Kai awoke,
Screaming, screaming, screaming, all around him were desperate cries for help or mercy. He groggily shook himself awake, and the panic set in. A blazing orange inferno ravaged the houses in the outskirts; the wall closest to the outburst had already caught aflame. His body was slick with his sweat as he flung himself out of his bed and shoved through his door into the hazy corridor. As Kai ran down the hallway, he turned to the side in shock. Reflected in his deep amber eyes was the collapsed entrance to his parents' room. In a stupor, he turned and fled, bursting out of his flaming house. Kai bolted, scared and powerless, hot tears burned his face as he ran from the destructive conflagration. He ran until he couldn't feel his legs, then ran more after that. Scared and alone, the world around him turned dark.
Time passed, and amber eyes opened. A young man shakily rose to his feet, the muscles of his lower body screaming in opposition. Kai slowly made his way to a nearby tree, leaning on it as his stomach inverted and nauseous bile escaped his mouth. He felt lightheaded and weak. Memories of last night-or possibly many nights ago-flitted through his mind in fragments. The scenes of broken, marred bodies flashed through his mind. The dying screams of adults and even small children alike were permanently burned into his memory, even those of his own family. All that was left was death and destruction, Kai was sure of it. In his heart, however, he clung to the faint hope that they could still be alive, so he snuffed that flame. Knowing that irrational thinking would only cloud his judgment, he wiped his eyes and set off. His first goal was to find water.
Kai stumbled along through the forest, dry leaves crackling underfoot. Thirsty and weak, he limped across the forest with aching muscles, stopping every once in a while to lean on a tree or rock for support. At some point during his search, his fatigued legs gave out and he fell to the ground. His eyesight dimmed, and he was forced to crawl, sweat slicking his hands as he pulled himself forward. Eventually, his hands met open air, and the soil beneath him gave way, plunging into a stream the cold water washed over him. Barely conscious, he instinctively lowered his head to the flowing water and drank deeply, the cool liquid invigorating his body. He still felt frail, but he could think now.
Pushing himself into a sitting position, Kai looked around the forest for the first time, his clothes ripped and dirty. He breathed sharply, grimacing in pain. The trees were tall and vast, huge stretching canopies of leaves and branches, intertwining like threads. Golden sunlight filtered through the forested sky, casting a warm glow on the forest floor. He lay back and fell asleep. The last dregs of sunlight petered out behind the canopy of leaves. The young man woke up as the sun rose, orange streaks of light pierced the leafy canopy overhead. Slowly, Kai stood. Looking down at his bare feet, he sighed. He looked around once more and set off. Following along the stream, he carefully scanned his surroundings.
Eventually, Kai spotted a large cave entrance and turned walking towards it. Kai looked down and saw a trail of blood dotting the floor of the cavern. He cautiously followed the trail and eventually came across two corpses. One was of a man and the other a large furry beast. The beast had a long jagged slash on its side and the hunter's chest was crushed.
'Looks like these two fought, and the beast won. In the end however, it's still dying of blood loss due to its wound after dragging the man's body here, that jagged slash is nasty.
He turned to the dead man,
'Is it wrong to steal from a corpse?'
Kai stooped low and retrieved the knife from the hunter's body. Somberly, he looked at the black leather boots on the feet of the corpse, sighed, and stole those too. He turned his attention to the massive bestial body after adorning himself with the sturdy shoes. With some struggle he eventually managed to cut into the beast's chest using his new knife and obtain several strips of hard meat. Partway through, however, he struck something hard. Bringing his hand towards the cut, he dug out a lustrous green crystal that sparkled with an internal radiance.
'I wonder if this has any use…'
He pondered the unexpected development as he continued carving into the meat. Eventually, as he turned to the hunter once more to wish him well in the afterlife, he noticed a shining ring on the man's hand. It was patterned with what he assumed to be a sort of runic language etched into the white crystal surface. Not only that but the shattered remains of a bow also caught his eye.
'Well that's too bad'
Many days had passed since Kai had found the two corpses. The sun rose and set. The light would filter through the crack in the rocks each morning. When it did he would push himself outside and survey the area. Not one to sit idly without practice, he would push himself to the limit every day, falling into a sense of normalcy. He had crafted a routine–to patrol his perimeter and exercise lightly to keep himself in top condition without overworking. He trained daily with his newfound knife as well. Over time his form improved. His slashes cut straight, and his mock stabs aimed true. On the third night, everything changed.
Kai's eyes snapped open and he sat straight up. Pushing himself to his feet, he drew his knife and pressed his back up against the wall. Kai turned his head and listened. He concentrated on taking deep breaths. His ears strained to once more hear the noise that roused him from his rest. Eventually, he did, causing his blood to run cold. Ragged breathing hummed, and sharp claws scraped against the stone. The air grew sharp as Kai fumbled with his knife, slowly backing himself deeper into the cavern. Kai fumbled with his knife, slowly backing himself deeper into the cavern, the air grew sharp as he did so. He could hear the breathing now, something was nearby. He lowered himself into an awkward fighting stance and readied his meager weapon. Kai's eyes locked with a pair of sinister crimson orbs, making his breath catch. The terror slowly moved towards him with a catlike gait, its confident stance contrasting with the young man's shaking hands.
'What have I gotten myself into… think Kai, think!
—he bit down on his cheek, hard—
The pain drew him out of his frantic state, and his will solidified.
'What do I do now?'
Kai slowly crept away, sidling down the wall. He was cautiously retreating from the terror of the night. His back collided with a jut in the cavern wall as the blood-colored eyes lazily pursued him.
He drew a few ragged breaths as his mind spun.
He didn't want to die.
'Is this how it ends?
So he steeled his gaze, breathing steady, eyes wide and burning with passion.
And then it pounced.