The oppressive darkness of the cursed forest weighed heavily on Lucian as he trudged forward, each step dragging him closer to exhaustion. His light orb illuminated the immediate area, pushing back the shadows but never banishing them. He had been walking toward the enigmatic black construct for days, but no matter how much ground he covered, it always seemed just out of reach. Worse, an ominous feeling of being watched constantly prickled at his senses. Something—or someone—was out there, lurking just beyond the reach of his light.
His paranoia had grown, fueled by the realization that if attacked, he couldn't rely on his sword's Crimson Trail skill without preparation. He cursed his vulnerability and pushed forward, exhaustion clawing at him. Every moment he wasn't walking, he practiced his family's arts, honing his wind blades and wind barrier. His progress was undeniable; he could now summon more blades with increased precision and power. He even felt the tantalizing edge of a breakthrough—the cusp of mastering his family's third art. It would significantly bolster his combat prowess, but for now, it remained just out of reach.
Stopping to rest, Lucian leaned against a tree. His body screamed for rest, but his mind refused to relax. The feeling of being watched had only grown stronger. Whoever—or whatever—it was, they were patient, keeping just out of sight. His light orb pushed back the immediate darkness, but the stalker moved in the periphery, always on the edge of his vision.
Finally, he'd had enough.
Lucian straightened, his body tense, and began charging seventy wind blades. The shimmering, translucent blades floated around him in a protective circle, their hum breaking the silence. He walked casually toward a tree, masking his intent, then abruptly hurled ten blades into the darkness. They sliced through the air, their whirring sound echoing briefly before silence fell again. No howl, no impact, no sound at all.
"What the hell?" he muttered, gripping the hilt of his sword. Frustrated, he swung it in a wide arc, activating Crimson Trail. Red streaks of energy formed a glowing barrier around him, cutting through the dim light like blood-stained fire.
"Whoever you are, come out!" he shouted, his voice reverberating in the still forest. "Next time, I won't be so kind."
He waited, every muscle taut, but no response came. His patience wore thin as his paranoia clawed at his mind. Closing his eyes, he focused inward, sharpening his intuition to pinpoint the stalker's location. Just as he was about to release the remaining sixty wind blades, a sound broke the silence—a faint rustle.
His eyes snapped open. Two amber orbs glowed in the darkness, watching him with an unnerving intensity. As the shadows shifted, the figure stepped into the light. Lucian's breath hitched.
It was the darkness-oozing monster.
"Shit," Lucian muttered under his breath, realization dawning on him. The same monster he had spared days ago now stood before him. His mercy had come back to haunt him.
The creature's amber eyes bore into him, unblinking, as if peering into his very soul. Darkness seeped from its form like a living shadow. Lucian tightened his grip on his sword, calming his mind. Fear was the enemy here; he couldn't afford mistakes.
He raised his hand, signaling the creature. "Come," he said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
The monster didn't charge. Instead, it opened its mouth, revealing jagged white teeth hidden in its dark shroud. Something dropped from its jaws, hitting the ground with a dull thud. It was a chunk of meat, crimson and raw.
Lucian's brow furrowed. "What the hell?" he muttered, his voice low with disbelief.
The monster didn't attack. Instead, it turned and melted back into the shadows, disappearing as silently as it had arrived.
For a moment, Lucian stood frozen, staring at the chunk of meat on the ground. Slowly, he approached, his sword still drawn, and inspected it. It was just meat—ordinary in appearance but utterly baffling in context.
"Why?" he muttered, his mind racing. Was this an act of gratitude? A peace offering? Or some twisted game?
Unwilling to leave it behind, he opened his bracelet's storage space and placed the meat inside. The bracelet froze time for its contents, ensuring the meat would remain fresh. He stood there for a while, pondering the creature's intentions, before deciding he couldn't afford to trust anything in this cursed forest—not even his own instincts.
The following days brought more confusion. Each night, the monster appeared, dropping chunks of meat before retreating into the shadows. At first, Lucian didn't dare touch the offerings, surviving instead on cooked insects stored in his bracelet. But after days of choking down the bitter, unappetizing food, temptation won out.
He started a fire, cooked a piece of the monster's meat, and cautiously took a bite. His eyes widened in shock as flavors exploded on his tongue. It was rich, tender, and savory—unlike anything he'd ever tasted.
"Tasty," he murmured, a small smile breaking through his exhaustion.
He ate slowly, savoring each bite. For the first time in days, he felt a glimmer of satisfaction.
After eating, Lucian sat by a dim light orb he had conjured, leaning back against the rough bark of a twisted tree. His battered clothes clung to his body, torn and filthy from days of relentless struggle. After finishing a meager meal from his storage bracelet—a luxury he hadn't enjoyed in weeks—he finally felt his body surrendering to exhaustion.
His head drooped, and his thoughts blurred into a haze. "Damn it… not now," he muttered, but the weight of his fatigue was too much. Lucian hadn't slept in nearly a week, constantly on edge and paranoia.
As his consciousness slipped away, the forest seemed to breathe around him, its ancient darkness shifting like a living entity.
Something rustled.
Out from the shadows stepped a creature, its amber eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. Darkness clung to its form like a living shroud, writhing and retreating as if unwilling to release its hold. As the shadows peeled away, its body was revealed—massive and hauntingly majestic, reminiscent of a lion but with an otherworldly twist. White, scale-like plates shimmered faintly across its muscular frame, reflecting the dim light with an eerie glow. Its oversized paws, now fully visible, moved with an unsettling silence, leaving no trace of its presence despite its sheer size.
It padded closer to Lucian, its breath misting in the cold air. The sharp, jagged teeth glinted in the faint glow of the orb as its jaws hovered mere inches from Lucian's face.
But instead of attacking, the beast hesitated.
It drew back. Then, in a motion that belied its fearsome appearance, it lowered itself beside Lucian's unconscious form.
The amber eyes scanned the dark forest, watching intently for any signs of danger. The monster stayed there, a silent sentinel in the night, guarding the very person it had once hunted.
Unseen by all, the threads of fate began to tighten. The allied forces prepared for war against the demons, while the demons set their sinister plans into motion. Yet, amidst these shifting pieces, in the heart of the cursed forest, a boy teetering on the brink of survival was unknowingly becoming the centerpiece of a larger, darker game.