The boy stood frozen, surrounded by the cold and the silence of the dead forest. What could be more terrifying than an enemy you know nothing about? His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts, but there was no time to reflect—the monster was closing in with every passing moment. Every part of him screamed one thing: run! But the boy knew that running was pointless. This monster would catch him in seconds, and that would be the end. He made a decision—maybe not the right one, but the only one that seemed logical: he would attack first.
Drawing a sharp breath through clenched teeth, he lifted his sword with both hands, gripping it so tightly that his fingers turned white. His body, weak from fear, suddenly awakened as adrenaline surged through him. He lunged forward, rushing at the creature with one final hope—to cut off its head and end this nightmare once and for all. As the boy closed the distance, an even greater panic seized him. The monster was far more terrifying up close than it had seemed from a distance. But there was no time to hesitate. The boy swung his sword with all his strength, aiming for the creature's head, and for a moment, he even thought he might land the blow.
But the monster moved with such speed that the boy didn't even register what had happened. The creature dodged, smoothly leaning to the right, as if it was a simple, effortless maneuver. The boy barely managed to stay on his feet and reflexively swung again, preparing for the next strike. But before he could do anything, the monster struck.
The boy was thrown several meters back, landing on the ground with a dull thud. The blow didn't seem fatal, but it was strong enough to paralyze him for a moment. It felt as if his limbs were about to be torn from his body, but that didn't happen. The creature didn't rush to finish him off; it seemed to be toying with him, savoring the moment. With great difficulty, the boy got back on his feet, still not quite believing he was alive. The blow hadn't been as strong as he had expected, and that slightly surprised him.
The monster still stood motionless, watching the boy with its empty, dead eyes. Both of them froze for a few seconds, the tension growing with each passing moment. Then, they moved toward each other again. This time, the boy decided to change his strategy: instead of aiming for the monster's neck, he targeted its body. He knew it wasn't the best option, but he had no other choice.
He swung his sword, aiming for the creature's arms. He hit. But… nothing happened. The blade slid across the monster's skin, leaving no mark. The boy didn't even have time to be surprised before another blow from the monster sent him flying again. But this time, he managed to partially dodge, jumping back, and the hit barely grazed him. The monster, too, seemed slightly surprised by this outcome.
The boy cautiously began to retreat, assessing the situation. He realized that simply attacking the creature's neck or body was pointless. As long as he prepared for strikes, the monster would easily dodge, or his attacks wouldn't have any effect. And yet, after two encounters, the fear that had initially paralyzed him was starting to be replaced by a growing sense of confidence. Fear no longer gripped him as tightly as before. He began to believe that he could win.
And then, everything suddenly changed.
The monster, which had been nearly motionless up until that moment, suddenly tilted its head. Its eyes flared with a bright red light, and a deep growl, barely noticeable before, began to echo through the forest. The growl grew louder with each passing second, as if the monster was descending into madness. The boy didn't know what had triggered such fury, but he understood one thing: the monster was now angrier than ever.
Without wasting any time, the creature charged at him. And in that moment, all of the boy's newfound confidence crumbled like a house of cards. Fear took over once again. It seemed to him that as soon as the monster got close—he would be dead. But the boy was no longer in an open field. Without realizing it earlier, he had ended up among the trees, their trunks intertwined in a chaotic mess. Here, he felt more confident. The monster wouldn't be able to use its speed as effectively in this dense area.
The creature, driven by blind rage, paid no attention to its surroundings, charging forward and smashing trees with its powerful arms. But even it struggled to move through the thick undergrowth. The boy knew this well, having felt the monster's strength firsthand. Its blows, though strong, didn't possess the overwhelming destructive power he had anticipated. Perhaps the monster was more fear than an actual threat.
But his thoughts were interrupted as the monster finally broke through the trees and lunged at him. The boy was ready. He swung his sword again, aiming for the neck. This time, it seemed impossible for the creature to dodge. But the monster was faster once more. Its blow reached the boy a fraction of a second before his own. Once again, he was thrown back, this time crashing into a tree. The boy barely had time to open his eyes before he heard the creature rushing toward him, preparing to deliver the final blow.
With every strike, every time the boy was slammed into trees or the ground, the world around him dissolved into a blur of pain and despair. It felt as if he was trapped in an endless hell, with the monster merely tormenting him. But he didn't give up, clutching his sword even in his weakest moments. He understood one thing: as long as he was alive, there was a chance. In this world, you could survive anything but death.
And then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The ground beneath him began to tremble, and the monster abruptly halted. The boy slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the expression on the creature's face. Fear. The monster was consumed by fear, but it wasn't looking at the boy—it was staring at something behind him.
The boy didn't immediately realize what was happening, but then the sudden realization struck him. He turned around and saw a massive figure—another creature, standing on four powerful legs, towering as tall as the mountains. He didn't even have time to react before the ground beneath him began to crack. And in the next moment, both he and his enemy plunged into a dark abyss, with no end in sight...