"My name's Jesse, by the way. I'm sixteen," the boy said after a long stretch of silence.
He trailed behind Kenan, his steps light but deliberate, as if afraid to disturb the oppressive quiet of the forest.
Kenan didn't reply as the younger kid chattered on with a hushed voice. The name wasn't necessary—bloody face had already imprinted itself in his memory. If nothing else, that would suffice.
"Did you wish to be a transcendent?" Jesse asked suddenly, his voice small but carrying a curious edge.
Kenan let out a quiet, derisive huff.
Who wished for this? The hype, the respect—it might be tempting for some, but to voluntarily venture into the Dark Lands? It was no different than trading your life for a fleeting taste of glory, one that you might not even live to experience. Jesse continued, his tone turning reflective. "I cried myself to sleep when I started noticing the symptoms. Thought it was a curse," He said after each statement,not failing to resume after every pause. "Then I heard some people had to come here three times before they awakened fully… or died trying." He paused, scuffing his boot against the ground. "I had a friend—well, used to have—whose dream was to awaken. It's stupid, isn't it? Just absolutely crazy and dumb. He didn't awaken, though."
Sad, Kenan thought to himself, wishing he could trade places with this supposed friend.
Jesse stepped on a twig, snapping it in two. The sound was deafening in the stillness, resounding through the dark woods. Jesse froze, staring down at his feet as though betrayed by his own clumsiness.
Kenan stopped in his tracks, his body tense. The forest hadn't changed—still the same endless expanse of shadow and silence—but it felt like they had crossed into another realm.
"Shh." Kenan placed a finger to his lips, his gaze sweeping the surroundings as he moved backward, his steps slow and deliberate.
-Rattle
The sound came suddenly, dry and menacing, like the clicking of brittle bones.
Jesse's eyes widened in terror. "It's that one," he whispered hoarsely. "It's triggered by sound." The rattling stopped, plunging the forest back into an unbearable stillness. Jesse held his breath, his knuckles white as he gripped his sword. The noise came again, louder and closer, a rhythm of death slithering toward them.
From the shadows emerged a monstrous form, its shape twisting the air around it. The Blood Bloom's petals quivered violently, opening and closing with an unnatural rapidity that generated the spine-chilling rattle. The sound was hypnotic yet repulsive, like a macabre melody meant to lure its prey.
Jesse's biosync beeped loudly in the darkness, shattering the eerie symphony.
[Blood Bloom – Fiend Rank]
The sound was like a death knell, announcing their end. The fiend's petals froze mid-quiver, its entire body snapping toward Jesse with unnerving speed. The slithering stem surged forward, intent on silencing the disturbance. Jesse yelped as his sword materialized in his hand, trembling as he raised it.
Kenan unsheathed his katana in one swift motion, positioning himself between Jesse and the fiend. The first strike was chaos.
Jesse's sword bounced off the Blood Bloom's hardened surface, the force sending him stumbling backward.
He flailed, his feet tangling in the roots beneath him, and fell hard to the ground. The Blood Bloom's razor-toothed petals snapped shut mere inches from his face, the sound like a guillotine sealing its fate. Kenan lunged forward, his katana cutting through the air in desperate arcs. The blade scraped against the fiend's tough stem, leaving shallow gashes that oozed thick, black ichor.
The Blood Bloom lashed out, its petals clapping wildly, forcing Kenan to retreat.
Jesse scrambled to his feet, only to trip again over the uneven terrain. His breaths came in shallow, panicked gasps as the fiend pressed closer. What a day, Kenan thought bitterly. I'm risking my life to save a boy who can't even stand up properly.
He stomped on a dry leaf, the loud crunch momentarily drawing the fiend's attention. Scraping his katana against a nearby tree trunk, he created a grating metallic screech that made the creature quiver in irritation. But it wasn't enough. The fiend's attention shifted back to Jesse, who was sobbing quietly as he clawed at the ground in a futile attempt to escape. Kenan's grip on his katana tightened. I could leave now, he thought. Let the fiend have the bleeding kid and make a run it, climb up a tree and hide.
It's his own fault for being weak in a world like this, anyway. The thought was tempting, almost logical. Survival above all else. But his feet didn't move. Kenan gritted his teeth and stepped forward, slamming the flat of his blade against the tree again. The sound reverberated through the forest, sharp and jarring.
The Blood Bloom hesitated, its petals twitching in confusion, between the noisy prey and the now-silent one.
Kenan took the chance to strike, his katana slicing deep into the stem. The creature recoiled with a hiss, its movements becoming erratic.
Just then, the distant sound of clashing metal echoed through the forest. The fiend froze, its petals quivering with a strange, eager anticipation. With a jerky, unnatural motion, the Blood Bloom turned away from Kenan and Jesse, slithering toward the source of the new noise. Kenan watched it go, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The forest was silent once more, save for the faint, fading sounds of the fiend's departure. Without a word, Kenan turned and stumbled toward Jesse, who was still crumpled on the ground.
He grabbed the boy's wrist and hauled him to his feet. Jesse's legs trembled beneath him, but he managed to stand. Kenan released him without a glance and began walking, his katana dangling limply at his side.
They trudged through the underbrush in silence, the echoes of the distant fight growing fainter with each step. Then, Kenan stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a figure through the trees. A humanoid shape emerged from the shadows, armed and poised. The figure's sword glinted faintly in the dim light as they stepped closer. Jesse's breath hitched. Kenan's grip on his katana tightened. "Well, well, well," the figure said, their voice dripping with surprise, "What do we have here?"