Ezra's feet pounded against the twisted, moss-covered forest floor, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the dense, eerie woods.
The trees towered overhead, their branches twisted and gnarled, casting strange shadows that seemed to reach out and grab at him as he ran.
The air was thick with the sickening stench of decay, and every step felt like he was sinking deeper into some nightmare he couldn't escape.
*What the hell?!* he thought, panic twisting in his chest as he glanced over his shoulder. Behind him lumbered four hulking monstrosities, each one uglier and more grotesque than the last.
Their bodies were covered in patches of mangled flesh, their skin sickly and mottled with hues of green and gray, like rotting corpses brought back to life.
Their limbs were too long, ending in claws that scraped against the ground, tearing up chunks of earth as they thundered after him.
*Where the hell am I?* Ezra's mind raced, his eyes darting around desperately for an escape. *Damn it, these things are trying to kill me!*
One of the monsters let out a guttural roar, a sound so deep and monstrous it shook the air around him, making Ezra's heart skip a beat. Its mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged, yellowed teeth dripping with saliva.
The others followed suit, their grotesque, misshapen heads bobbing as they closed in, eyes burning with a primal hunger.
Ezra pushed himself harder, weaving between the twisted trees, his breath ragged as he tried to outrun them.
His legs ached, every muscle burning, but he couldn't stop. Not here. Not now.
Just ahead, he spotted a small, dark opening in the side of a rock face—a cave. Without a second thought, he dove inside, stumbling as he ducked into the shadows.
The monsters skidded to a halt just outside, growling and scratching at the entrance, their massive bodies too large to fit through the narrow opening. For a brief moment, Ezra felt a flicker of relief.
But his reprieve was short-lived. Blood trickled down his arm, dripping from a deep cut on his side, staining his shirt and blazer.
He pulled his blazer off, grimacing as he wrapped it tightly around the wound, pressing down hard to staunch the bleeding.
"Shit..."he muttered under his breath, wincing from the pain. "I need to get this cut looked at before I bleed out."
He leaned against the cold, damp wall of the cave, catching his breath. Every inch of him ached, his body screaming from the strain and the pain of the wound.
A wave of frustration surged through him as he clenched his fists, his mind flashing back to the monster that had thrown him into this hellscape. "When I find that bastard who did this… I'm gonna kill him," he thought, fury blazing in his eyes.
Outside, the monsters snarled, their clawed hands reaching into the cave's mouth, scraping against the stone in a sickening screech. Their eyes gleamed in the dim light, fixed on Ezra, their mouths gaping hungrily as they tried to force their way in.
Ezra's grip tightened on his sword, his resolve hardening. "Whatever this place is… whatever these things are... I'm not going down without a fight."
Ezra jolted awake, his heart hammering in his chest as he looked around. Shit, I fell asleep, he muttered, grabbing his sword and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
He blinked, noticing the cold, damp darkness of the cave around him, a low, echoing sound drifting from somewhere deep within.
He took a breath and began moving cautiously toward the source of the sound, his eyes narrowing as he stepped further into the shadows.
The deeper he went, the louder and more distinct the noise became—an unsettling mixture of scraping and rumbling, like the shifting of old bones or the dragging of chains on stone.
I really need to know where I am... and what's up with these dead things chasing me, he thought. His pulse quickened as he crept forward, each step bringing him closer to the source of the dreadful sound.
Then he stopped, feeling a cold wave of dread wash over him as he looked up.
Hanging from the cave ceiling, upside-down like some horrific bat, was a creature unlike any he had ever seen. Massive wings stretched out from its back, covered in leathery folds and more than a dozen eyes, each one pulsating with an ominous glow, darting independently across the cave in every direction.
The eyes seemed to stare straight into his soul, their sinister intelligence weighing and judging him.
As Ezra stared, the creature's head tilted, its face an eyeless void save for a massive, gaping mouth. Rows of jagged, uneven teeth filled its twisted grin, gleaming like shards of polished bone. The monster's grin widened, stretching far too wide, as if savoring his terror.
Ezra took a shaky breath. Can't I get a damn break? he thought, but the words faded in his mind as he realized something was different about this creature. It radiated an overpowering presence, each glance of its twitching eyes brimming with malice.
Without warning, the monster dropped from the ceiling, landing just inches from Ezra. Its wings spread wide, grotesque and vast, each leathery flap echoing through the cavern. Broken chains hung from its wings, twisted and rusty, clanging with each movement as though mocking him. They whipped in eerie, unnatural motions, snapping toward him with a life of their own, and every jolt of the creature's muscles rippled through its distorted form, giving it an unnervingly jerky, unnatural grace.
"S-SO TELL ME, HUMAN," the creature bellowed, its voice resonating deep within his bones. Its neck bent forward, bringing its horrific face inches from Ezra's, the rancid stench of decay filling his nose. "AREN'T YOU SCARED?" Its mouth opened wider, rows of teeth glinting in the darkness as it prepared to snap down and tear his head clean off.