As my sense of self faded, unravelling until I was nothing more than a wisp of my former being, I summoned every ounce of strength I had left. Pushing beyond my limits, I wrested control of my body for a fleeting moment-just long enough to angle my sword toward my leg and drive it downward with all the force I could muster. The blade bit into my flesh, a sharp, searing pain tearing through the haze and snapping me out of the trance. My mind reeled as I stumbled back to reality, now fully aware and standing once more before that cursed fountain.
As soon as my senses returned, I instinctively jumped back with all the strength I could muster. The pain in my injured leg betrayed me, causing me to stumble and collapse to the ground. Despite the fall, relief washed over me—I had managed to put some distance between myself and that cursed fountain. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to ignore the throbbing agony radiating from my leg. Steadying my breath, I began to scan my surroundings, desperate to understand the situation. The oppressive aura of the fountain still lingered in the air, but now I had a chance to regroup.
As I began to take in my surroundings, a cold sense of shock gripped my very being. The once-perfect wooden city I had marvelled at before was now a desolate, crumbling wasteland. Its elegant, handcrafted buildings, once shining with life and meticulous artistry, now stood in ruins, their walls rotting and collapsing under the weight of decay. The streets, once bustling with energy and warmth, were eerily silent, littered with debris and signs of abandonment.
But the most horrifying transformation was the waterfalls. The crystalline cascades that had glimmered like liquid silver were gone, replaced by streams of blood-red liquid that poured ominously into the poisoned rivers below. The air itself felt heavier, filled with the metallic tang of blood and an almost suffocating sense of dread.
This wasn't just decay; it was a perversion of everything the city had once been. The stark contrast between what I remembered and the hellish vision before me made my skin crawl. I forced myself to stand despite the pain in my leg, leaning heavily on my sword for support.
Only now did I remember that I wasn't alone—there had been an old man speaking to me earlier. Turning to where I had last seen him, a chill ran down my spine at the sight before me. The kind, gentle-looking man from before was gone. In his place stood a towering beast, easily over eight feet tall, its grotesque form made even more horrifying by the fact that it still bore the old man's face. That once kind visage was now twisted into an unnervingly inhuman grin, a sinister expression that made my blood run cold.
"It seems you've finally come to your senses. Now, follow me unless you want to die," the monster said, its voice still disturbingly sweet, the same soothing tone the old man had used before. The dissonance between its monstrous form and that calm, familiar voice sent a shiver through me
Still reeling from the sight before me, I barely registered its words. My body moved on instinct, adrenaline overriding my pain and fear. With a burst of energy, I dashed forward ignoring the fiery agony in my injured leg. Gripping my sword tightly, 1 swung it with all the strength I could muster, aiming for the creature's twisted form
But my strike missed, the blade slicing only air. The effort threw off my balance, and the added strain on my wounded leg proved too much. My footing gave way, and I crashed to the ground with a jarring thud, pain flaring through my body. Lying there, vulnerable and exposed, I cursed my weakness, knowing the monster loomed above me, untouched and unbothered by my futile attack.
"Stop playing around and follow me," the monster said, its voice calm yet laced with an unsettling authority. It looked down at me with those unnervingly human eyes before turning away, its massive form lumbering forward with an almost casual ease.
I gritted my teeth, every fibre of my being screaming in defiance at the idea of obeying this thing. But deep down, I knew the truth—I had no chance of even landing a scratch on it. This creature was far beyond anything I could handle. To fight it now would be suicide, and as much as I hated the thought, survival was my only option.
Slowly, I pushed myself off the ground, leaning heavily on my sword for support. My injured leg throbbed with each movement, but I forced myself to stand. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I began to follow, careful to keep a wide enough distance. Every step was deliberate, my eyes fixed on the beast's massive back.
A knot of tension coiled in my gut. If this thing decided to turn on me, I wouldn't stand a chance. I could only hope its apparent disinterest in attacking would hold.
After several minutes of strained walking, each step sending jolts of pain through my injured leg, the monster finally came to a halt. Slowly, it turned to face me, its towering form casting a long shadow across the ground. "Enter that building and learn the secret of this city," it commanded, its voice cold and deliberate, pointing toward an unassuming structure nearby.
The building stood in stark contrast to the looming creature beside me—simple, almost forgotten in its quiet existence. But the monster's words carried weight, and the sense of dread in the air was palpable.
Without waiting for any further response, the beast walked past me, its immense form brushing so close that I could feel the heat radiating off it. A cold sweat broke out across my skin as I instinctively tensed, half-expecting it to strike, but it merely continued on, its heavy footsteps fading into the distance.
The monster was heading back toward the fountain, leaving me with nothing but the eerie silence and the weight of its command hanging over me. I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever awaited inside the building was far more dangerous than it appeared.