"Damn... Damn it!" The words tore from his throat, ragged and desperate, as he sprinted through the dense forest, clutching his left arm. The gaping wound throbbed with every beat of his heart, the chunk of flesh missing a cruel reminder of the hunt gone wrong. The cold night air bit at his exposed skin, but he barely felt it over the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Branches lashed his face, the moonlight his only guide as he dodged and wove through the trees. "Fuck, it's getting closer," He said, glancing over his shoulder at the shadows that threatened to devour him. "I knew I shouldn't have gone on this stupid hunt!"
Blood poured freely from his wound, leaving a crimson trail behind him, but It didn't matter. Stopping wasn't an option, not when death was a breath away. "Fictional monsters," he muttered bitterly, his voice trembling. "Who knew they were real..."
Then, it hit him. Not an idea, something solid, fast, and unrelenting. The force sent him flying, the world a blur of dark green and silver before he slammed into a tree. Pain erupted everywhere. His legs? Now Useless. Broken. "Shit..." he coughed, spitting blood. " ARRGH! M-my leg, it hurts!" He yelled lying on the ground grimacing in pain, for a while before, he heard a deep and loud growl get closer every second.
"N-NO!... No!"
He yelled with fear as he clawed at the ground, dragging himself forward with his only good arm. Roots, dirt, sticks. He grabbed at anything, everything, desperate to escape. His fingers bled, but he didn't stop. The forest seemed endless, mocking him with every inch he gained. Then, the trees thinned, and he saw it... A cliff.
Cornered.
Behind him, a beast. In front, Death or salvation. His lips curled into a defiant grin. "Perfect," He whispered.
He dragged himself to the edge and peered over. A river churned far below, its waters promising salvation or a swift end. "Hahaha... God hasn't abandoned me yet!" He laughed, the sound wild, unhinged. Hope surged through him.
Then, the ground trembled.
Thud. Thud.
Each step reverberated in his chest like a death knell. The beast emerged, stepping into the moonlight. It was six feet tall, with rich brown fur, and its eyes glowing with a cold, predatory light.
"My left arm wasn't enough for you, huh?" He spat, shaking his mangled limb at it like a taunt.
While the beast's gaze fixed on his arm, he groped behind him, fingers closing around a jagged rock. Flat, sharp, good enough. He hid it behind my back, the pain in his arm was nothing compared to the fire of revenge in his chest.
"I give up," He said, collapsing onto my back. " COME ON! Finish it! I've got nothing left."
Immediately the wolf lunged, massive jaws snapping for the kill. But he was ready. In a heartbeat, he rolled right, its teeth grazing only the air. Then, with everything he had left, he rolled back and drove the rock into its right eye.
Its howl pierced the night, a sound of pain and fury. "I GOT YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" He yelled, laughing through the agony.
The wolf staggered, blood streaming down its face. He used the moment to crawl to the cliff's edge. His body screamed in protest, but he ignored it. Sitting on the precipice, he turned to face the beast.
"Remember my name! " I roared, voice cracking. "----------"
With a final smirk, He leaned back and let gravity take him. The wind roared in his ears, the river rushing closer. For a fleeting second, he felt weightless. Free.
The cold water slapped against him, an unforgiving reminder that the nightmare wasn't over.
The river's current pulled him relentlessly, but he managed to grab a log, holding onto it like it was his last anchor to life. The current dragged him toward a distant roar. A waterfall. He craned his neck to glimpse the horizon and let out a breathy laugh. "Well, at least I get to choose how I go out," He murmured, though the blood loss made his voice weak.
silent for a moment before letting out a loud laugh that grew louder, more manic, as his mind raced. "Who would've thought a dropout like me, a nobody addicted to 'Mystical Creature Master,' would survive against a Mystical beast!" He scoffed, shaking his head. "That game's ruined my life in every way possible. Who'd have guessed its stupid GPS feature would lead me to the real thing?"
But his triumphant rambling was cut short.
A loud howl cut through the night, resonating over the rush of the river. Joon's blood ran colder than the water surrounding him. "No... no, no, no," he whispered, twisting around to look upstream. The howls grew closer, an angry crescendo echoing off the trees.
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IN THE FOREST
The wolf's howl was feral, a storm of rage and pain unleashed upon the world. Its injured eye throbbed, the pain fueling its relentless pursuit. The scent of Joon's blood is sharp and sweet in its nostrils. Trees snapped and fell in its wake, the forest no match for its raw power.
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Back on the river, He flinched at the distant crashes. The unmistakable sound of falling trees reverberated through the night. His heart sank. He didn't need to guess what was coming.
The wolf emerged along the riverbank, a blur of fur and fury. Its injured eye glistened under the moonlight, but the remaining one locked onto him with murderous intent. Joon's lips twisted into a bitter grin.
"You're too late, asshole!" he shouted, his voice carried by the rushing water. with the waterfall looming ahead, a deafening roar of wind beckoning him to oblivion. Joon spread his arms wide as if embracing his fate, flipping the wolf a middle finger with his unbroken hand. "Screw you!" he yelled as the current hurled him over the edge.
For one fleeting moment, he felt weightless, suspended between life and death, triumph and oblivion. But then, movement at the cliff's edge caught his eye. The wolf stood there, its glowing gaze locked on him as he fell, unreadable but relentless.
A grin tugged at Joon's bloodied lips. "I won," he whispered, the words more for himself than the beast.
The wolf twitched, ears flicking back as though in response. Then, with a growl that reverberated through the night, it backed up. Muscles rippled beneath its fur, coiling with terrifying purpose. It leaped, a blur of fur and fury, jaws wide, slicing through the air with impossible speed.
"Wait?!...No way."
thought, his heart hammering against his ribs as the impossible unfolded before him. Time seemed to slow, each fraction of a second etching itself into his memory. The wolf's jaws found their mark, teeth sinking into his side with brutal precision. A cold, numbing sensation radiated from the wound. The force of the collision sent them both tumbling into the river below
*******************************************
Darkness enveloped him.
"Am I dead?" The thought surfaced in his mind, strangely calm, detached. But instead of the suffocating cold he'd expected, he felt an odd warmth, a serene stillness, as though he were floating in an endless void.
If I'm dead, why am I conscious? He flexed his fingers experimentally, surprised by how much effort it took. His limbs moved, sluggish and heavy, as though wading through thick syrup. And yet, the pain was gone, his broken leg, and shattered arm, all of it replaced by a strange, aching numbness.
Then, he heard it.
"Hmm?... What's that sound?"
he question whispered in his mind as he strained to listen. A rhythmic thump filled the silence, steady and unmistakable, a heartbeat. And then, faintly, a voice.
"H-how?"
Was that his heartbeat? If so, then the voice… could it mean rescue? Could he still be alive? His pulse quickened, hope surging through him, but something was wrong.
How could he have two heartbeats?