The darkness of the forest was suffocating, but Lucian stayed still, perched on the thick branch. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his muscles ached from remaining frozen in place for hours. Every creak of the trees and whisper of leaves set his nerves on edge. He replayed the earlier encounter in his mind, the grotesque creature's jerking movements and massive head haunting him.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of the broken sword sheathed at his side. He couldn't stay here forever, but moving meant risking everything. He needed food, water, and a safe place to recover, but in this pitch-black abyss, survival itself felt like an impossible gamble.
Hours crept by in agonizing silence. His eyes, now accustomed to the darkness, scanned the immediate vicinity. He hadn't seen or heard the clicking noise for some time, but the oppressive atmosphere kept him on edge. Resolving to do something, Lucian passed a sliver of mana into his bracelet, opening the dimensional storage. The familiar glow was a small comfort.
The contents were grim: two clear mind potions, five sleep potions, fifteen empty vials, and two cheap swords. No food. No water.
He cursed his lack of preparation, gripping the bracelet tightly. Eldric was right to make me wear this damn thing, he thought. Even though he had hated the bracelet at first, he owed his survival to it. Picking up one of the swords, he replaced the broken one in its sheath. I need to move, he resolved. I can't waste my energy sitting here.
Taking a deep breath, Lucian invoked Blinding Radiance for a brief moment, illuminating the ground below. The forest floor appeared clear of immediate threats, and he began descending the massive tree, using wind to soften his movements. The faint orb of light trailing behind him cast eerie shadows against the trees, and every step felt like a gamble.
The dense vegetation and uneven terrain made the ground treacherous. Lucian stepped carefully, each sound of snapping twigs making his pulse quicken. He moved slowly, occasionally casting Blinding Radiance to survey his surroundings. The flashes revealed gnarled roots, towering trees, and the faint glow of unnatural flora. He made mental notes of his direction, driven by the hope of finding water or food.
Hours stretched into an eternity as Lucian trudged onward. Whispers and faint noises surrounded him, and he deliberately avoided their sources, veering away with quiet determination. His mana reserves dwindled as he kept his body warm and enhanced his senses to navigate the hostile environment. He needed rest.
Spotting a formation of large rocks, Lucian staggered toward them and collapsed. His muscles screamed in relief as he leaned back, finally allowing himself a moment of respite. His eyelids grew heavy, and despite his best efforts, he succumbed to exhaustion, drifting into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Raindrops woke him hours later, cool and soothing against his face. He blinked, groggy but strangely refreshed. For the first time in what felt like forever, he hadn't been plagued by headaches or nightmares. Looking up, the faint patter of rain filtered through the canopy above.
"About time something went my way," he muttered, smirking weakly.
Opening his bracelet, Lucian pulled out the empty vials and began filling them with rainwater. With a resigned sigh, he emptied the sleep potions to make room for more water. He couldn't afford the luxury of keeping non-essential items anymore. The clear mind potions, however, remained untouched.
Drinking his fill, Lucian felt a faint flicker of hope. The rain rejuvenated him, and he reinforced his body with mana to shield himself from further downpour. With renewed energy, he pressed on.
Days passed, and the forest became his relentless adversary. Lucian's body was caked in dirt, his face hollow with exhaustion. He trudged through narrow, suffocating paths, the vegetation so dense it scraped against his skin with every step.
Memories of grotesque creatures haunted him—an eight-legged hound pack feasting on carcasses, a monstrous wailing figure resembling a crying human, and a hideous beast oozing darkness with no discernible shape or form. He had avoided them all, barely surviving by masking his scent with dirt and evading their paths.
Now, his body screamed for rest, but the endless darkness offered no respite. Tripping over something on the ground, Lucian cursed under his breath. Pulling his light orb close, he froze.
It was a body.
Lucian's heart sank as he recognized the red hair and delicate features. Celeste Morven. She was barely breathing, her body battered and frail. Panic surged through him. He wasn't sure if she could survive, but he couldn't leave her here. Not after everything.
