Struggle to Live

The tall thing circled around Shen, who gripped his blade tighter. With its long limbs twitching in anticipation, it exuded a deadly elegance in every movement. Every sound was magnified by the shadowy forest, making the snap of a bone sound like the crack of a limb. The smell of fear and rot permeated the moist air. Shen could hear his own frantic breathing, the rhythm of survival rising and falling in his chest.

Shen, think. He told himself, "Think!" as his mind raced to remember all he knew about these monsters. With its luminous eyes fixed on him, the night hunter's lips curled back to show razor-sharp teeth. Shen just avoided it as it surged forward, staggering back and feeling the sting of claws graze his arm. Despite his pained hiss, he maintained his balance.
Zara's battle was just as terrible across the clearing. She moved with dexterity and accuracy, calculating each blow with her blade. However, the thing she encountered appeared to predict every action she would do. The creature avoided Zara's assaults with a horrifying ease as she darted left and then right, her sword catching only air. She was breathing steadily, but Shen could see the fissures in her complex defensive pattern. Even Zara, with all her expertise, couldn't do this indefinitely because of the creature's unrelenting attack, which offered little opportunity for recovery.

As he watched her struggle, Shen's heart raced. His instincts begged him to come to her rescue immediately, but he knew that if he didn't stop his own enemy, it would only end badly. He made himself return his attention to the current danger. The hunter ahead of him moved with a seemingly sinuous agility. It extended its long, clawed fingers and flashed a menacing smile. Shen felt his sword's weight, heavy and awkward in his untrained hands. This was a survival lesson as much as a combat.

What Zara said It takes more than just fighting to survive. It's about knowing what you're doing.

Shen took a deep breath, his mind racing. He had to adjust and learn. With its claws pointed straight at his throat, the creature attacked once more. Shen ducked, deflecting the blow with his sword. His arms were jolted by the hit, but he remained upright. He had no time to hesitate. Not right now.

The forest itself appeared to be whispering, its shadows moving as though it were living. Shen's gaze swept over the landscape, looking for anything that would give him the upper hand. near that moment, he noticed a group of dimly lit plants near a tree's base. A faint green light surged through them, hardly noticeable in the darkness. As it got closer to the plants, the night hunter's route faltered a little and its movements become cautious. Shen had an epiphany.

Their aim is to avoid it. Why?

He didn't have time to completely analyze the situation. Shen broke instinctively toward the blazing bushes. With a guttural hiss, the hunter swung its claw at him. Shen caught a few of the plants and barely escaped the blow. Their stems clung to his fingertips with a viscous, sticky fluid. He immediately spread the sap across his sword, which was already covered in the dim glow.

The hunter hesitated, its bright eyes squinting. For the first time, its confidence wavered and it hesitated. Shen recognized the chance and seized it. He yelled and sprang forward, slashing his sword fiercely. The sap-covered sword grazed the creature's arm, causing it to flinch and scream. Shen pushed forward, his blows becoming more audacious. The fluid appeared to burn the creature, making its motions weaker with each wound.

Zara saw Shen's newfound advantage across the clearing. With its claws pressing into her shoulder, her own opponent had succeeded in knocking her to the ground. She clenched her jaw against the agony as she saw Shen moving toward his opponent. Her quick-witted mind put the situation together in no time.

"Shen, get it done!" Her voice was filled with urgency as she yelled.

As he moved forward, Shen's heart raced. The hunter in front of him, who was clearly weaker now, made one final, desperate attempt. Shen, however, was prepared. With a decisive arc, he struck his sword upward, piercing the creature's chest deeply. It shrieked one last time, and then fell to the forest floor, its dead body twitching once and then becoming motionless.

Shen didn't have time to think about his triumph. His focus returned to Zara when she screamed. With its teeth exposed just inches from her throat, her opponent had her trapped. Shen's body stiffened. He needed to do something.

Shen charged, using all the strength he still had left. He remembered Zara's training as he got closer:

Avoid fighting as they do. Fight as you would.

He feinted left and planted his foot solidly. The creature altered its weight in anticipation of a direct onslaught. Shen took advantage of the gap and drove his sap-covered blade into its exposed side. With a guttural howl, the beast twisted in agony and released Zara. Shen refused to give in. He continued to strike, each blow purposeful and bearing the weight of his survival.

The red eyes flickered in terror as the creature stumbled backward. Its neck was severed by Shen's last blow, and the hideous body fell down next to Zara. There was an uncanny silence in the jungle.

Shen heaved his chest and fell to his knees. He was unable to look away from the dead body. He was struck like a wave by the truth of what he had done. Despite not being human, it possessed the ability to move, breathe, and fight like a live thing. The weight of his deeds pressed down on him, causing his hands to shake. He was momentarily uncomfortable in his own skin.

Zara's voice cut through his thoughts, "Shen." The blood on her shoulder caught his attention as he turned to face her. She was alive despite her wounds.

"We must leave," she murmured in a feeble but determined voice. "It's unsafe in the jungle. They will return.

Shen stood up and nodded, his legs shaky. With Zara's weight bearing down on him, he assisted her in standing up. They hobbled together toward the forest's edge. Shen's eyes continued to focus on the glowing plants, whose dim light now represented both his survival and the boundary he had passed. Although he couldn't yet fully understand the cost, he had battled, killed, and lived.

The forest appeared to exhale as they came out of the shadows, the suffocating gloom dimming a bit. Shen was aware that the risk was still present. Not quite yet.