The sun vanished behind the towering trees, leaving the sky a deep crimson, like congealed blood.
Aragon sat on the rough ground, his back against a cracked tree trunk, his labored breaths mingling with the eerie sounds of the forest.
The iron sword beside him was still stained with the blue blood of the Shadow Wolf, and the wounds on his body oozed slowly.
Each drop of blue blood that hit the soil emitted a faint crackle, as though the earth itself were swallowing his pain.
His trembling hands lifted his tattered wooden shirt, revealing his emaciated body a map of bruises and gashes.
His right Shoulder, four deep gashes from the wolf's claws, their edges swollen and raw.
His chest, blue bruises resembling giant fingerprints from colliding with trees during his escape.
His left leg, a long scratch oozing a clear fluid that glimmered under the moonlight.
"Ugh…" he hissed, pressing a torn cloth from his armor against his wounded shoulder.
The blue blood soaked the fabric as pain radiated through his arm.
He recalled a line from the game forum,
"Wounds in Eldrath heal slowly, but the pain… the pain is real and everlasting."
The cold seeped into his bones, driving him to light a fire.
He gathered dry leaves from under the trees and flint stones from the nearby riverbank.
Kneeling, his hands shook as he struck the stones.
"Click… click… click…"
Sparks scattered uselessly. Over and over, until his fingers reddened from friction.
"Burn, damn you!" he shouted.
On the tenth try, the leaves ignited into a cold blue flame, spewing thick sulfurous smoke.
The fire provided no warmth but pushed back the darkness slightly.
Aragon stretched his hands toward the unnatural flames, their hue reminding him of the system's interface.
"Even fire here… is cold."
His stomach growled like a starved beast. Nearby, a bush bore small yellow fruits glowing faintly in the dark.
He knew they were toxic but succumbed to hunger. He sliced one open with his sword, revealing a pulsing black core.
"Damn it!" He bit into it ravenously. A metallic taste flooded his mouth.
He swallowed but vomited minutes later, blue blood mingling with bile on the ground.
[Toxic Effect: -2 Health per minute for 30 minutes.]
[Current Health: 98/100]
He laughed hoarsely.
"Is this all you've got?"
As darkness thickened, the forest became a living nightmare.
Every shadow, every rustle, seemed alive.
To the right, a tree trunk creaked like a human scream.
To the left, a rhythmic rustling, like slow-moving footsteps.
Above, shifting shadows on high branches, like birds with colossal wings.
"No one's here… no one!" he muttered, but his voice trembled, unconvincing even to himself.
He sat by the blue fire, fighting to keep his eyes open.
Exhaustion won, and he dozed off…
Sixth grade. His classmates tied him to a pipe in the bathroom.
Freezing water drowned him as their laughter echoed like black bells.
"The Skeleton… The Skeleton!"
He jolted awake, gasping, his face drenched in cold sweat.
"Enough… enough!" he screamed into the void.
No answer came.
Hours later, a twig snapped behind him.
He spun around, seeing nothing. Then, hot breath scorched his neck.
[Alert: Invisible Entity Approaching!]
Aragon leapt back, slashing blindly with his sword.
"Show yourself!" he yelled, but only the wind replied.
The entity struck from behind, invisible claws tearing into his back.
[Damage! -20 Health.]
[Current Health: 50/100]
"No… NO!" He scrambled up a massive tree, his trembling hands clawing at the bark.
The entity pursued, its searing breath licking his heels.
He spent the night tied to the highest branch with plant fibers.
His blue blood crusted the trunk, his body shivering from cold and pain.
At dawn's first red rays, he climbed down, every movement agony.
The system flickered,
[You Survived the First Night.]
[Secret Reward: +5 Pain Resistance.]
He ignored it. Staring at his sword, then at the endless forest, his eyes burned with newfound resolve.
"The time has came… I'll be ready."
…