The third day in the forest felt endless, the monotony broken only by the sound of the stream we were following. It carved a path through the dense woods, a lifeline in this unforgiving world.
Emery and I had hoped the stream would lead us to something—a lake, a river, maybe even the edge of this seemingly infinite forest. But the hours dragged on, and the trees remained unyielding, towering above us like silent sentinels.
We hadn't encountered any goblins, which was a relief, but that didn't mean things were easy. Hunger was starting to take its toll.
I was holding up better than Emery, thanks to years of wrestling and cutting weight. The constant starvation and dehydration from those days had hardened me, but Emery wasn't used to this. She was trying to stay strong, I could see that. Her shoulders were squared, her pace steady. But every now and then, I'd catch her wincing or clutching her stomach.
"Hey," I said, breaking the silence. "You holding up okay?"
She nodded quickly, too quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… you know, feeling a little lightheaded. It's nothing."
I gave her a look. "Lightheaded isn't 'nothing,' Emery. You've barely eaten anything in days."
"Well, it's not like you've found a 24-hour diner around here," she shot back, her voice tinged with sarcasm. "Unless you're hiding some energy bars in that belt of yours?"
I chuckled despite myself. "If I was, you'd be the first to know."
She sighed, glancing down at the stream. "I'm fine, Logan. Really. Just… let's keep moving. The faster we get out of here, the better."
I didn't argue. She was stubborn, and pushing the point wouldn't help. But as we walked, I couldn't stop thinking about how much longer she could last. How much longer we could last.
The fourth day started quietly, almost too quietly. The stream babbled softly beside us, the only sound breaking the eerie stillness of the forest.
We hadn't talked much that morning. Emery seemed more withdrawn than usual, her usual sharp remarks replaced with quiet determination. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the way her steps dragged just a little more with each hour.
I wanted to say something, anything, to distract her. But before I could, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
A rustling sound came from the trees around us, low at first, then growing louder.
"Emery," I said sharply, my voice low and urgent. "Run. Cross the stream. Now!"
Her eyes widened, but she didn't hesitate. She turned and sprinted toward the water just as the trees erupted with movement.
Dozens of goblins—twenty, maybe thirty—burst from the shadows, their guttural war cries echoing through the forest. They carried crude weapons: spears, axes, knives. Their yellow, snake-like eyes glinted with malice as they zeroed in on Emery.
Not her. Not today.
My heart pounded, adrenaline surging through my veins. I grabbed one of the spears strapped to my back and hurled it with all my strength. It struck the closest goblin square in the face, dropping it instantly.
The remaining goblins let out a unified scream and charged.
There were too many of them, but that didn't matter. They would have to crawl over my dead body to get to Emery.
I drew both axes, gripping them tightly. The first goblin reached me, thrusting its spear forward. I sidestepped the strike, bringing my axe down in a clean arc. The blade embedded itself in its skull with a sickening crunch.
Before the body hit the ground, I spun, slashing the second axe across the neck of another goblin. Green blood sprayed as it collapsed.
Another goblin came from my right, its axe raised high. I ducked just in time, driving my shoulder into its chest and slamming it to the ground. I brought my axe down, ending it in one brutal strike.
A goblin charged from my left, its movements wild and frantic. I lashed out with a front kick, my boot slamming into its chest and sending it sprawling backward.
They kept coming.
I moved as fast as I could, hacking, slashing, spinning. My body was a whirlwind of motion, every strike calculated, every move meant to kill.
But then the first hit landed.
A knife slashed across my side, the pain sharp and immediate. I gritted my teeth, refusing to stop. Emery was still running, still out there. I couldn't stop.
I buried my axe in the shoulder of the goblin that had cut me, but as I did, a spear pierced my shoulder. The pain was blinding, but I yanked the spear free and kept moving.
Four more goblins fell, their bodies piling around me. Green blood covered me, mixing with my own. My vision blurred, but I couldn't let them win.
I swung my axe at the goblin in front of me, but another came from my blind spot. Its axe missed my face by inches. I ducked, but a spear drove into my right thigh, sending me to one knee.
This was it.
I had done everything I could, but there were too many. My childlike body couldn't keep up. The weight of the fight crushed me.
I was ready for death.
Then, out of nowhere, arrows rained down, striking the goblins closest to me. Their screams filled the air as they fell one by one.
Before I could make sense of it, an explosion erupted nearby, the force of it sending me flying backward. My body hit the ground hard, and the world went black.