~North Forest- Hackett Town, Tekisu District~
Caleb trudges through the dense forest, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he pushes forward. The trees tower above him, their branches intertwining to form a thick canopy that blocks out most of the light. The deeper he goes, the darker and more foreboding the forest becomes. Every step takes him further into the unknown, and the familiar sounds of the village fade into an eerie silence. He had passed the Old Faro Mill some time ago—a dilapidated structure that marked the furthest point he had ever ventured before. But he couldn't turn back now; he knew Noah was further ahead, lost somewhere in this dark and twisted wilderness.
"Sorry, Mom, but I can't keep my promise this time," Caleb murmurs to himself, his voice barely audible over the crunch of leaves and snapping of twigs underfoot. Even though he's alone, he feels the need to speak the words aloud, as if his apology might somehow reach his mother through the whispering wind. The oppressive atmosphere begins to weigh on him, the shadows closing in, and for the first time, he starts to feel truly afraid. "Calm down, Caleb," he mutters, trying to steady his nerves. "There's nothing to fear."
"Are you sure about that?"
The voice comes out of nowhere, cutting through the silence like a knife and sending a chill down Caleb's spine. He whips around, eyes wide with fear, but sees nothing. The trees stand tall and silent, the underbrush undisturbed. But then the voice breaks out again, this time with a trickster's laugh, echoing eerily in the stillness. "My, what a disadvantage you face. I can see you, but you can't see me. How scary."
"Who's there?!" Caleb shouts, his voice trembling despite his effort to sound brave. "Show yourself, coward!"
"A coward? Who?" The voice, now directly behind him, is so close that Caleb can feel the warm breath against the back of his neck. Panic seizes him, freezing him in place. He can't bring himself to turn around, to confront whatever is lurking behind him. "Hmm, I'm the coward, yet you're too paralyzed to even look back."
Caleb's breath hitches as he feels an arm wrap around his chest, the grip firm and unyielding, while another hand lightly grips his neck, the touch cold and threatening. "I could snap your neck with a simple flick," the voice whispers, dangerously low, "and then eat your flesh with minimal bites. I wouldn't even spare your bones." The man's mouth is so close to Caleb's ear that he can feel the brush of lips against his skin as the voice hisses, "Now, tell me again, boy—who's the coward?"
Caleb's courage evaporates in an instant, replaced by a cold, paralyzing fear. He begins to tremble, his voice shaking as he stammers out, "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. You seem like a very cool person. Also, I—I'm sure I wouldn't taste very good to you."
The man lets out a laugh, a sound that is both mocking and sinister. "Oh, that's what I thought. How quickly humans lose their resolve when faced with death. How weak." With that, he releases Caleb, and just as suddenly as he had appeared, he seems to vanish without a trace.
Caleb collapses to his knees, clutching his chest in a reflexive reaction to the terror that had just gripped him. He darts his head around, desperately searching for any sign of the unsettling man, but sees nothing—just the dark, silent forest. "Did he leave?" Caleb whispers to himself, his voice barely more than a breath. Slowly, he begins to calm down, his heartbeat gradually returning to normal. He forces himself to his feet, taking a deep breath. "I lucked out with that one," he says aloud, trying to reassure himself. "Whatever he was, he obviously wasn't that scary after all. I can't even believe I got so scared." He lets out a nervous laugh, his voice shaking. "What a loser. He—"
His words are cut off as he is suddenly yanked off the ground, propelled upwards with terrifying speed until he's hanging upside down, high above the forest floor. "What the—" Caleb starts to say, but the words are ripped from his mouth as he is whisked to the side and then tossed through the air. The force that had been holding him releases him mid-flight, and he plummets toward the ground, a scream tearing from his throat as he braces for impact. But just before he hits the ground, the invisible force catches him again, hurling him back and forth like a rag doll, as if unseen hands are playing a cruel game of catch with his body.
