Kael hit the ground with a jarring thud. His body, still raw from the strange transition into this new reality, crumpled onto a forest floor blanketed in damp, decaying leaves. He coughed, the earthy scent of moss and rot thick in his lungs, and his vision swam with the aftershock of the violent entry. Darkness stretched all around him, thick and oppressive, as if the air itself sought to choke out what little hope remained.
He forced himself to his feet, wobbling slightly, his limbs aching. The void felt like a distant nightmare now, but his current reality wasn't much better. Above him, the dense canopy blotted out the sky, casting the forest in a perpetual twilight. Faint tendrils of mist clung to the trunks of gnarled trees, twisting and turning in unnatural patterns.
"This is… the trial?" Kael muttered, his voice hoarse.
He scanned the forest around him, trying to get his bearings, but there was no landmark to guide him, no clear path. Only shadows.
His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. He had no idea where he was, what he was supposed to do, or what dangers lurked in the gloom. His thoughts raced, cycling through memories that weren't there, answers that refused to surface.
A low, guttural growl echoed from somewhere in the distance.
Kael froze, every instinct screaming at him to stay still. His breath hitched, and he strained his ears, trying to locate the source of the sound. The forest seemed to shift, as if it were alive, the leaves rustling with a soft, eerie breeze. But there was no wind.
Another growl. Closer this time.
Kael's blood ran cold. His eyes darted around, searching the shadows. Then he saw it—slipping between the trees, moving with an unnatural grace. A creature, its form barely visible in the dim light, sleek and predatory. It crept closer, its yellow eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
Kael's heart hammered against his ribs. He couldn't make out all of its features, but he could see enough to know it was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Its body was long and sinuous, like a great cat, but its silhouette was distorted, wrong. Six tails swayed behind it, each one tipped with wicked-looking spikes that gleamed faintly in the dim light. The creature's shoulders rippled with muscle, its sleek black fur blending seamlessly with the shadows.
It was a hunter. And Kael was its prey.
The creature lowered itself, readying to strike, its eyes locked onto Kael with an almost casual malice. Time seemed to slow, and for a brief, horrifying moment, Kael felt the weight of his own insignificance. He had no weapons, no plan, no power. He wasn't ready for this.
Not even close.
His legs moved before his mind could catch up, the instinct to survive overriding everything else. Kael sprinted into the forest, the underbrush whipping against his legs as he plunged into the darkness. He didn't look back—he couldn't. The growl behind him grew louder, more savage, and he knew the creature was giving chase.
His lungs burned as he pushed himself harder, feet pounding against the earth. But no matter how fast he ran, the creature was faster. Its growls grew louder, closer, until he could almost feel its breath on the back of his neck.
Then something strange happened. As Kael ran, the exhaustion that had begun to grip his body… lifted. His muscles, which had been straining moments ago, now felt as though they were being fueled by some unseen force. The more he moved, the more energy surged through him, as though something inside him was pulling from the very air around him, pushing him forward.
Whatever that meant, something was happening—keeping him from collapsing, from succumbing to the weight of his own weakness.
But even that wasn't enough. The creature was relentless. Kael could hear its claws tearing into the earth, feel its presence closing in on him with terrifying speed. He needed to escape—now.
He burst through a thicket of brambles, the branches tearing at his skin, and skidded to a stop at the edge of a small clearing. His heart sank as he saw what waited ahead—a hill, its surface steep and jagged, leading to a narrow ledge halfway up. There was an opening—an alcove, just out of reach. His only chance.
Kael's mind raced. If he could reach it, he might have a shot at survival. But the hill was sheer, and the creature was almost upon him.
Behind him, the creature burst through the trees, its glowing eyes fixed on him with predatory focus. Its six tails lashed through the air, the spikes gleaming wickedly. The creature let out a roar—half fury, half hunger—and lunged.
Kael bolted, his legs burning as he sprinted toward the hill. He could feel the creature closing in, could almost sense the moment its claws would sink into his flesh.
But before it could strike, a thunderous roar tore through the forest, shaking the very air.
Kael's breath caught in his throat as he stumbled to a halt. He turned, his eyes widening in disbelief.
A massive figure loomed from the shadows, its form monstrous, grotesque—a towering beast that dwarfed the creature. The thing was part bear, part nightmare, with four hulking arms and a maw lined with teeth like jagged blades. Its arms ended not in paws but in long, curved scythe-shaped claws, each one glinting in the darkness. The hellish abomination moved with terrifying speed, its immense weight barely slowing it down.
The creature snarled, its hackles raised, but the abomination was unfazed. It lunged forward, its scythe-like arms sweeping in a brutal arc. The creature tried to leap back, but it was too late—the abomination's scythes struck with devastating force, tearing through the smaller creature in a single, savage blow.
Kael watched, frozen in horror, as the dark creature crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The monstrous abomination turned its attention toward Kael, its eyes gleaming with something primal and furious. It let out a roar, the sound shaking the very trees, and began lumbering toward him with terrifying purpose.
Kael's blood turned to ice. There was no time to think. He turned and sprinted toward the hill, his legs moving purely on instinct. His feet slipped on the uneven ground, but he pushed himself harder, grabbing onto rocks and roots as he scrambled up the steep incline.
The abomination roared again, its massive claws tearing into the ground as it tried to follow. Kael could feel the vibrations in the earth as it approached, but its size was working against it—the abomination couldn't climb as easily. Its scythes gouged the earth as it attempted to haul itself upward, but the weight of its own bulk caused it to slide back down the hill with a frustrated growl.
Kael's arms burned as he clawed his way toward the ledge, the rough stone biting into his palms. His muscles screamed in protest, but he couldn't stop—not now. His fingers brushed against the edge of the alcove, but his grip slipped, and for a terrifying moment, he thought he might fall.
But he didn't.
With a final surge of effort, Kael dragged himself over the ledge and collapsed into the alcove, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. His entire body trembled with exhaustion, every muscle screaming in protest.
Below him, the abomination let out another furious roar, its scythes scraping uselessly against the hillside. It tried to climb again, but each time it slid back down, its weight working against it. After several failed attempts, the abomination let out a final snarl and lumbered back into the forest, its heavy footsteps echoing into the distance.
Kael lay on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling of the alcove, his heart still pounding in his chest. He had made it. Barely.
His lips twisted into a grim, humorless smile.
"So," he muttered to himself between ragged breaths,
"This is how it begins. Shoved into some cursed forest… chased by demons… and now, I'm stuck in a hole."
He let out a bitter laugh, though it came out more like a wheeze.
"Couldn't be worse."
But even as the words left his lips, he knew better than to tempt fate.