Amukelo moved carefully through the uneven terrain. He had no intention of making the same mistakes as before of stepping om a sand that would release more weird creatures. His muscles still carried some soreness, but compared to the state he had been in before waking in the chamber, it was nothing. He was moving well, his balance steady, but his mind remained on edge. Something had saved him. Whether it was God, fate, or something else entirely, he had no idea. But he had no plans to waste the second chance he had been given.
The sun was rising higher. He calculated that he had at least several hours before dusk, maybe more. That meant if nothing slowed him down, he could reach his cave in time to rest for the night. But after everything that had happened, he couldn't trust time anymore. The titans had been wiped clean from the valley as if it had never happened. The entrance to the chamber had unsealed itself as if something had simply erased the destruction. What if the same force that had done that had also tampered with time? The thought made his grip on his sword tighten. If he had been unconscious for longer than he thought, then who knew what had changed outside the cave while he was trapped beneath the mountain?
He moved with heightened caution, every step deliberate. He avoided patches of loose soil, knowing too well the dangers of unstable ground. The shifting sands had nearly cost him his life before, and he wasn't about to let them do it again. He stepped around broken stones, careful not to disturb anything that might give away his presence. The last thing he needed was to accidentally wake something that had no business waking. His eyes darted to the ridges of the mountain, watching for any signs of movement.
As time passed, he made his way higher into the mountains. Eventually, he reached the top of mountain that was next to his own. From here, he had a clear vantage point over the path he needed to take, and he could see the more vegetated side of the valley, where his cave was. He crouched low behind a jagged rock formation, his eyes scanning the area below. At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. But then he saw a weird creature that he had seen for the first time in his life.
It was a strange figure moving slowly across the ground below. It was unlike anything he had encountered before. From a distance, it almost looked human—a walking skeleton clad in battered, rusted armor. But as he focused, he saw that its bones were not normal. They were sharpened, jagged, like weapons fused into its skeletal body. Its hands weren't hands at all but instead razor-thin blades protruding from its wrists, uneven and menacing. It was a hollow cutter.
This was a creature with no purpose, no thought, no will. It simply walked—mindless, wandering. It never stopped moving for long, yet it never seemed to have a destination.
His body tensed as he carefully adjusted his position behind the rock, lowering himself even further to ensure it wouldn't see him. He watched as it moved without direction, taking slow, mechanical steps. Its head was slightly tilted downward, as if it weren't truly looking at anything, just existing without purpose.
At first, it seemed like it wouldn't be a problem. It wasn't heading in his direction. But after several minutes, his jaw tightened as he realized something frustrating.
It was coming toward the exact path he needed to cross.
He exhaled slowly through his nose, resisting the urge to curse under his breath. He wasn't about to take a risk fighting something he didn't understand, especially after barely escaping death once already. Fighting for no reason was stupidity. He would wait.
Amukelo crouched lower, positioning himself behind the rock so that he was completely hidden from view. Time passed painfully slow. The Hollow Cutter's movements were excruciatingly deliberate, every step dragging as if it were wading through time itself. And worse—it kept stopping.
He narrowed his eyes, watching with irritation as the creature would pause for long stretches before continuing as if nothing had happened. There was no reason behind it, no clear pattern. It just… stopped. Stood there, unmoving, and then started walking again.
Minutes turned into an hour. Still, it hadn't passed far enough for Amukelo's comfort.
Amukelo sighed quietly, shifting slightly to glance up at the sun. It was getting lower. He could still tell that there were a few hours left before nightfall, but he didn't have time to waste.
After another thirty minutes, the creature had barely moved.
Amukelo rubbed his temple, exhaling through clenched teeth. How long was this thing going to take? He glanced at the distance between them, quickly calculating how much time he had before the Hollow Cutter crossed the path. It was still far enough away, but at the speed it was going, it could take another hour before it was gar enough for his comfort.
That was time he didn't want to waste.
He took another careful look at his surroundings, noting the terrain. If he started moving now, he could put more distance between himself and the Hollow Cutter by the time he reached the closest crossing point. That meant that even if it suddenly changed its path, he would have enough time to adjust.
He slowly shifted his position, making sure not to make a sound, and whispered to himself, "Okay… if I begin now, it should put some more distance by the time I arrive at the closest point to it."