Finally, Caleb is left suspended in midair, his limbs held fast by something that grips him with unrelenting strength. He quickly realizes that it's not a person holding him, but vines—thick, twisted vines that have sprung from the surrounding trees, binding him in place. He struggles against them, but they tighten their hold, stretching his limbs painfully as he shouts, "What's happening? Let me go!"
A shadowy figure emerges from the darkness, steadily approaching Caleb while riding a massive vine as if it were a crane. The figure stops directly in front of Caleb, an amused grin spreading across his face. "Did you really think I was going to let you go just like that, boy?" the man sneers, his voice dripping with malice. "Obviously, I was toying with you. I wanted to get you to underestimate me, to let your guard down. I wanted you to think you were safe again, so that I could slash that hope and leave you in constant terror as I play with you. You should also understand—I don't play nicely. You've yet to see what this 'loser' can really do. Prepare yourself, weakling."
The vines tighten their grip on Caleb's limbs, pulling harder until the discomfort turns to searing pain. Caleb groans in agony, his voice breaking as he begs, "Please, stop! I'll never speak poorly of you again. So please, let me go! Please, it hurts!" But the vines show no mercy, pulling harder still, stretching him to his limit. He feels as if his limbs might tear from their sockets at any moment.
The man's laugh is low and sinister as he finally pulls back his hood, revealing his true appearance. His hair is oak-colored, hanging long on one side while buzzed short on the other. His eyes are a vivid moss green, but the pupils are elongated and thin, like a reptile's. His tan skin is marred by the sun, and his nails are sharp, more like claws than anything human. His teeth are pointed, gleaming in the dim light, and despite his wild, almost animalistic appearance, he's dressed in camouflage pants and a matching jacket, clearly prepared for the wilderness. "Having fun yet?" he taunts, his grin widening to reveal even more of those sharp teeth.
"No! It hurts! Please, forgive me! I'll never tarnish your name again, I swear! Stop it!" Caleb's voice is hoarse with desperation, the pain becoming unbearable.
"It's too late for that, boy," the man snarls, raising one clawed hand as his face begins to morph, revealing more of his monstrous form. "I'm going to tear you apart and eat you, limb by limb!" He lunges forward, ready to strike, and Caleb screams at the top of his lungs, certain that this is the end.
But before the man can land his blow, a blinding light erupts between them, so intense that Caleb has to squeeze his eyes shut against it. The vines around his limbs instantly shrivel and wither, releasing him as the man curses, "Damn!"
Caleb falls to the ground with a thud, gasping for breath. His heart races as he looks up, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. The light has vanished as quickly as it appeared, and he blinks in confusion, trying to make sense of the situation. His eyes catch movement, and he looks up to see another figure standing where the sinister man had been just moments before. This new figure moves with the speed of light, radiating a powerful yellow aura that seems to draw energy from the sun itself. The sinister man stumbles backward, clearly on the defensive as the new arrival presses the attack.
The battle is over almost as quickly as it began. The nature-wielding man is sent plummeting to the ground, and the light fades, leaving Caleb disoriented and confused. It takes him a moment to realize that he's falling again, having been tossed into the air during the skirmish. Panic surges through him as he flails wildly, screaming, "Help me! Anyone! Please help! I don't want to die!"
But just as he's certain he's about to hit the ground, he feels strong arms catch him. The world spins around him as he's whisked away, moving so fast that everything becomes a blur. When he's finally set down, he's on solid ground, though completely confused and disoriented.
As he struggles to get his bearings, a figure approaches him, moving with a calm, almost serene grace. Caleb tenses, fear still gripping him, but as the figure gets closer, he feels an inexplicable sense of peace. His vision clears, and he sees that this man likely means him no harm at all. The man starts to approach him. He wears a white and gold hooded cloak, though the hood isn't up, so Caleb is able to see his stark white hair and crystal blue eyes clearly. He feels incredibly safe.