Shadows in the Forest

A Woman stepped forward, her piercing amber eyes scanning the remaining contestants with an unimpressed look. She was tall, muscular, and carried herself with an air of authority. "I am Zoe," she announced, her voice firm and commanding. "Welcome to Phase Two of the challenge. You've managed to survive so far, but don't get comfortable. This next test will push you beyond your limits."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
The towering black-skinned alien crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on her. "Are we still running?" His deep, gruff voice carried a mix of boredom and annoyance.
Zoe's expression remained cold. "Yes, Mr. Zoi. This run will test your endurance. It spans 30 miles through a dense, unpredictable forest."
Ro's eye twitched. Thirty miles? His stomach dropped. Welp… I'm done for.
Before he could complain, a gruff voice cut through the tension.
A tall man in a cracked white mask let out a low, giddy chuckle. "Ohhh, now this is what I've been waiting for." He licked his lips, his voice dripping with excitement. "Zoe, I gotta ask… are we allowed to kill each other?"
The air grew heavy.
Some contestants stiffened. Others grinned.
Zoe gave him a cold, indifferent look. "Yes. You are allowed to kill each other."
The masked man's shoulders shook with laughter, his voice drenched in pleasure. "Hah! Oh, this is gonna be delicious." He stretched his arms, his entire body trembling with excitement. "Bloodshed makes everything more fun."
From the side, a massive, hulking figure let out a deep sigh.
The buff giant, whose arms were as thick as tree trunks, looked down at the masked man, frowning slightly. "You… enjoy that?" His voice was deep but gentle, almost like a kind-hearted warrior forced into battle.
The masked man smirked, tilting his head. "Oh, big guy, you wouldn't understand. The thrill of a good hunt? The rush of watching someone squirm? Mmm, it's intoxicating."
A cold, grating voice cut through the chatter.
The lizard-like humanoid, his jagged scales reflecting the torchlight, chuckled softly. His piercing yellow eyes locked onto Ro and the others with analyzing amusement.
"How… fascinating." His voice was smooth, intelligent, yet disturbingly sadistic. "All of you, scrambling to survive… desperate to prove yourselves… It's like watching insects struggle in a jar."
Renji snorted, flashing a cocky grin. "Damn, you sound like some galactic tyrant or somethin'."
The lizard smirked wider, his sharp teeth glinting. "And if I were?"
Renji's grin faltered for half a second, but he quickly recovered. "Tch. Then I'd say you're just another arrogant bastard who's gonna get his ass kicked."
The lizard chuckled darkly, his amusement genuine. "I do enjoy… confidence."
Zoi, who had been silent until now, clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Enough with the damn theatrics." His stoic face twisted into a scowl. "You people talk too much."
Kai watched him carefully, noticing how Zoi's stance remained perfectly still—a sign of someone who wasted no energy.
Zoe's sharp voice cut through the tension.
"The rules are simple." She gestured toward the dense, dark forest beyond the gate. "Run. Survive. Only those who make it to the other side will move forward. There will be… obstacles."
She turned on her heel. "The challenge begins in three minutes. Prepare yourselves."
Kai's expression turned serious as he glanced at the thick forest ahead, then back at his teammates. "Ro, My, try not to get into any fights. Stick close to me and Renji."
Ro frowned, exhaling sharply. "Why? I can handle myself."
Kai shook his head. "I can sense their Ti-Bu levels… It's crazy high—way higher than mine."
Ro's eyes widened slightly. "You're kidding, right?"
Renji folded his arms, his usual cheeky smirk replaced by a rare moment of seriousness. "He's not."
My's face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait… why can't I sense their Ti-Bu?"
Ro nodded, now more irritated than concerned. "Yeah, same here."
Renji sighed, shaking his head. "Because your Ti-Bu is extremely low. And also, you're both still new to this."
Ro clicked his tongue. "Tch. Good grief."
He pulled out a cigarette, lit it up, and took a slow drag.
Kai and Renji's heads snapped toward him in shock.
"Uh… Ro?" Kai said cautiously. "How old are you again?"
Ro exhaled a stream of smoke, looking unbothered. "Twelve."
Kai blinked rapidly. "And… you're smoking?"
Ro shrugged. "Not 'cause I like it. I just—"
Before he could finish, My grinned mischievously and cut him off. "He does it because he thinks it looks cool."
Ro nearly choked on his cigarette. "HEY!"
My giggled, clearly enjoying his reaction.
Renji smirked, shaking his head. "Wow, Ro. Not only do you have a cute sister, but you smoke? Man, I wish I could be cool like you."
Ro growled, glaring at him. "Hah-hah, very funny. I can easily tell you're being sarcastic."
Renji grinned wider. "Oh, I was. But not about your sister."
Ro's eye twitched. "You little—"
Kai rubbed his chin, suddenly lost in thought. "Man, I've never smoked before. I wonder what would happen if I did…"
Ro deadpanned, taking another drag. "Well, you'd probably get lung cancer."
Kai grimaced. "Oh. Yeah, that doesn't sound fun."
Before anyone could say anything else, Zoe's sharp voice cut through the air.
"You have one minute left."
The entire area grew tense as the remaining contestants prepared themselves.
Ro flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his foot.
The forest loomed ahead, silent and waiting.
The death run was about to begin.
Zoe's voice rang out, her tone sharp and unwavering.
"Alright, listen up! The gates are opening in a few seconds. Watch out for the wildlife. There are creatures in that forest that'll tear you apart if you're not careful. And one more thing…"
She paused for a beat, letting tension fill the air.
