DON'T MISS

I was still passed out lying there on the floor the pain and the exhaustion from fighting that corpse beast that took me almost 2 hours of battle.

I stumbled my way through the darkness, one hand pressed against the wound on my shoulder while the other dragged along the rough wall of the cavern for support. My fingers were raw, my feet bare and slick with blood. The cold stone bit into my skin, but I couldn't bring myself to stop.

I just couldn't. Then I started taking walking at a certain direction, looked like a cave.

Because I had caught a glimpse of it amidst the chaos of battle, a fleeting sight through the falling limbs and decay. A hollow cliff face in the distance, veined with glowing moss, casting a soft light into the blood-soaked world. A cave.

And somehow, my body was already moving toward it, even before my mind had a chance to catch up.

Now, inside, the air felt different.

It wasn't just death anymore. The air was thick with the scent of rich earth, aged wood, and something that felt both ancient and alive.

The walls had transformed; they were no longer just raw stone. They throbbed gently, like veins under skin, entwined with vines that glimmered with soft blue spores. Odd symbols flowed across the surfaces like rivers, not etched but rather grown.

I reached out and let my fingers glide along one of the vines.

It stirred.

Not in a violent way.

Just enough to acknowledge my presence.

"…What is this place?"

My voice echoed too loudly in the quiet. This made me have a weird feeling but I still walked around the place. Taking a few more steps… the path began to widen.

The chamber I stepped into was something out of a dream it felt as if a forest had taken root deep underground. Luminescent trees spiraled up toward the rocky ceiling, their glow casting an otherworldly light. Golden pools of liquid dotted the floor, resembling stars trapped in glass. Ethereal lights flitted between the branches, reminiscent of fireflies conjured from memory.

It was stunning.

And that's when the arrow hit.

THWIP.

A sharp sting shot through my upper arm not deep, but quick. Blood blossomed. I barely ducked behind a gnarled stone pillar. Another arrow struck where my head had just been a moment ago.

"Target is small—child-sized!"

"Could be a mimic! Don't just assume it's human!"

The voices were muffled by cloth, their echoes twisting in the air.

I felt his breath quicken. My arm throbbed, warm blood seeping and sticky against his skin. I crouched low, pressing my back against the cold stone, my heart pounding like a war drum.

Figures cloaked in masks began to emerge from the trees.

There were four of them. Maybe more. They moved like shadows, their faces obscured by bone masks painted with crude flames. Some carried shortbows, while others wielded blades crafted from crystal and fang.

Their movements were too smooth to be anything but skilled.

Hunters.

One stepped forward the tallest among them. Their mask resembled a wolf's skull.

"You there. Speak."

I stayed silent, looking at the people who surround me I had to stay calm. Many questions flooded me again.

WHO ARE THEY? WHERE AM I? WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I pressed his hand against the wound. The bleeding had slowed, but I felt light-headed. Weak. Another figure darted forward, this one moving with alarming speed.

Too fast.

I tried to flee—

But as soon as I stepped into the clearing—

They closed in around him. The air crackled with magic. A trap. One of them leapt blade raised, aiming for the side of my head.

I reacted on instinct. I twisted, dropped to the ground, and flung dirt into the attacker's eyes. It slowed them down just enough.

I rolled to the side, but a boot slammed into my ribs. I crumpled, pinned down. I have no choice so I fought back, but it was no use; they had my now. One of them yanked my arm behind my back while another pressed a dagger against my throat.

"Look at his eyes," one of them murmured. "They're… unnatural."

"Could be a Corpse-Beast mimic. Their latest forms can really fool you."

"Finish him off. Quickly."

"WAIT!" a voice rang out.

It was sharp, female, and filled with anger.

Everyone froze. From deeper in the cave, another figure stepped forward. She moved lightly, wearing a different mask black wood, smooth, with three slashes carved across the mouth.

She removed her mask.

A girl, maybe 13 or 14. Her skin was pale, and her sharp green eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness. Her black hair was tightly braided, adorned with bone charms woven throughout.

She looked down at me, scanning him intently.

I was covered in ash and dried blood because of the crazy battle with the corpse beast, my small body barely managing to breathe.

"He's not one of them," she insisted.

"You can't know that—" the leader in the wolf mask started to argue.

"I can." Her voice was firm. "Look at his wound. The way he flinched. They don't feel pain like we do. But he does."

She took a step closer, leaning down until her eyes locked with mine and for a brief moment, neither of us looked away. Something passed between them.

Was it recognition? No.

Something deeper.

…Grief, perhaps.

"He's a survivor."

She turned to the others.

"Let him go."

They hesitated. But ultimately, they complied.

As the pressure lifted from my body, I coughed and sat up slowly, blinking at the girl who knelt beside me, unwrapping a cloth from her belt.

She pressed it gently against my wound.

"You've got more guts than sense, stranger."

"What's your name?"

I paused. Her voice was attracting and soft it makes me want to reveal my true name but should I do that. I still don't know these people. Why did this girl save me does she know something about me and what eyes are they talking about?

There is only one way I can survive, by using them to gather information.

I was still trying to catch my breath. But I managed to speak.

"…Zeriaus," he murmured.

The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Strange name."

"Mine's Liora," she replied.

She tightened the wrap around her arm.

"Welcome to the Hollow."

They lingered in silence for a moment longer. Then I glanced up. My eyes narrowed. There was something moving above them in the glowing treetops.

Dozens of blinking eyes.

Watching.