Enduring Beyond the Forest

The Original Web Light Novel Project

Volume 02, Chapter 19 : [ Enduring Beyond the Forest ]

Original work. By the author ‘Pili.’

That same morning, rays of light filtered through the canopy, casting shadows on the moist ground.

Branches cracked under careful footsteps.

A girl moved through the tall grass, pushing aside the thick foliage slowly with her hands.

It was Amaya.

Leaves brushed against her sleeves, and dew clung to the fabric as she passed.

She was stumbling, her legs heavy, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Her clothes were torn in places, snagged by thorns, and her face was smudged with dirt.

She managed to escape finally.

"I… really got away… finally… I escaped. I can’t believe it… I ran away."

The words slipped out before she realized it.

She slowed down slightly, brushing dirt from her knees.

"Itah… That hurts…"

Her legs ached, but she forced herself to move forward slowly.

Every rustle of leaves sounded like a pursuer. Every shadow seemed to her like a hand reaching out to drag her back to that cold, dark cell.

She remembered the look in Renne's eyes. Distilled pure evil.

She instantly shook her head.

"No. Don’t think about that now."

She paused for a moment by the tree, resting her hand on it.

"Hiroki…"

Just thinking of him brought a small, painful pang to her chest.

"Are they looking for me…? Or did they…"

She shook her head violently, trying to clear the dark thoughts. She looked up at the sky, visible through the gaps in the canopy. It was bright. A clear, calm blue.

She sighed, a long, weary sound that carried more weight than a girl her age should bear.

Branches cracked softly beneath her boots as she continued walking. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, and green hills became visible far away between the trees. It was peaceful in a way that didn’t feel real.

But… she wasn't watching where she was putting her feet.

Her boot caught on a hidden root.

"–Eh?"

The world tilted in her eyes. She tried to throw her hands out, but it was too late.

She hit the ground hard, the force stealing the breath from her lungs.

"AH—!"

She was lying on the ground in an odd position for a few seconds without moving.

Leaves scattered as she groaned softly as she pushed herself up again.

Her face was covered with damp soil.

"Itetete…That hurt."

She sat there for a moment, breathing slowly.

"I… can't…"

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to stay there. To just close her eyes and let the forest take her. It would be much easier for her than running.

"Hiroki…"

She called his name again, but this time her voice filled with distress.

She pressed her lips together, struggling to make herself stand again.

But then, she heard it.

A weird snap sound from the left.

Her steps slowed until she stopped, freezing in her place.

She turned her head slowly to the left.

Nothing but distant hills and tall grass swaying gently in the wind.

"Was it the wind…?"

She resumed walking again slowly. Yet the feeling didn’t go away.

This time, the sound came again. Heavier now.

"…?"

A shiver ran down her spine, glancing around in mild panic.

She squinted, her vision blurring slightly.

She noticed something in the distance.

Emerging from the tree line, a massive shape darker than the shadows around it.

Her throat tightened.

"A… A…"

Her eyes widened.

"A Grotpile…?!"

That creature stood on four thick legs, its massive gorilla-like body covered in rough black fur. The heavy, thudding legs of a bull. Its eyes were wide, glowing red, scanning the ground as it sniffed around. And the face… it was tuskless, but the sheer size of its jaw was terrifying. Raw size and power.

Amaya pressed her hands over her mouth, stifling a scream.

The beast stopped. It sniffed the ground, its massive head turning slowly from side to another searching.

"It doesn’t seem it noticed me yet…"

Her body trembled. She was frozen between the desire to escape and the dread of attracting attention.

"Okay. Just… stay calm. Grotpiles have poor eyesight. They track sudden movements and sounds. I should be fine."

Amaya swallowed.

She began to move carefully, crawling backward into the brush.

Amaya didn’t dare look away from it. She just kept moving, her hands feeling for the ground behind her.

"Just a little more… I need to get out of its range…"

Her hand brushed against something cold and scaly.

She glanced down.

A small black snake was coiled near her knee, its head raised, tongue flickering.

"You gotta be kidding me…"

Amaya flinched violently. It was purely reflexive, a fear based on instinct.

"WAAH—!"

She jerked her whole body to the right to avoid it.

CRACK!

A thick branch, hidden beneath the grass.

"Ouch—"

Her foot slammed into a big, dry, fallen branch. The sound echoed loudly through the area.

The snake slithered away, disappearing into the grass.

Her head rang as she groaned softly.

"T-Tete…"

She rubbed her head, sitting up slowly…

Silence.

Then… she heard it.

A heavy thud. Another. Then another one.

The Grotpile wasn't looking around anymore.

Instead, it approached her while looking directly at her.

"Ehh…"

She let out a dry, nervous chuckle and rubbed her head.

"Of course, I almost forgot…"

Her fragile smile faded slowly. She knew she was totally screwed.

The Grotpile started roaring gradually, a sound that shook the ground beneath her, and then it started charging forward.

She instantly started running, her body moved before her mind caught up.

"R-Really… Is this the kind of coincidence that only happens in fairy tales?!" She was struggling as she shouted.

Branches whipped past her face as she sprinted deeper into the forest, her breath breaking into panicked gasps.

"Why… why… why… why is this happening now?"

Behind her, the sound of crashing timber and thudding hooves grew louder. The Grotpile was fast. Much faster than it looked.

"Think, Amaya, think!"

She couldn't outrun it in a straight line. It would crush her.

She saw a cluster of dense trees ahead.

"There!"

She swerved sharply to the left, weaving between two thick trunks.

The Grotpile couldn't turn as fast. It crashed through a bush, losing a fraction of its momentum. But it still continued, slowly moving nonetheless.

Amaya kept running without looking back, zig-zagging through the forest, using every obstacle she could find. Roots, rocks, low-hanging branches. She threw herself over and under them, her lungs burning, and her legs screaming for rest.

After what felt like forever, the heavy sound behind her began to fade.

She risked a glance back. There was nothing.

At that moment, her legs collapsed from utter exhaustion.

She stumbled into a small clearing and collapsed against a tree, sliding down far until she hit the mossy ground.

"Haa… haa…"

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she straightened up.

"I… I'm still alive?! Finally… I can breathe. Thank god."

She rested her forehead on her knees, closing her eyes.

That was the moment when she heard it.

A soft, continuous sound.

"W-Water… Source?"

Amaya opened her eyes. She blinked, wondering if she was hallucinating.

She followed the sound carefully, pushing slowly through the ferns until the forest opened up.

It was just beautiful.

A small oasis hidden in the middle of the forest. Water flowed down from a high rock formation into a crystal-clear pool below.

Small red fish swam lazily near the surface, while sunlight reflected off the water.

"…It’s… Amazing… Beautiful…"

Amaya stood there, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Yet, that wasn't the priority.

"Water!"

She rushed forward, kneeling at the edge and drinking directly from the pool. The fish scattered instantly as she splashed the surface.

She drank greedily, water spilling down her chin.

"…So refreshing!"

Amaya let out a loud, satisfied sigh as she rose.

She finally leaned back, spreading her arms before collapsing onto the soft grass. Her body relaxed for the first time since she escaped.

She stared up at the sky, a canvas of blue and white, while clouds drifted slowly above, framed by the leaves of a tall poplar tree.

She raised her left hand, opening her palm toward the sky.

"I wonder… Are they looking for me yet…?"

At the same time, a white bird flew overhead, heading toward the distant hills.

It was heading to where the city was, but she would never know.

The light slowly dimmed. Night time was approaching.

Far away, under the darkening sky, Hiroki and the others were laughing together.

As if they had forgotten about her.

[TO BE CONTINUED…]