Forest and Fear

"...So..."

"...this must be..."

"...the Forest of Death."

so gathering all my corage i stepped into unknown.

The morning sun filtered gently through the towering canopy above.

Golden rays slipped between countless branches, painting patches of light across the forest floor.

For the first hour...

Walking wasn't difficult.

At least...

That's what I wanted to believe.

The air inside the forest felt strangely heavy and also fresh.

Cool enough to ease the exhaustion from the previous three days of travel.

The ground beneath my boots was soft, covered with layers of fallen leaves and emerald moss.

Every now and then...

A small bird darted between the branches overhead.

For a moment...

It almost felt peaceful.

"..."

"...Maybe they exaggerated."

I muttered quietly.

"The Forest of Death doesn't seem that ba—"

A branch suddenly snapped beneath my foot.

The sound echoed far louder than it should have.

"..."

"...Never mind."

I immediately apologized to absolutely nobody.

"...Sorry."

Silence answered.

"..."

"...I'm talking to trees now."

"...Great."

They haven't left anything this morning .

Not even a single piece of fruit.

"..."

"They really wanted me dead..."

I sighed.

"..."

"Okay..."

"Don't panic."

"First objective."

"Find food."

"Second objective."

"Don't become food."

"..."

"Simple enough."

I nodded confidently.

Then immediately frowned.

"...Actually..."

"That sounds much harder when I say it out loud."

Remembering what one of the guards had casually mentioned during the journey, I looked toward the morning sun peeking through the trees.

"The road to Lionheart lies northeast."

"If the sun rises in the east..."

I pointed toward it.

"...Then..."

"...North should be..."

I paused.

"..."

"...Wait."

I scratched my head.

"I'm no geologist."

"...or whoever figured all this direction stuff out."

"..."

"I probably should've paid more attention in geography class."

After several moments of completely unscientific reasoning...

I picked a direction.

"...Looks northeast enough."

With absolutely no confidence in my own conclusion...

I continued walking.

...

The deeper I walked...

The denser the forest became.

The towering trees swallowed more and more sunlight until only scattered beams reached the forest floor.

Nearly an hour passed.

The excitement of finally leaving the Cathedral had completely disappeared.

My legs felt heavier with every step.

"..."

"I'm hungry..."

Not the kind of hungry where a snack would help.

The kind where your stomach starts negotiating with your brain.

Eventually...

I gave up and sat beneath the shade of a large tree.

"..."

"..."

"Right."

"They really wanted me dead."

I leaned my head back against the tree and sighed.

"..."

"Now what?"

Almost as if the world had been waiting for that exact question—

Thud.

Something landed squarely on my head.

"...Ow!" "...Ow!"

That hurts.

I quickly looked down.

A bright red fruit rolled across the grass before stopping beside my boot.

I picked it up and looked up at the tree.

"..."

"I'm no Newton..."

"...so I'm not about to calculate this planet's gravity."

I turned the fruit around in my hand.

It looked almost like an apple.

Except...

It was longer.

Almost pear-shaped.

"..."

"Question number one."

"Is it edible?"

Silence.

No answer.

"..."

"...Well..."

"If I suddenly collapse..."

"I'll know it wasn't edible."

There was absolutely no one nearby to disagree with my flawless logic.

"Excellent."

"My investigation has produced absolutely no useful information."

I looked at the fruit one last time.

"Well..."

"If I don't eat it..."

"I'll probably starve."

"If I do eat it..."

"I might die."

"..."

"I like the first option slightly less."

Without another second of hesitation..

I took a cautious bite.

"..."

Bite.

Crunch.

Sweet juice immediately filled my mouth.

"..."

"...Wait."

I blinked.

Another bite.

"..."

"It tastes like..."

"...pineapple?"

I stared at the fruit in disbelief.

"..."

"It looks like an apple..."

"But tastes like a pineapple..."

I slowly looked toward the endless forest.

"..."

"This world..."

"...is seriously messed up."

