In the heart of a dark forest, the night sky cast a mesmerizing glow, illuminating the dense canopy with a silvery sheen. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, creating an ethereal dance of shadows on the forest floor. Amidst this serene beauty lay a young man, no older than sixteen, his lifeless body sprawled on the ground. His stomach was gruesomely ruptured, a testament to the viciousness of his killer. The expression of sheer horror frozen on his face revealed that his final moments were filled with unimaginable terror, offering no solace in death.
The scene was fresh, the air still heavy with the metallic scent of blood, indicating that the murder had occurred not long ago. Suddenly, in a macabre twist, the spilled blood began to move, defying the natural order. It slithered across the forest floor like a living entity, converging towards the young man's body. As the blood re-entered his wounds, the gaping tear in his abdomen started to close, the flesh knitting itself back together until his body was restored to its pristine condition.
Suddenly, the young man's eyes fluttered open, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as he was jolted back to life. Tears welled up in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks in a torrent of emotion. "Emma… why?" he whispered into the stillness of the forest, his voice cracking with anguish. He was alone, surrounded only by the silent trees and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures.
His mind raced, replaying the memories of that fateful day. "If you wanted me to die so badly, why save me that day?" he continued, his voice rising in desperation. The tears flowed freely now, each drop a testament to his inner turmoil. He clutched his chest, feeling the phantom pain of the wound that had just miraculously healed.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, as if listening to his sorrow. The moonlight bathed him in a soft glow, highlighting the raw emotion etched on his face. He struggled to his feet, his legs trembling beneath him. The weight of his unanswered questions bore down on him, making each step feel like a monumental effort.
"Emma," he called out again, his voice echoing through the trees. "Why did you save me, only to leave me in this torment?" His heart ached with the confusion and betrayal he felt.
And that's when it hit him. How was he still able to think, to speak, to move? Shouldn't he be dead? He asked himself these questions, his mind racing. As he took a proper look at his surroundings, he realized he was in a forest of some kind. The questions swirling in his mind momentarily halted his tears.
While he was contemplating his situation, a deafening roar shattered the silence, jolting him from his thoughts. He looked forward and saw a monstrosity like never before. This creature didn't seem like the type of animal one would see on Earth. It stood on four muscular legs, each ending in razor-sharp claws that dug into the forest floor. Its body was covered in scales that shimmered with an eerie, iridescent glow, reflecting the moonlight in a spectrum of colors. The creature's head was a grotesque amalgamation of features: it had the elongated snout of a crocodile, filled with rows of jagged teeth, and eyes that glowed a menacing red. From its back sprouted a pair of leathery wings, tattered and scarred, yet powerful enough to lift its massive frame. A long, barbed tail swished behind it, leaving deep gouges in the earth with every movement.
The beast's roar echoed through the forest, a sound that seemed to vibrate through his very bones. He felt a chill run down his spine as he locked eyes with the creature, its gaze filled with a predatory intelligence. The forest around him seemed to hold its breath, the nocturnal creatures falling silent in the presence of this otherworldly predator.
"Ahhhhh!" he shouted as the monstrous creature loomed over him. Little by little, the creature moved forward, its eyes locked onto him with a predatory gaze. Paralyzed by fear, he found it impossible to move a step. He felt that if he turned his back on this monstrosity, his head would be rolling on the ground in an instant.
"Is this how I die?" he thought, despair washing over him. "Once from heartbreak and now as a pathetic weakling." Different thoughts raced through his mind until finally, four small words left his mouth: "Someone, please save me."
Miraculously, just as those words escaped his lips, an arrow shot through the air, faster than a bullet and quicker than the eye could see. It pierced the head of the beast, but to his horror, the arrow didn't seem to break through the creature's skull. Instead, it only seemed to make the beast more enraged.
The creature let out a deafening roar, shaking the very ground beneath him. Its eyes burned with fury as it turned its attention towards the direction from which the arrow had come. He could see the arrow lodged in the beast's head, the shaft quivering with the force of the impact, but the creature remained undeterred.
He took a shaky step backward, his heart pounding in his chest. The forest around him seemed to close in, the shadows deepening as the beast advanced. He could hear the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, but all his senses were focused on the monstrosity before him.
Suddenly, another arrow whizzed through the air, this time striking the beast in its side. The creature snarled in pain, its movements becoming more erratic. He dared to hope that whoever was shooting these arrows might be able to save him.
"Over here!" a voice called out from the darkness. He turned his head, straining to see through the dense foliage. Two figures emerged, one had a bow in hand, the other had a great sword. Both had eyes steely with determination. "Stay back!" the girl with the bow shouted, nocking another arrow and taking aim at the beast.