"There will be shadows in the forest that will distort your vision. If you lose your sense of direction, you're as good as dead."
Ro's brow furrowed. "The hell does that mean?"
"Figure it out yourself," Zoe replied flatly.
Before anyone could ask more questions, a loud mechanical clank echoed as the massive iron gates began to rise. A gust of wind rushed out, carrying the scent of damp earth and something… feral.
A heavy silence followed.
Then—
"3... 2... 1... GO!!"
The moment the gates fully opened, chaos erupted.
Hundreds of contestants surged forward, a stampede of desperate bodies pushing and shoving as they fought to gain ground. The forest loomed ahead, dark and uninviting.
Kai, Ro, My, and Renji darted forward together, weaving through the crowd.
SCREAMS rang out almost immediately.
A contestant near them barely made it five steps before a massive brown bear lunged out of the brush, its claws slashing straight through his chest.
Blood splattered across the dirt.
Renji gritted his teeth. "Damn! I figured there'd be wildlife, but this is insane!"
Ro didn't even turn his head. "No shit!" he barked, dodging past another panicked contestant who nearly tripped into him.
My yelled. "Stay together!!"
They pressed forward, dodging tree roots, leaping over fallen logs, and narrowly avoiding others who weren't so lucky.
Kai's instincts flared—something felt off.
He whipped his head around, eyes sharp.
Renji felt it too, his usual smirk fading into a focused glare. "...We're being followed."
Ro looked back, his expression darkening.
Behind them, moving with an eerie, unhurried pace—
The Masked Man.
His flamboyant, unsettling grin was visible even through the darkness, his eyes glowing faintly behind the mask.
Kai's stomach tightened.
Something about the way the Masked Man moved—like he wasn't even running, but simply gliding through the chaos—
It wasn't normal.
And worse?
He was gaining on them.
Out of nowhere a card whizzed through the air, spinning at a deadly speed before stabbing into the ground in front of them.
Suddenly—
A shimmering red barrier erupted, stretching high into the air, cutting off their path forward.
The group skidded to a stop, narrowly avoiding slamming into it.
A slow clap echoed behind them.
"And where do you think you're going?"
The voice was silky, amused, and unsettlingly playful—but beneath it, there was something… off.
Too smooth. Too controlled.
They all whipped around, coming face to face with the Masked Man.
Kai's fists clenched.
"Renji, take these two and get out of here."
Renji's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, what—?"
Ro and My both snapped their heads toward Kai, their faces filled with shock.
"The hell are you talking about!?" Ro barked.
"You think I'm just gonna run!?"
Kai didn't look at them. His gaze stayed locked on the Masked Man.
"This guy… he can easily kill us," Kai muttered. "I'd rather not have you three die under my watch."
"Oh… how sweet."
The Masked Man's grin widened, his teeth flashing in the dim light.
Then, with a slow, theatrical movement, he reached up and removed his mask.
His cloak billowed to the ground, revealing his true appearance.
His hair was a deep, royal purple, wavy and cascading just past his shoulders. The color seemed to shift in the moonlight, almost as if it was dyed with rich violet ink.
But it was his eyes that stood out the most.
His left eye was a deep red heart, sharp and gleaming with a hypnotic glow. His right eye was a brilliant diamond, shimmering like a polished gemstone.
His clothes were a blend of elegance and madness—
A high-collared, tailcoat-style jacket, deep crimson and black, with golden embroidery in swirling, intricate patterns.
A tight-fitting vest, jet-black, with small, silver playing card symbols embroidered across the front.
His pants were slim, black with violet stripes running down the sides, tucked neatly into shined leather boots.
He wore fingerless gloves, each adorned with a tiny, silver card symbol on the knuckles.

He gave a dramatic bow, then straightened, his grin never fading.
"So… what shall we play?"
Renji grabbed My-My’s wrist. “My, follow me!”
“O-Okay!” she stammered, quickly matching his pace as they sprinted away.
Ro’s eyes widened. “HEY, HEY, HEY—” he barked, before gritting his teeth and taking off after them.
Kai didn’t even glance their way. His focus was locked on Hiroki.
The purple-haired man stood calmly, his hands in his pockets, watching the others disappear with zero concern. His unblinking, heart-and-diamond eyes stayed fixed on Kai, a hungry smirk playing on his lips.
Kai rolled his shoulders, exhaling sharply.
“So… you got a name?”
The grin on Hiroki’s face widened slightly. “I do.”
He took a slow, theatrical step forward, tilting his head to the side.
“It’s Hiroki. And you?”
Kai’s stance didn’t shift. “Kai.”
Hiroki let out a soft, mockingly amused hum. “Well then, Kai…”
His fingers twitched slightly, as if itching to grab something.
“I guess you’ll be my first victim.”
Kai’s brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” His voice was steady, firm—completely confident. “Your Ti-Bu may be stronger than mine, but I won’t go down so easily.”
For a brief second, Hiroki was silent.
Then—
He licked his lips.
A slow, shuddering exhale left his lungs, his fingers twitching in excitement.
“Ohh… I love it.”
His voice was low, sickly sweet.
“I love it when a weakling actually thinks they have a fighting chance.”
His grin twisted into something borderline manic, his eyes gleaming.
“It just gets me so… excited.”
Kai didn’t flinch.
Didn’t break eye contact.
Didn’t show an ounce of hesitation.
“Then you’re in for a real treat.”
He raised his fists, planting his feet firmly into the dirt.
“Because I don’t plan on losing.”