The forest was a cacophony of chaos and despair. Survivors stumbled over roots, their faces pale with terror. Some clutched their heads, groaning from the echoes of the Endwalkers' whispers still ringing in their minds. Others screamed for help, their voices raw and desperate.
"Help me!" a man cried, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead. He reached out, his fingers trembling, but the crowd surged past him, ignoring his pleas.
A woman fell to her knees, her sobs choked as she clutched her leg, which hung at an unnatural angle. "Please… someone… I can't move…!"
No one stopped.
The Jonkeys' screeches pierced the air, followed by the deadly whistle of their projectiles. Sharp stones rained down, striking trees, the ground, and flesh. Each hit elicited a sickening crunch or a blood-curdling scream.
Harry stumbled as he ran, his chest heaving. His wide eyes darted between the carnage unfolding around him. His stomach churned violently as he saw a teenage boy collapse, clutching his side where a jagged stone protruded. The boy's eyes met Harry's, pleading silently, but Harry froze.
The bile rose in his throat. He turned away, gagging, barely stopping himself from vomiting.
"Get it together!" Jess's voice snapped him out of his daze. Her firm grip on his shoulder steadied him, her sharp eyes boring into his. "You can't save everyone. If you stop, you'll die too."
Harry nodded shakily, his mind a blur.
Darrow, running beside them, cursed under his breath. "Grimlings… those vermin have joined the fray."
Harry's heart sank as he glanced upward. The trees rustled unnaturally, and the sound of leathery wings filled the air. Dark shapes flitted above them—small but quick, their glowing yellow eyes scanning for targets.
"Perfect," Harry muttered, his voice dripping with dark sarcasm. "Flying goblins and murder monkeys. What's next? Killer squirrels?"
"Focus!" Jess barked.
Harry bit back a retort, his grip tightening on his kitchen knife as they pushed forward.
The group had fragmented into small clusters. Many ran mindlessly, their movements fueled by sheer panic. Others fell behind, their strength waning, until they were overtaken by the monsters. The horrifying sounds of their deaths lingered in the air—a grim reminder of what awaited anyone who stopped.
"Keep moving!" Jess shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Harry's lungs burned, his legs felt like lead, and his stamina bar—if he had one—was probably scraping the bottom. Yet, he kept running. They all did. The will to live was a powerful force, driving them forward even as their bodies screamed for rest.
Darrow swore again. "We're losing people too fast."
Jess glanced back, her jaw clenched. "Then we need to focus on those who can keep up."
Harry looked over his shoulder. His gaze lingered on a man sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. The man's lips moved silently, as if praying.
"We can't just—" Harry started, but Jess cut him off sharply.
"We can," she said, her tone cold but resolute. "They're gone, boy. Focus on the ones who can still run."
Harry's fists clenched, but he didn't argue.
Deep down, he knew she was right.
Yet... Still...
'Please forgive me.'
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the dense forest began to thin. The trees grew sparser, and the oppressive canopy of branches gave way to open sky. The survivors, their numbers now significantly reduced, stumbled out of the forest and into a vast clearing.
For a moment, no one moved. They collapsed onto the earth, their bodies trembling with exhaustion under the sunlight.
A woman fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. "We… we made it!"
Another man let out a shaky laugh, his voice tinged with hysteria. "We're alive!"
The clearing filled with the sound of laughter, sobs, and cries of relief. People hugged each other, their faces alight with joy despite their battered and bloodied appearances.
Harry dropped to his knees, his chest heaving as he stared back at the forest. The shadows of the Jonkeys and Grimlings lingered at the edge of the treeline, but they didn't advance. It seemed the creatures wouldn't follow them into the open.
"We did it," Tim gasped, collapsing beside Harry. "We actually made it."
Harry nodded wordlessly, his mind too numb to form a reply.
The celebration was short-lived.
A collective gasp rippled through the group as someone pointed toward the horizon.
"There!"
Harry followed their gaze, his breath catching in his throat. In the distance, silhouetted against the setting sun, stood a massive fortress-like structure. Its dark stone walls loomed high, topped with sharp spires that seemed to pierce the sky.
"What… is that?" Tim asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Jess stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the structure. "Shelter," she said simply.
Darrow nodded, his expression grim. "Or a trap."
Harry's lips curled into a tired but hopeful grin. "Only one way to find out."
The group stared at the fortress, their momentary relief giving way to a mixture of hope and unease. Whatever awaited them there, it was better than the horrors they had just escaped.
"..."
The clearing became eerily quiet, save for the ragged breathing of the survivors and the occasional sob or murmured prayer of relief.
Harry slumped against Tim who found him after arriving, his trembling hands clutching his knees. The forest behind them loomed like a living nightmare, shadows shifting as if the Jonkeys and Grimlings were still watching.
But for now, they didn't follow.
"F-finally… a break," Tim whispered, his body trembling nonstop.
Others murmured in agreement, their bodies sagging with exhaustion.
Just as Harry started to relax, an unsettling sound reached his ears.
"Laughing?" he muttered, lifting his head.
Kyle, the burly man who had led the charge out of the forest, was already on his feet. His laughter rang out, loud and manic, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade.
"HAHAHA! I did it! I'm safe!" Kyle shouted, his voice cracking. Without warning, he took off at a sprint toward the fortress, his bulky frame moving with surprising speed despite his earlier exhaustion.
"Hey!" Jess called, her tone sharp. "Stop!"
But Kyle didn't listen.
He ran like a man possessed, his laughter echoing across the clearing. "The fortress! I made it! Nothing can touch me, hahaha!"
Harry's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his kitchen knife.
"Is this guy serious?" he muttered.
Tim muttered, "H-he must have lost it."
Harry wanted to make a snarky comment, something about how Kyle's bravado was only showing up now, but the gruesome scenes from the forest flashed through his mind. His jaw clenched, and he bit his lip instead.
Then, it happened.
"!"
The ground beneath Kyle suddenly shifted, the grass rippling unnaturally. Before anyone could react, a massive, spiked tendril shot out of the earth with terrifying speed.
"SWOOSH!"
The appendage wrapped around Kyle's torso in an instant, its jagged spikes digging deep into his flesh. His laughter turned into a strangled gasp as he was yanked downward, his feet leaving the ground.
"H-Help—!" Kyle's scream was cut short as the tendril pulled him down, swallowing him whole into the earth. Blood sprayed across the grass, and then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the tendril vanished, leaving no trace of Kyle behind.
"…!"
The clearing fell into stunned silence.
Harry's eyes went wide, his heart hammering in his chest. His breath caught in his throat as his gaze locked on the spot where Kyle had stood just moments ago.
"N-No way..."