While the people who had brought him here either fled for their lives or perished, Mike continued walking toward the dark forest ahead, still intent on following the same direction the magical car and the golden point had disappeared. It took him several hours to reach the edge of the forest, but when he finally arrived at the towering dark trees, he looked up at the sky and realized the sun was beginning to set.
Realizing he didn't have much daylight left, Mike faced an important decision. He could stay in the grassy field where he currently was, but considering he had nothing but the clothes on his back, the cold, the lack of food, and the absence of shelter would be major challenges for his survival. Alternatively, he could venture into the forest and spend the night there. While it was undoubtedly risky since he had no idea what dangers lurked within, the forest would at least offer better chances of finding shelter and possibly some food.
Mike didn't have to think long to make his decision. Even though he hadn't learned much from the small village where he was born, thanks to his hunting trips with his father, he had learned how to survive in the wild. And as far as Mike knew, the key to surviving in nature was to be cautious but never afraid. With that mindset, Mike pressed forward and stepped into the dark forest without hesitation.
As Mike entered, sunlight barely filtered through the gaps in the towering treetops, casting the forest in near darkness. Yet the boy didn't slow his steps. Fully aware that he was now in an unknown and potentially dangerous environment, Mike kept moving in the direction the magical car had disappeared. In his mind, he needed to accomplish two objectives before nightfall rendered him blind: first, he had to find water and food; second, he needed to locate a safe place to spend the night.
CRACK!
The sound of wood snapping echoed in Mike's ears, instantly putting him on alert. Mike crouched slightly and kept moving forward. Although he was now walking more cautiously and scanning his surroundings, he didn't stop. For nearly an hour, he moved steadily forward as the last rays of sunlight filtering through the treetops vanished, plunging the forest into even deeper darkness. Despite this, Mike hadn't encountered any animals, though his ears were filled with the sounds of insects, birds, and other creatures he couldn't identify.
Ssshhh!
The sound of flowing water reached Mike's ears, and he quickly followed it. After walking a few meters, he spotted a small spring trickling over rocks and through the earth. Mike was about to rush over to quench his thirst, but he froze when a strange creature came into view.
'A magical beast!' Mike thought to himself as he watched the creature approach the spring to drink. It was small, walked on four legs, and had a body resembling that of a fox. However, the two small horns on its head and its fur, which was half icy blue and half fiery red, made it clear that this was no ordinary animal. Mike had no idea what kind of magical beast it was, let alone its level, but he was certain of one thing, there was no way he could face this beast and survive.
Holding his breath, Mike didn't move a muscle as he watched the small creature drink from the spring. In that moment, his father's warnings from his youth echoed in his mind: "Remember, the size of a magical beast doesn't determine its strength. Some small magical beasts can kill you in an instant." Mike did his best to remain completely still and silent, unsure of the beast's sensory abilities but determined not to be discovered.
The beast appeared unaware of Mike's presence, taking its time to drink from the spring. Mike stayed motionless, even controlling his breathing, but unfortunately, his efforts were in vain. The moment the beast finished drinking, it turned and began walking in Mike's direction. Cold sweat broke out on Mike's back. He tried to convince himself this was just a coincidence since some foliage still hid him from view. But when the creature's gaze locked onto his, Mike knew he had been discovered.
A flurry of thoughts raced through Mike's mind. His first instinct was to run, but he immediately dismissed the idea, there was no way he could outrun a magical beast. Fighting it was also out of the question, without magic, he stood no chance. Watching the creature steadily approach, Mike was left with only one option, to fall to the ground and play dead.
POFT!
Mike collapsed onto his back, quickly shut his eyes, held his breath, and began praying the beast would lose interest and leave him alone. However, as he tried his best to remain perfectly silent, he felt something nudge his foot. A moment later, he felt something climbing onto him, walking up his legs, then his stomach, and finally stopping on his chest.
"Yip!" Mike heard the bark of the creature perched on his chest, but he remained still, doing his best to appear completely dead.
"Yip!" The bark came again, and Mike couldn't help but notice how similar the sound was to that of a normal fox. Even so, he continued pretending to be dead.
"Yip!" Only when the creature barked a third time and licked his face did Mike open his eyes in shock. But as soon as his eyes met the curious gaze of the small creature, it was the creature's turn to be startled. The fox jumped back, putting some distance between them.
Mike thought carefully before raising his torso and sitting on the ground. He cautiously observed the creature now a few meters away. At this point, his best plan had failed, and all he could do was hope the creature would spare his life. When Mike looked at it, he saw the creature sitting there, staring at him with white eyes and a curious expression, its fluffy white tail wagging behind it.
"Yip!" After a few moments of the two staring at each other, the fox-like creature barked at Mike, its gaze oddly friendly. Mike, unsure of what to do, began to rise slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. Seeing that the fox had no issue with him standing, Mike got to his feet while keeping his eyes fixed on the red-and-blue creature.
"Yip! Yip!" The fox also stood, barking again at Mike. Even standing, the fox didn't even reach Mike's knees. As a result, he kept looking down, trying to decipher whether the creature's barking was attempting to communicate something or if it was just making noise.
"Yip! Yip! Yip!" The fox seemed dissatisfied with Mike's lack of response. It began barking even louder, hopping around as it looked up at him. Mike, meanwhile, had no idea what was going on.
"I- Don't- Understand- You-" Mike crouched down and began speaking slowly to the fox as if he were addressing a newborn baby, hoping the creature would understand. To his surprise, the fox stopped hopping and stared at him with an expression that almost seemed like comprehension.
"Yip!" The fox barked again, but before Mike could complain that he didn't understand what it wanted, the creature leaped onto his back and bit into his shirt.
"Huh?" Cold sweat broke out on Mike's forehead as he felt the creature latch onto his shirt. At that moment, he wasn't sure if he had angered the fox or if it had decided to end his life. Regardless of its motives, the fox took action.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Mike screamed as he felt a surge of magical energy erupt from his back, propelling him rapidly into the air.
And so, a strange magical beast resembling a fox and a human began flying swiftly through the forest, with the fox clinging to the human's shirt. Their destination? Only the fox knew.