What have I become?
The antelope's body lay twisted in the dirt, its once beautiful form now contorted beyond recognition.
Its chest was no longer a soft rise and fall under the gentle rhythm of its breath. No, the force of my attack shattered it.
I almost felt sorry for it.
Almost.
Its coat gleamed in an astounding mixture of brown and white, drenched with blood. The once pristine fur is now matted with crimson. It was overwhelming.
Its eyes were wide open as an expression of their horror when suddenly petrified in a face that turned cloudless, without life or brilliance.
But still, that void in my gut was stretched wide and screaming for more. The coppery taste of blood still clung to my tongue, a thick metallic taste that reminded me of what I had just done.
My breathing was heavy, my body still shaking but the hunger hadn't left me. It stayed beneath my skin, slithering through my veins.
My claws, covered in blood trembled slightly as I stared at them as if they would give me answers.
They wouldn't.
The forest was eerily still.
Not a leaf stirred, no creature dared to call. It was the kind of silence that weighed on me, kind of like invisible hands pressing on my skin from all sides. The moon, a sliver of bone against the inky sky, cast long, distorted shadows that danced across the ground like restless spirits.
That's when I heard it.
A whisper, faint as a dying ember, brushed against my ears.
"Ashen.."
My name.
It felt wrong, out of place in this ancient wood where even the trees seemed to listen intently. The voice itself was unsettling.
It wasn't quite human, more like smoke curling through the darkness, insinuating itself into my very thoughts.
My claws extended instinctively. I whirled around, my heart hammering – not from fear, no, this was something else, a primal instinct, darker and more profound.
"Show yourself," I growled, my voice a low, dangerous rumble.
Silence.
Then, the whisper again, only this time, it was close.
"Ashen..."
My jaw tightened. I wasn't just some frightened rabbit; I was the apex predator in this place. "I SAID, SHOW YOURSELF!" I roared. The sound was swallowed by the immense trees. The shadows, far from retreating, seemed to press closer, thickening like spilled ink.
And then, at the edge of a skeletal oak, she appeared. At first, I thought my vision was playing tricks.
A figure, ethereal, sculpted from moonlight and shadow, stood perfectly still.
A lady.
She moved with the silent grace of a phantom, her skin an unnerving pallor, her hair the darkest night.
But it was her eyes – deep, fathomless pools of ancient darkness – that held me captive. She didn't speak, didn't flinch, just observed.
A growl rumbled in my chest. "You think standing there makes you powerful?" My claws gleamed like polished obsidian. "I'm the predator here."
She tilted her head as if studying a curious insect. My rage, brittle as glass, shattered.
I lunged in a blur of motion. Then –
She was gone. She vanished.
I didn't stop in time, crashing headfirst into a tree, the bark tearing at my flesh. I tumbled to the ground, the world spinning.
The forest remained silent, but the whispers didn't. They slithered through the branches, a serpentine laughter that seeped into my very being.
I staggered to my feet, my heart pounding – not from fear, but from a chilling, unfamiliar dread. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" I bellowed, whirling around, my senses on high alert. The trees seemed to writhe, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.
I saw her.
A few feet away, untouched, serene. A faint smile played on her lips, a smile that spoke of a knowledge I lacked.
This time, I ran. Don't ask me why; my legs moved before my conscious mind could process the decision. It wasn't fear, it was… tactical repositioning.
The forest became a labyrinth of nightmares, the trees towering sentinels, the ground alive with grasping roots. My breath came in ragged gasps, my heart a frantic drum against my ribs. The whispers followed.
"Run, Ashen. Faster. She's watching."
I didn't dare look back; the shadows grew teeth in my imagination. Branches lashed out, stinging my face, but I didn't stop. The cold seeped into my bones, unnatural, and hungry. The darkness seemed to shift and swallow the path behind me.
"You're not the hunter anymore," a voice hissed.
I stumbled, collapsing to my knees, gasping for air. She was there. An amused look played on her face.
Again. How?
She wasn't even breathing hard.
I scrambled backward, my breath ragged, my chest heaving. My heart felt like it might burst from my ribs. I forced a snarl, baring my teeth. "What are you?!"
She approached, silent as falling ash, her eyes still dark and bottomless. I tried to appear strong, to mask the tremor in my legs, the icy dread that had settled in my spine.
Not fear, though.
"Why are you following me?!" I cried, my voice cracking.
She tilted her head, that faint smile never reaching her eyes. The whispers intensified, swirling around us like a phantom wind. "Ask her. She knows. She's waiting."
I clenched my fists, my claws digging into my palms, grounding me against the encroaching madness. She took another step. The moonlight seemed to bend around her, shadows clinging like faithful hounds.
Then she spoke. "Because you're mine."
These words hit harder than any tree I have run into tonight. I didn't understand.
I lunged again, fueled by rage, confusion – anything but fear.
She flickered. Gone. My claws tore through empty air as I tumbled to the ground.
The world spun. The whispers laughed. "Mine." Her voice echoed everywhere.
I ran again, through a darkness thicker than ink, past trees that seemed to reach out, clawing at me. The whispers pursued, laughter woven into the rustling leaves. "The predator has become the prey."
I stumbled into a clearing, my chest burning, my breath ragged. I spun around, claws raised, ready for… something.
She was there. In the center of the clearing, as if she'd been waiting. Unmoving. Unafraid.
"What are you?!" I roared, desperation cracking my voice.
She smiled a ghost of a smile, her dark eyes fathomless. Then she whispered, soft as ash settling on a dying ember: "I'm what's left when the dark forgets your name."
And the world went black.