The forest greeted Grey with a surprising beauty. The trees stretched high into the sky, their leaves glistening under the sunlight. A soft breeze rustled through the branches, carrying with it the sweet scent of pine and blooming wildflowers. The path ahead was dappled with sunlight, and the gentle crunch of leaves underfoot was the only sound in the serene surroundings.
For a moment, Grey allowed himself to admire the natural beauty around him. The villagers had warned him of lurking dangers, but there was nothing here to suggest the presence of monsters. Instead, it felt like walking through a place forgotten by time, untouched by the fears of the outside world.
"Hard to believe this place is dangerous," Grey mused to himself, his voice low as he moved further into the depths of the forest. "Still… best not to get complacent."
Though he felt no immediate sense of danger, his instincts remained sharp. He had been through too much in his previous life to underestimate the unknown. His hand brushed the hilt of his sword again, a small comfort as the shadows lengthened ever so slightly under the canopy of trees.
He walked with purpose, his steps steady and sure. The path ahead wound deeper into the forest, leading him toward the city, toward his goal. But as beautiful as the forest was, Grey knew that the quicker route often came with greater risks.
As the afternoon sun began its slow descent, casting longer shadows on the path ahead, Grey couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. The air seemed to shift, ever so slightly. The breeze that had once felt refreshing now carried with it an unfamiliar weight.
He stopped in his tracks, frowning. "Something doesn't feel right."
The forest, once calm and serene, had taken on a more ominous tone. There was no sound, no movement, but Grey could feel it. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and the hair on the back of his neck prickled with the undeniable sense of danger. His instincts—sharp and honed from years of combat—screamed at him to move, to run. And though there was no visible threat, he trusted those instincts.
He sped up.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound of his boots breaking twigs and leaves seemed unnaturally loud in the silence. Grey's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword, every step calculated. He hadn't seen anything yet, but he knew something was out there. Stalking him. Playing with him.
And then,
—whoosh—
like a knife slicing through the quiet, a breeze passed over him, but this wind was different. It wasn't the gentle caress of nature. It carried weight.
He unsheathed his sword in a fluid motion, the familiar weight of the blade grounding him.
Shing!
The metallic sound echoed through the trees, but that was when he felt it—like a dagger pressing into his spine.
Bloodlust.
It poured from behind him, thick and suffocating. Grey's pulse spiked, his body reacting before his mind fully caught up. Without looking back, he broke into a run.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
His feet pounded against the forest floor, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat thundering in his ears. But behind him.
—thump… thump… thump—
heavy footsteps, slow but relentless, matched his pace. He didn't dare turn to look, but he could feel it closing in. The creature wasn't in a rush. It was toying with him, savoring the fear in the air.
Grey's breath came in sharp bursts, his heart racing, but his mind remained sharp. He knew this game. He had been the prey before, and every fiber of his being screamed that the monster following him wasn't just any predator. It was an abomination in every sense of the word.
Creak… snap…
The trees groaned as the thing moved through the forest, unseen but unmistakable. The sheer weight of its presence made the ground tremble slightly with each step.
Grey's knuckles whitened around his sword hilt. He had faced creatures before, but this—this was different. His instinct told him that looking back might seal his fate, but not knowing what lurked behind him was gnawing at his nerves.
Another snap. Another groan of wood under heavy weight.
He ran faster.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The abomination's pace quickened, closing the distance. A low, rumbling growl rippled through the air, deep and menacing. It was close now, so close that Grey could almost feel its breath on the back of his neck.
There was no escape.
Grey spotted a small clearing up ahead, his mind racing as he adjusted his strategy. Running wasn't going to save him. The moment he stopped moving, the beast would be upon him. He needed to fight, but he needed to fight on his terms. He could feel the creature's malice licking at his heels, but he refused to die here, cornered like an animal.
His steps faltered slightly as he turned, taking cover behind a cluster of boulders.
Thump… thump…
The ground trembled as the creature drew closer, its hulking form still out of sight but its presence looming.
Grey's back pressed against the cold stone, heart hammering in his chest. His grip tightened on his sword, the only weapon he had against this unseen terror. His breath slowed, focusing, sharpening. He wasn't going to run. Not anymore.
Thud...
The forest held its breath.
Then—CRASH!
A massive form broke through the trees, a shadow that seemed to consume the light. Grey's pulse quickened as he glimpsed it for the first time: a towering abomination, its grotesque body a mix of twisted muscle and jagged bone, its eyes glowing with malice. The creature's maw dripped with saliva, its fangs long and sharp enough to tear through steel.
The monster let out a guttural snarl.
—RRRRAAAHH!—
the sound reverberating through the forest like a death knell. Its bloodlust was palpable, hanging in the air like a shroud.