Kai stumbled through the forest, slipping and sliding on the snow-covered ground, his body screaming with every step, twist, and turn.
His ribs burned, his broken arm hung limp at his side. Blood oozed from the various wounds gained over the past few days.
Too much blood.
With all the pain, he understood how badly he was hurt.
'If I stop moving, I might not start again.'
The trees swallowed him in darkness.
Thick snow clung to the branches above, but the canopy blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving only a faint, eerie glow. His breath came in ragged gasps, each exhale a puff of mist in the frigid air.
'South. Keep going south.'
If he followed the main roads, he might eventually find his way back home. But there was no road here, only endless stretches of trees in every direction.
The forest blurred around him.
'Which way is south?'
His vision swayed. His steps faltered.
'I have no idea where I am. It's not like I went to boy scouts, or on hunting trips with my absentee father. I'm not a survivalist.'
He looked at the sun through the canopy. He gazed around to see any moss on trees, because he heard you could find your way out of a forest by following moss, although he had no idea how that worked. He was lost.
Irredeemably lost.
He leaned against a tree for just a second, trying to catch his breath.
In a panic, his breathing increased and hyperventilation set in. He grew dizzy.
A low growl rumbled behind him, disturbing his attempted rest.
Kai turned sharply, almost falling over from the sudden pivot.
Between the trees, in the distance, a pair of glowing blue eyes stared back at him.
Then another.
And another.
They stepped out slowly, gauging their prey.
Arcane wolves.
Their bodies shimmered with unstable magic, fur crackling with energy that pulsed and flickered like living fire.
Kai took a cautious step back. A branch snapped beneath his foot.
The wolves lunged.
Kai barely threw himself to the side as a shard of ice shot past him, freezing the tree behind him solid. He hit the ground hard, rolling through the snow before scrambling to his feet.
More magic surged through the air. One wolf exhaled a stream of violet flames.
The flames tore up the frost-covered forest floor.
The wolf from his right side gloved its paws in lightning before swiping at him.
Kai pulled away, but he wasn't fast enough.
Pain exploded in his thigh as razor-sharp claws tore through his flesh. His leg buckled beneath him, sending him tumbling into the snow. He smeared his blood all over, painting the ground a mixture of red and pink.
His mind screamed at him.
'Just one more spell... Fire Wal-'
[Critically Low Life Essence. Casting more magic will KILL you.]
"Fuck," he hissed.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up and limped forward. He dodged another swipe, barely escaping a second attack as the wolves herded him between the trees.
Snowflakes whirled in the air as he ran, weaving between trunks, leaping over fallen logs, his injuries slowing him down with every step. Blood trailed behind him, staining the untouched snow.
Kai hoped that his erratic movements would throw the wolves off, but it wasn't purposeful.
His body was failing.
His movements slowed.
The wolves knew it, too.
They pressed in tighter, their snarls echoing in the night.
Two followed either side of him, boxing him in, while the other chased at the rear.
One lunged from his right side, its fangs aiming for his throat.
Kai turned mid-step, raising his good arm to block, but the wolf's teeth sank deep into his forearm. The fangs exploded in flame and the heat seared Kai's flesh.
He cried out, the pain nearly knocking him to the ground. He smelled the burnt flesh from his arm as his bones threatened to snap against the jaw strength of the magical beast.
Kai drove his knee into its chest.
The wolf yelped, releasing him just long enough for him to rip his arm free. The seared wound opening up with the pull from the wolf's jaw.
'Both arms are useless now.'
Blood poured from the wound, his vision flickering from the pain, but he kept moving.
'Don't stop. Keep running.'
Branches whipped against his face. His own blood dripped onto the snow, leaving a stark red trail behind him.
His eyes struggled to stay open and the harsh wind carried along the snow made it even more difficult.
Suddenly, the forest opened up. Kai smelled the fresh scent of running water and looked out at the space before him.
The forest ended abruptly at a jagged cliff's edge. Below, a river raged through the rocks, swollen from melted snow, its surface a churning mass of whitewater.
'A dead end.'
Kai's breath came in heavy gasps. His legs trembled beneath him. He turned to face the wolves, who had already formed a tight circle around him, cutting off any chance of escape.
'Exactly like last time. I'm going to die without being able to fight against it.'
No allies.
No weapons.
Not an ounce of magic remaining.
'Just me and Shade. It's not like it was any different before I left for Ylthara, but...'
His mind flickered back to the brief time he'd spent with his friends. The laughter and warmth. The feeling, however brief, that he wasn't alone anymore.
The only reason I keep winning is because people underestimate me.
He exhaled slowly, stepping back toward the edge.
'That won't last forever. If I can't protect myself… how can I protect anyone else?'
The wolves inched closer.
Lightning crackled through the air. Fire burned in their eyes.
Kai took one last look at the river below.
"If I survive this," he muttered, "I'll get stronger. I have people's dreams to achieve." Kai looked at the wolves, defiant, "I won't let you kill me!"
Strengthening magic surged through his body.
[Without a source of Life Essence, death is imminent.]
'What's new? I've died before. At least this time I have a choice.'
And he jumped.
The icy wind howled past him. The river rushed toward him, a blur of white and black.
Then, the freezing water swallowed him whole.
[Name: Kai Tensen | Age: 5 Years | Specialisation: Necromancer | Rank: 10 | Awakening Requirements: Unknown | Life Essence Stored: -3,500/3,500 | Mortality Deviance: Minimal | Souls Bound: 8 (Winfried Drummond, Angelica Trunsdale, Troy Saren, Nameless Guards (2), Nameless Inquisitors (3)) | Languages Translated: Imerian | Skills: Mana Manipulation, Mana Tempering, Mana Sense, Advanced Shadow Manipulation, Minor Strengthening Magic (Moderate), Minor Elemental Magic, Intermediate Combat Arts, Shadowmeld, Precision Targeting (Magic), Death Sense, Murmurs of the Departed | Spellcasting: Novice | Spells: Raise Undead (Lesser), Thrall Control, Shadow Conjuring, Bull's Strength, Frozen Touch (Contact), Frozen Zone (Area), Icicle Javelins (Ranged), Searing Touch (Contact), Wall of Flame (Moderate), Wither, Gravebound, Wall of Ice (Moderate), Eagle's Sight, Mass Raise Undead (Lesser), Tether the Fallen, Ice Prison (Minor)]