As the three cautiously moved forward, the rustling grew louder, shifting from a faint disturbance to something deliberate—calculated. Jason's grip on his kunai tightened, Kyle flexed his fingers as frost swirled around them, and Dylan stood still, his head tilting slightly as though listening to something beyond their perception.
The forest rustled with unseen movement, Jason, Kyle, and Dylan tensed, their eyes scanning the shadows. A low, guttural growl echoed through the trees.
Then, from the dense underbrush, glowing eyes emerged—dozens of them. From the darkness, several creatures emerged.
A pack of creatures slunk into view, their forms sleek yet unnatural. They looked like wolves, but their fur shimmered unnaturally, shifting between dark shades like living shadows. Their eyes burned an eerie red, and their breath came out in misty puffs, as though the air around them was unnaturally cold. Their glowing red eyes locked onto the trio.
As the shadow wolves emerged from the underbrush, Jason, Kyle, and Dylan watch silently, readying their defensive stance.
Jason swallowed hard. "What… the hell are those?"
Kyle took an uneasy step back. "Not normal wolves. That's for sure."
Dylan unsheathe his sword. "They don't feel normal, either…" His head tilted slightly. "They move weird. Almost like they're not… fully here."
Jason took a slow breath. "They don't look friendly."
"You think." Kyle said sarcasticly nervous.
One of the wolves stepped forward, lips curling into a snarl. Its growl was deep, reverberating through the air like a distorted echo. The wolves let out a piercing snarl and lunged.
Jason reacted on instinct was the first to lash out, whipping his kunai forward. "Get over here!" he shouted, but his aim was off—the blade missed completely, embedding itself into a tree. "Crap!" Before he could react, a wolf lunged at him, forcing him to stumble.
The wolf crashed into him, knocking him backward. He hit the ground hard, pain jolting through his back.
Kyle gritted his teeth. "Alright, screw this—" He thrust his hands forward, trying to summon ice—but nothing happened at first.
"Come on, come on—" He barely dodged as a wolf snapped at his arm. Then, finally, a burst of ice shooting toward the nearest wolf but it was unfocused, freezing part of the ground and his attacker.
The frost spread across its legs, slowing it down. "Yes!"
But then, to Kyle's horror, the ice cracked and shattered instantly. The wolf snarled, completely unfazed.
"Oh! Come on."
He yelped as he slipped on his own ice, landing flat on his back.
Dylan gripping his sword, holding it awkwardly. He swung at a wolf, but his movements were stiff, uncoordinated.
"Damn it, I can't even see what I'm doing!" His next swing was wild, and he nearly lost his grip on the blade.
Dylan swung his sword at one of the creatures, but the blade barely met resistance—it was like cutting through fog. "What are these things?!"
The wolves darted around them, attacking in quick, precise movements. Jason barely rolled out of the way as claws slashed the ground where he had just been. Then, he quickly swing his kusarigama in an arch.
The blade swing toward the wolf—only for it to phase through the creature like mist. Jason's eyes widened. "Damn it!"
Kyle shot back up, fists up, breathing hard. Dylan stood his ground, swinging again, this time adjusting his movement, trying to predict the wolves' shifting forms.
The wolves circled closer, sensing weakness. The fight was chaos. The wolves were relentless, their bodies flickering between solid and shadow.
Each time Jason or Kyle landed a hit, the creatures seemed to dissolve, only to reform a second later.
"We're not doing any damage!" Jason shouted, dodging another strike.
Kyle cursed. "Then how the hell do we fight them?!"
Dylan's brow furrowed under his blindfold. He took a deep breath, gripping his sword. "They're flickering in and out… That means they can be solid. There's a pattern."
Jason's eyes flicked to the creatures, watching them closely. Dylan was right—every few seconds, they became fully tangible just before attacking.
A wolf lunged at Jason. This time, instead of panicking, he waited—just a half-second longer.
Now!
