blinked.
« I have to… what? Touch it? »
« Of course. You require food. Meat is scarce on the road. And you will not waste what you have killed. Come. »
Reluctantly, he knelt beside the immense carcass.
« I… I have no idea how to do this. »
« Obviously. Spread your hand. Here. Make a cut along this line. Not too deep. Even you should manage that. I will instruct you. Try not to embarrass yourself. »
Vincent followed the cold, precise directions.His hands shook at first, but the star guided each motion with infuriating exactitude.Soon he carved out a clean, heavy piece of meat.
He wrapped it in cloth and put it in his pack.
« Acceptable, » the star said. « Barely. Now find a place to camp. I will show you the way. »
Vincent walked, muscles aching, until the star murmured.
« Stop. To the right. »
He pushed aside a curtain of leaves and found a hidden clearing nestled between two moss-covered boulders.
Sheltered.Secluded.Safe.
He dropped his pack with a groan.
He gathered wood, arranged a small fire, and after several attempts, coaxed a flame to life.The warmth felt like a blessing.
Vincent skewered the meat and held it over the flames.The smell rose immediately, rich and wild.
His stomach growled loudly.
He laughed softly.
« My first real hunt… and I'm still alive. Somehow. »
« Do not grow complacent. This is the easiest thing you will face. »
« You have a talent for ruining moods, you know. »
« And you have a talent for talking instead of eating. Focus. »
Vincent turned the meat, waited, then took a bite.
The flavor was smoky, tender, filled with a rugged richness he had never tasted before.
He closed his eyes, savoring it.
For the first time since leaving home… he felt a flicker of pride.
A small one.Fragile.But real.
The star's voice softened, though arrogance still laced every syllable.
« Enjoy this moment. You will need its memory when the world becomes darker. Tomorrow begins your real journey. »
Vincent stared at the fire, embers rising into the night sky.
« Then… tomorrow it is. »
The forest settled around him, ancient and patient, as the flames danced and the night deepened.
****
Night had settled like a heavy shroud.
The fire in Vincent's small camp had collapsed into a nest of glowing embers, each pulse of red breathing weakly against the darkness. The forest around him was silent, unnervingly so, as if every creature held its breath.
Vincent slept, exhausted from his fight with the silver boar. He did not dream. He simply fell into a darkness of muscles torn, nerves frayed, and a body pushed to its fragile limits.
Until the voice cut through the quiet.
« Wake up. Now. Take your sword. »
Vincent's eyes snapped open.
His heart lurched into his throat.
« What…? What's happening— »
« Silence. Move. Take your weapon, or you will not see the next heartbeat. »
His hand closed around the sword.The night shifted.The air felt wrong.
Then he heard it.
A soft drag.A slow, slick slither.A whisper of scales moving across damp earth.
Something was coming.
« There is… something out there… »
« A predator. And not a small one. »
A shadow uncoiled from the dark grass.Long.Massive.Silent.
It slid closer with a deceptive grace, its body shimmering faintly under the dying embers.
A serpent. But not any serpent.
A water serpent. A hunter that rose from lakes at night when the air cooled. Its scales were dark green, almost black, glistening with moisture. Its eyes were bright yellow and cold, fixed on Vincent with murderous hunger. Its head was thick, its fangs curved and white, dripping venom in slow, dreadful drops.
The creature was easily four meters long.
Vincent's breath caught.
This thing… this is worse than the boar. Much worse.
The star's tone was a purr of amused superiority.
« Indeed. And you will fight it. Unless you intend to let it swallow you whole. »
Vincent tightened his grip on the sword.
« I… I've never fought something like this. »
« You have barely fought anything at all. And yet here you stand. Be grateful for my guidance, petit mortel. And pay attention. »
The serpent's muscles coiled.
« It will strike. Now. »
It lunged.
The world moved too fast for thought.Vincent threw himself sideways.The serpent's jaws slammed into the ground where he had stood, cracking the dirt, splattering mud.
« Roll. Farther, fool. Unless you wish to feed it. »
Vincent rolled, scrambling backward.The snake lashed out again, its body twisting with the force of a whip.The impact shattered a rock beside him, spraying stone fragments into his face.
His cheek burned.He tasted blood.
I'm going to die… I'm actually going to die—
« Yes, you will, if you keep thinking instead of acting. Left, Vincent. LEFT. »
Vincent darted left as the serpent's head crashed down, fangs piercing earth like spears. Venom hissed on the soil, burning small holes where it fell.
« Poison… » Vincent whispered.
« Yes. One drop in your bloodstream and you will die before you even scream. Stay light. Stay alert. Do not let it corner you. »
The serpent circled him, slow, silent, certain of its kill.
Vincent shifted his stance, trembling.
« It's too fast… »
« Everything is too fast for you. Fight regardless. »
The serpent attacked.
This time Vincent dodged more narrowly, the creature's fangs slicing a few strands of his hair as he ducked beneath the strike. Its body smashed into a tree behind him, splitting bark, sending wood shards flying.
He ran, sliding behind a boulder.
The serpent struck again, smashing the stone, splitting it in two as if it were rotten wood.