Damn it, why now? he thought, his mind racing. He knelt beside her, checking her pulse. It was faint, but there. That was enough.
Carefully, he lifted her onto his shoulders. She felt alarmingly light, her weight almost negligible. He reinforced his body with mana, bracing himself for the journey ahead. Finding a safe place was now more urgent than ever.
"Hang on, Celeste," Lucian whispered, his voice steady despite his fear. "You're going to be okay."
He moved with purpose, every step calculated as he searched for a clearing. Celeste's shallow breaths were the only sound accompanying him.
The forest stretched endlessly before him, but Lucian's resolve hardened. He didn't know if he could save her, but he would try.
In the dim glow of the orb Lucian had propped on a nearby branch, he bent over Celeste's frail body, her face pale and sunken. He gently slapped her cheeks, hoping to stir any sign of life.
"Come on," he muttered.
But there was no response. Her body remained limp, her breaths shallow. He laid a hand on her neck, startled by the burning heat of her skin, yet her body shivered uncontrollably. She was caught in a vicious loop—burning from fever but trembling as though freezing.
Lucian grabbed one of the few vials of water he had left and carefully poured its contents into her mouth. She swallowed instinctively, though her expression remained lifeless. Setting the empty vial aside, Lucian placed a hand over her chest, feeling her faint mana flow. She wasn't circulating mana to keep herself warm, something he realized could lead to her death if left untreated.
With a deep sigh, he decided to share his own mana, pressing his palm lightly against her shoulder. It was risky—foreign mana was usually rejected instinctively by the body—but it was the only thing he could do.
He channeled a steady stream of warmth into her. To his surprise, her body accepted his mana with ease. No resistance, no rejection. Her shivering began to subside slightly, though her face remained flushed.
A faint smile crossed his lips. "Guess you want to live, huh?" he murmured. "If that's the case, I'll do what I can to help."
The next few days were grueling. Lucian stayed by Celeste's side, tending to her with an unwavering focus. He rationed the remaining water, using three more vials to keep her hydrated while sustaining himself. Food, however, was an entirely different battle.
Insects became his sole source of sustenance. At first, the idea repulsed him, but desperation pushed him beyond his limits. Eating his first grasshopper was a gut-wrenching experience, but he forced himself to continue. He couldn't afford to let hunger dull his senses, not when they were surrounded by danger.
"You'd better be grateful for this," he muttered one evening, as he roasted a particularly fat beetle over a makeshift flame. "I don't even like touching people, let alone babysitting someone."
Despite his grumbling, he kept Celeste clean, wiping away sweat and dirt from her skin. Her condition began improving—slowly, but noticeably. The fever subsided, and her breathing steadied. Lucian felt a flicker of relief, though it was overshadowed by growing worry. His water supply was dwindling, now down to just seven vials.
"Wake up soon, Celeste," he whispered, looking at her pale face. "We need to move. I can't keep this up much longer."
Five days after Lucian had found her, Celeste's eyes fluttered open. She blinked groggily, her gaze meeting the dim light of the orb before landing on Lucian.
"Thank God," she rasped, her voice hoarse. "I finally found someone. We need to leave this place. It's not safe."
Lucian didn't respond. He simply stared at her, his expression hard and unrelenting. His lips curled into a scowl, anger and contempt radiating from his eyes.
Celeste froze, her relief replaced by confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lucian's voice was low, his tone sharp. "Eleven."
"What?" she asked, sitting up cautiously, though her body still felt weak.
"The number of water vials I used to keep you alive," Lucian said coldly. "Prepare yourself, because I'm going to work you to the ground."
Celeste gulped, her throat dry despite the water he had given her. She recognized that look in his eyes now—it was the same greedy, menacing glare she'd seen in demons.
For the first time in her life, she was genuinely afraid of someone other than Gareth.