Amukelo moved cautiously, every step precise, his body low to the ground to minimize his presence. His breathing was steady, his senses heightened, and yet, despite his caution, he wasn't as tense as he had been when he first saw the Hollow Cutter. It was slow—painfully slow—and its movements were entirely aimless, like a puppet being dragged along by an unseen force. It had no real direction, no clear intent. That was why Amukelo, despite his initial hesitation, was able to move with more confidence.
He descended lower, stepping over small cracks in the rocky surface, weaving between natural cover where he could. His body was still worn from everything he had endured, but he forced himself to move efficiently, making sure his footing was solid, ensuring that nothing would give away his presence. The sun was shifting in the sky, the light casting long shadows against the rough, uneven terrain. He had to move fast. If he wasted too much time waiting for the Hollow Cutter to move, night would fall before he made it back to his cave. And he did not want to be out here in the dark.
After some time, he came across a small clearing—a space where there were no rocks, no natural covers to obscure him from sight. He immediately felt more exposed, but the Hollow Cutter was far away, still crawling along at its unbearable pace. He exhaled and moved forward carefully, making sure his steps were precise.
Then the ground shifted and the unstable rocks gave way. His leg slipped, and before he could react, he collapsed onto the ground, hitting the earth with a loud dull impact.
Amukelo froze, his breath caught in his throat. Instinct took over, and he flattened himself against the ground, pressing his body as low as he could, hoping that if the creature turned its gaze in his direction, it wouldn't see him. He had no idea how its vision worked—if it even relied on sight at all. Was it blind? Could it only hear? The uncertainty sent a rush of cold through his veins as he slowly lifted his head, just enough to see the Hollow Cutter in the distance. It had stopped.
His fingers curled into the dirt as he stared, his heart beating against his ribs.
Did it hear me? Or did it just stop randomly like it does? He had been watching this thing for nearly two hours now, had seen it pause for no reason countless times. Maybe this was just another meaningless stop in its aimless wandering.
But then—its head twisted.
A sickening, unnatural snap filled the air as it rotated a full one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, scanning the area without moving the rest of its body. The motion was wrong, like something out of a nightmare, a grotesque imitation of what a living thing should be capable of.But it didn't find him.
It stood like that for a long moment, its head unnaturally twisted, its hollow, dark gaze sweeping across the area as if searching for the source of the noise. Amukelo held his breath, staying completely still, willing himself to blend into the earth.
Then, finally—it turned its head back.
It continued standing there, motionless.
Amukelo let out a slow, controlled breath, though the tension in his body did not ease. He had to move. He could not stay here forever. If he waited too long, darkness would fall before he even made it halfway to his cave.
Slowly, painstakingly slowly, he began to push himself up. Every movement was calculated, his weight shifting carefully so that he wouldn't disturb anything beneath him. His muscles were tight, his breathing shallow. He had to be careful.
But then, as he lifted his leg a cascade of small rocks tumbled downward. The sound was louder than before.
Amukelo's body froze mid-movement, his posture caught between standing and crouching.
Then, without warning, the Hollow Cutter's head snapped toward him again. This time, it saw him.
A horrific, guttural sound erupted from its throat—a noise that was neither human nor beast, but something in between, something broken. Then, without hesitation, it moved.
Its slow, mindless movements were gone, replaced by an unnatural, horrifying speed that did not match its previous form.
Amukelo didn't even have time to think. He pushed himself up with everything he had, no longer caring about the noise, no longer trying to be cautious. It had already seen him. There was no point in hiding anymore. He had to run.
His feet pounded against the ground as he sprinted down the mountainside, his eyes locking onto the valley that connected to his own mountain. His mind worked quickly, assessing his options. If he could just get down, if he could lose it among the uneven terrain, he had a chance.
But as he ran, he could hear it behind him. And it was gaining.
He risked a glance over his shoulder, his breath catching in his throat as he saw just how fast it was.
"Ahh… how can this thing be so slow, then so fast now?" He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to go even faster, his legs burning as he pushed forward.
But no matter how fast he ran, it was closing in.
His stomach twisted, and he hissed between his teeth, muttering, "No way… now it's faster than I am?"