The sun barely touched the ground, which was covered in old leaves and fresh moss. The moss was everywhere. On the dark tree trunks whose brunches were covered by the scale.
Two men were laying while catching their breath. The air around them was clean and fresh. Each breath gave life.
Kaleigh asked. " What was that?" He stand up and looked around. His vision was a burr. No matter how he looked farther away he can't see anything.
" What is wrong with this place? The energy seems stable and calm." Kaleigh commented.
" I don't know. I thought you will know something about this place since you brought me here."
" What?"
Aaron scratched his head. " I don't know. The moment I got out of the dot, some monster tries to kill me. Then you come from the sky."
" This must happen because the link between my space and reality moved." Kaleigh brings up his theory, he knows his technique.
Kaleigh sighed.
" So what are we doing? Fight again? I suggest holding your mission here." Aaron said as he blinked his eyes in a defeated expression.
Kaleigh nodded. " Let's make a deal. We will first discover what this place is. I have a place in mind but let's work together. Deal?"
He extended his hand for a handshake. Aaron squinted. He looked at the hand that is trying to kill him a few hours ago.
" I want to make another deal?"
Kaleigh rolled his eyes. " What deal?"
" Teach me how to use those techniques," Aaron said.
Kaleigh observed Aaron, he doesn't feel any malicious intent. He considered, ' Should I teach him? If this forest is dead, then I don't think I can travel for two days. I can't gamble my life. '
" Find."
Aaron grabbed the hand and used it to stand up. He patted the dust on his butt. He pointed at the cave behind them, " Come here. Let's rest here for now."
Kaleigh nodded.
They both entered the cave. The exterior appearance of the cave was your average cave. Just plain.
The moment Aaron stepped inside, his whole environment changed. No rock or dust is laying on the ground. Instead of them, there was lush, green grass.
His mouth widened. He doesn't expect the sudden change. He turned to see outside, Kaleigh is walking toward the cave. Before he could take a step, Aaron said.
" Hey, tell me what you see."
" What?" Kaleigh asked. He couldn't understand the meaning of the question.
" Tell me," Aaron repeated.
" Just a plain cave? What else would I see?"
Aaron nodded, " Come here."
The moment Kaleigh stepped into the cave, the dusty rock atmosphere change instantly into green land.
" What do you think about it?" Aaron asked. Since he is the only one who can understand crazy things.
" I don't know. But I suppose this phenomenon is not that surprising." Kaleigh said as he is looking around the cave.
" Not that surprising? Dude. We move into different places in one step. I am sure that is insane."
Kaleigh shook his head. " No. Remember, Energy is infinite. Don't question the impossible."
" That guy told me that as well." Aaron sighed.
Kaleigh thought about Thorn. He only sees one but his instinct doesn't trust that man, and Old heads were trying to replace him so not his problem.
"I guess that someone cast an illusion or it happens. Now let's look at what is inside. I need rest. My body is itching from muscle pain." Kaleigh said as he walked farther inside.
Aaron followed.
Not much mind-blowing happened inside. Just a nice atmosphere, plain grass with a warm and yet cold feeling as you lay down.
There is no creature that they saw. Not even an insect.
Kaleigh immediately lay down and went for a nap. Aaron doesn't feel tired, the moment he stepped out of that white space, all his injuries were healed. He not instant healed but his recovery speed also doubled.
His physical strength also increased. Now he can kick a whole ass tree barefoot without any energy reforms.
' I don't know if it is a good thing or not. ' Aaron sighed inwardly. He is guarding the cave, as Kaleigh said he can't see more than 10 feet. That is a creepy situation but his confidence in his physical strength man Aaron up.
' I wonder what Claire doing right now. She must be worried. ' Aaron murmured silently. None hear his words.
He doesn't know the void inside his chest becomes more hungry. He doesn't know how he will manage to consume other emotions. For the first time, truly he missed his girlfriend. That annoying girl who always helps him.
But on the other side, he's happy. The fact that right now he can change.
Change into someone who can live on his own.
***
" You ready?"
" Yeah," Aaron replied as he stretch his legs. The warmup for his muscle. This is night time as you can see a creepy moon hanging in the sky. With a scared-looking face attached to the entire moon's surface.
But the moonlight is their hope in this situation. They plan to explore this forest, you may ask the question. it is stupid, right? To go to an unknown place at night.
They have reasons.
One-even if they move in broad daylight, they can't see shit since some kind of mist were blocking them.
Two- Although it is a risk, moving at night would give them an advantage since the most creative was sleeping at the night. That's the law of nature.
" Hey, over here." Kaleigh jumped at the large tree in front of him. Like a cat, he jumped from brunch to other.
Aaron followed him, at first he can't control his strength so he crush the tree but luckily no monster show up. Slowly he is getting used to his strength.
They both went to explore for hours but found nothing. This place is like a normal forest. Except when they use energy strong earthquake forms around them.
They mark some places like a river and edible plants. And caught some deer resting beside the river.
They arrived at the cave, and Aaron was holding the dead deer on his back. Kaleigh makes a fire with a tiny bit of energy. Aaron roasts the deer meat.
They both eat silently without saying a word.
" What can we do about it?" Aaron asked as he bit the last piece of meat.
" I will use energy."
Aaron's eyes widened. " What? Are you stupid?"
" I know. I know. That is a crazy plan but this place is a forest of death."
" Forest of death?"
" Yeah, I heard about this place from the school. It is said that you can only escape by killing a God that is living inside the domain they reside in."
Aaron picked up the bone and throw it away outside far away from their cave. Some monsters will show up from the smell but the wind will scatter the place.
" I have a lot of questions. I am new to this kind of thing so explained everything."
Kaleigh nodded. " Now that I think about it. You are just a normal schoolboy."
" Hey, college," Aaron complains.
" Whatever the same in my eyes. They teach you useless stuff."
"You are right but at least you can make friends and form meaningful connections." Aaron filed his reason.
" And? Did you form those?"
Aaron shook his head in quiet laughter escaped from his mouth. "No."
" Forget about that stuff, I am surprised that you can stay calm. Normally people would freak out, and panic."
" I am different from others. Now answer the question." Aaron raised his voice. His eyes pierced into the deep of Kaleigh as if he is looking into something.
Kaleigh feels uncomfortable, a feeling of loathing washed over his mind for a split second and it disappeared as if it never exist.
Kaleigh brushed these feelings and began to explain.
" This place is like I said, a forest of death. This forest is like a home of monsters, another human species and more importantly God."
Kaleigh picked up the stick and started to draw some diagrams on the ground.
He makes three groups, monsters, demons and God.
" That is the main faction in this world power. They are the pannicle of what energy could do. Monsters, as the name told are beasts with energy."
Kaleigh paused and a flash of those monsters entered his mind. His hands were shaking but gradually he regained control over it. He smiled with a bitter tone on it.
" Don't underestimate them just because they are mindless beasts. Some have insane intelligence. You know mythical beast right?"
Aaron nodded, " Like a phoenix."
" They all exist. And much more, some were even stronger than that beast. This World is truly infinite."
" Now for the demon, things are tricky since humans were at constant war with them for a long time. Though they lost the war I can imagine there will be another war. Demons are human but not human. They are morphed into nightmare fuel."
" You do need to know about them that much so let's start the good part."