« It's strong enough to tear me in half… »
« Of course. That is why you must exploit what little intelligence you have. Strike when it overextends. Not before. Not after. Now focus. »
The serpent hissed, uncoiling again.Its eyes glowed with hatred.
It lunged.
Vincent dodged, rolled, stumbled, rose again.He began to feel the rhythm.The timing.The breath before each strike.
« Better, » murmured the star. « You might survive another minute. »
The serpent launched forward, mouth open.Vincent leapt to the side.Its fangs grazed his sleeve, tearing it.Poison stained the fabric black.
He froze.
That could have been my arm…
« It will be your throat if you stop moving. »
The serpent struck again.Vincent deflected with the flat of his blade.The impact rattled his bones.His arms nearly buckled.
« Weak, but acceptable. Aim for its eyes next time. »
« I can't— I can barely see— »
« Then sharpen your senses. If you cannot use your body, use your mind. He comes. NOW. »
Vincent ducked.The serpent's head slammed down inches from him.
He swung upward, aiming for the left eye—
The serpent jerked back.The tip of the blade scraped scales, drawing blood but not enough.
« Too slow, » the star hissed. « Again. »
The serpent curled around him, ready to constrict.Its coils were thick, heavy, deadly.
Vincent slipped free barely in time, the coils snapping shut where he had just been, crushing the air with horrifying force.
« If that catches me… »
« You will die crushed before the venom even touches you. Move. »
Vincent forced himself to stand taller.He steadied his breathing.He lifted his sword.
The serpent lunged.
He stepped aside, pivoting, letting instinct and the star's commands guide him.
« NOW. The eye. Strike, Vincent. STRIKE. »
Vincent shouted and drove his blade forward.
The point plunged into the serpent's left eye.
A wet, horrible sound followed.Blood, thick and black-green, spurted across Vincent's face.The serpent writhed violently, its body whipping in agony.
The force threw Vincent backward into a tree.Pain shot through his ribs.
But he got up.
Barely.
The serpent thrashed blindly, its remaining eye scanning frantically for him.
« Finish it. Before it regains control. Under the jaw. Through the soft scales. Move. »
Vincent staggered forward.The serpent struck blindly, nearly catching him.
He ducked.Rolled.Slipped under its raised head.
And with a cry born of terror and fury, he thrust his sword upward with all his strength.
The blade tore through soft hide.Through flesh.Through the inner mouth.Into the skull.
The serpent convulsed, its massive body hammering the earth again and again, the ground shaking under Vincent.
Blood poured over his arms.His clothes.His face.
The creature writhed, screamed without sound…Then finally collapsed.
Dead.
The forest fell silent.
Vincent stood there, panting, drenched in blood, trembling violently.He wanted to laugh.Or cry.Or collapse.
I… won… I killed it… I'm alive…
« Barely, » murmured the star, sounding almost amused. « But yes. You survived. Miraculous. And unexpectedly entertaining. »
Vincent let out a choked laugh.
« That… that was horrible… »
« That was necessary. Now stop trembling and take what is useful from the corpse. The fangs. The scales. The hide. They will fetch a price in a proper city. Move. »
Vincent obeyed with shaking hands, extracting the glistening fangs, the thickest scales, pieces of hide. Each cut was guided by the star's cold instructions.
When he finished, he collapsed against a rock, breathing hard.
Sleep was impossible after that.
« Since you cannot rest, you will train. Pick up your sword. »
Vincent lifted his head.
« You're serious…? After… after that…? »
« Especially after that. Your form was pitiful. Your strikes sloppy. If you do not build discipline now, you will die long before reaching the southern ruins. On your feet. »
He stood.
Barely.
He raised his sword.
The star's voice shifted—still arrogant, but precise, sharp, instructive.
« Your grip is wrong. Fix it. Your stance is weak. Widen it. Your breath is erratic. Steady it. If you live long enough, I will forge you into a swordsman whose blade will split wyverns from jaw to tail. But first… learn to hold the sword without shaking. »
Vincent focused.His muscles burned.His bones ached.But he learned.
Hours passed.The night thinned.The sky paled.
When dawn finally touched the forest, Vincent was exhausted, but different.Not stronger.Not yet.
But sharper.
He cooked the serpent meat over fresh flames, ate in silence, washed himself in a nearby stream, and packed his camp.
The forest grew brighter as he walked.The trees thinned.The path widened.
Then, finally, he stepped into the open.
A vast stone road stretched ahead, ancient and cracked, leading toward a distant horizon.
And there, illuminated by the rising sun, stood an immense city surrounded by pale walls.
Vincent stopped, stunned.
« I've… never seen anything like it… »
The star sighed, disdainful.
« We should go around it. Crowds are noisy. Humans are foolish. You will draw the wrong kind of attention. »
Vincent laughed.
A raw, tired, exhilarated laugh.
« After fighting that serpent? I think I can handle people. »
« Optimism… how tedious. »
Vincent took a step toward the city.
« Come on. Let's see what it holds. »
The star groaned like a weary tyrant humoring an insolent servant.
« Very well. Walk, little fool. Let us see which devourer finds you first. »
And Vincent headed down the road, toward the towering gates of the enormous city.