He spun, dodging at the last second, and slammed his fist into the wolf's side. Flames erupted from his knuckles, and this time, the impact connected. The creature let out a pained yelp as it stumbled back, its shadowy form flickering.
Jason's eyes widened. "We can hit them! We just have to time it right!"
Kyle clenched his fists, focusing. "Alright. Let's try this again."
The next wolf charged him. He watched, waiting—then, at the exact right moment, he unleashed a burst of ice. The frost stuck this time, coating the wolf's body before Kyle lunged forward, shattering it with a powerful kick.
Dylan exhaled sharply, adjusting his stance. "Got it."
A wolf darted toward him, but he felt its presence before it attacked. He twisted, dodging smoothly, then slashed upward in a clean, precise motion. His blade met solid flesh, and the wolf collapsed.
One by one, the creatures fell, until the remaining wolves hesitated, their glowing eyes darting between the three warriors. Then, as if sensing they had underestimated their prey, they let out a series of guttural growls and retreated into the darkness, disappearing as quickly as they had come.
As the last of the shadow wolves disappeared into the darkness, the forest fell into an eerie silence. For a long moment, none of them spoke.
Jason exhaled sharply, lowering his kusarigama. The heat surrounding him slowly faded, though a faint warmth still pulsed beneath his skin.
Then Jason let out a breath, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Okay… what was that?"
Kyle shook his head. "No idea. But we figured them out."
Dylan wiped his blade before carefully sliding it back into its sheath. "Yeah… but that wasn't normal. Those things weren't just animals."
Kyle ran a hand through his hair, shaking off the lingering frost from his fingers. "This world keeps getting weirder."
"Yeah, that was insane."
Kyle dusted himself off. "You mean the part where we fought for our lives? Or the part where we actually got good at it halfway through?"
"Yeah. But what's even crazier… is that we knew exactly how to fight."
Jason frowned. "You're right." He flexed his fingers, staring at the clawed gauntlets covering his hands.
"And we aren't just normal, either."
Kyle exhaled, watching as faint frost still clung to his fingers. "You guys realize how fast we adapted, right? At first, we had no idea what we were doing. But by the end, we fought like we'd done it before."
Dylan nodded slowly. "Like the skills were already inside us."
Jason flexed his hands, feeling the warmth still pulsing beneath his skin. "…We don't just look like them. We are them. At least, in some way."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Kyle forced a nervous chuckle. "Well, at least I didn't freeze myself this time."
Jason snorted. "Barely."
"Hey! It's not like I shouted 'Get over here!' while throwing my weapon."
"Oh! shut up Kyle." Jason answered embarrassingly.
Kyle snicker.
Dylan tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable behind the blindfold. "It's more than just we look like them. It's like… the skills are just in us now. My body knew exactly how to handle the sword, and I could sense everything around me without needing to see. Well, I panic first and let's be real—there's no way I should be this calm about suddenly being blind."
Kyle exhaled, frost misting from his breath. "So, what? Did we just… inherit their skills along with their bodies?"
Jason rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the lingering adrenaline. "Looks like it. But that means we didn't just wake up looking like these characters—we are them. Or at least, some version of them."
Dylan ran a hand over his blindfold. "If that's true, then it's not just our bodies that changed. Our minds, our instincts… they're not exactly ours anymore."
A heavy silence settled between them. Jason clenched his fists. "No I don't think so, it is still us but different."
Kyle removed his mask and forced a grin, trying to shake off the tension. "Well, as long as I don't suddenly start talking like some ancient warrior, I think I'll be okay."
Jason huffed a small laugh, then looked toward the river. "Let's keep moving. If this world is throwing wolves at us, we need to find shelter... fast."
Dylan sighed. "Yeah, let's move. If those things are in this forest, I don't want to find out what else is here."
Jason nodded. "Agreed. Let's follow the river and get out of this forest before something stronger shows up."
With that, they pressed on, the weight of their new reality settling in deeper. Whatever world they had been thrown into, one thing was certain—this was just the beginning.