As Aldous lay there, he felt the energy of the forest and the animals around him. At first, he didn't understand what was happening, but then he realized that he was drawing in their life force to heal himself.
The energy was powerful, and he could feel it coursing through his body, repairing the damage that had been done to him. But at the same time, he could feel the life force of the forest and the animals around him slowly being drained away.
He tried to fight it, but he was too weak. The energy was too strong, and it was consuming everything around him. The trees began to wither and die, and the animals that once roamed freely in the forest were now lying dead around him.
As the days past, Aldous's body began to change. His skin turned pale, and his eyes began to glow with an otherworldly light. He was becoming something else, something more than human.
But even as his body changed, his mind remained focused on survival. He began to crawl, dragging his weakened body through the forest, searching for water and food. He hunted the animals that were still alive, draining their life force to sustain himself.
As the days passed, Aldous grew stronger. He could feel the energy of the forest and the animals around him flowing into him, and he knew that he was becoming something greater than he ever thought possible. But at the same time, he could feel the darkness weighing heavily on his soul.
One day, as Aldous lay in the forest, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He tried to move, but he was still too weak. A figure stepped into view, and Aldous recognized him as one of the bandits who had tortured him.
The bandit laughed when he saw Aldous, thinking that he was finally going to get a turn at torturing him. But as he approached, he suddenly fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Aldous realized that he was tapping into the energy of the forest and using it to defend himself.
The bandit eventually fled, and Aldous was left alone once again.