A small grin appeared on my face.

"..."

"...Just like its people."

For the first time since waking up alone...

I laughed.

But somehow...

It made the forest feel a little less lonely.

The fruit had done little to satisfy my hunger.

If anything...

It only reminded me how empty my stomach still was.

"..."

"One pineapple-apple thing..."

"...isn't exactly a feast."

I dusted my hands and stood once more.

The morning breeze had disappeared.

The forest felt warmer now.

I instinctively looked toward the sky.

"..."

Only then did I realize the problem.

The sun...

Was almost directly above me.

"..."

"...That's..."

"...not good."

Earlier that morning...

Finding northeast had been simple enough.

The rising sun had at least given me something to work with.

Now...

It hung almost perfectly overhead.

Every direction looked the same.

I slowly turned in a circle.

"..."

"...North?"

"...South?"

"...Left?"

"...Definitely not left."

I immediately frowned.

"...Wait..."

"...How do I even know that?"

I scratched my head.

"..."

"Fantastic."

"I'm officially lost."

The trees surrounding me looked identical.

Every path...

Looked like every other path.

Every rock...

And....

Every bush...

'n'

Every fallen tree...

It all blended together into one endless green maze.

"..."

"...No problem."

I took a deep breath.

"Stay calm."

"The sun will move again."

"I'll figure it out."

At least...

That was the plan.

Nearly another hour passed.

The forest seemed determined to prove me wrong.

No matter which direction I walked...

Everything looked exactly the same.

I stopped beside a stream.

Bent down.

Splashed cold water across my face.

"..."

"I really miss Google Maps."

Silence.

"..."

"...Yeah..."

"...I walked right into that one."

Even the stream refused to laugh.

My stomach growled once again.

Louder this time.

"..."

"Fine."

"New objective."

"Forget directions."

"Find lunch."

I looked around carefully.

Maybe another fruit tree.

Maybe berries.

Anything.

As long as it didn't try eating me first.

The thought almost made me smile.

Almost.

Following the stream seemed like the smartest option.

Water usually meant life.

And life usually meant food.

At least...

"I remembered watching an old survival program back on Earth. The host... what was his name again? Bear Gills? Bear Grills? Ah, whatever."

That's what survival shows always said.

"..."

"I really hope those documentaries weren't lying."

The stream twisted deeper into the forest.

The trees became larger.

Their roots spread across the ground like giant serpents.

Some were so wide I had to climb over them.

Others forced me to take long detours.

Without realizing it...

I had completely abandoned whatever direction I had been following earlier.

Now...

I was simply walking.

Then...

Something caught my eye.

Between several thick bushes...

A dark opening appeared beneath a rocky cliff.

"..."

"A cave?"

I slowly stepped closer.

The entrance was very large.

Yet...

The air around it felt strangely cold.

A thin black mist drifted lazily from within.

It didn't spread.

It simply lingered around the entrance.

"..."

Every hair on my arms stood upright.

My heartbeat quickened.

"..."

"...No."

"I don't like this."

For reasons I couldn't explain...

Every instinct inside me screamed the same thing.

Leave.

I didn't argue.

"..."

"Agreed."

I quietly turned around.

"...Whatever's living in there..."

"...can keep living there."

Lunch suddenly didn't seem so important anymore.

Without looking back...

I walked away.

The afternoon dragged on.

The forest remained endless.

Every tree looked the same.

Every path disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.

"..."

"I swear..."

"...this forest is messing with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

I pushed aside another curtain of bushes.

Then...

Stopped.

Several tiny creatures stood in the middle of a clearing.

They  looked no different from playful  pups.

Grey fur.

Fluffy tails.

Tiny paws.

They couldn't have been much larger than puppies.

"..."

"...Wolves?"

One of them tilted its head curiously.

Another bounced clumsily toward me.

"..."

One of them even wagged its tail while curiously sniffing the air.

"..."

"...You guys aren't exactly what I expected to find in the Forest of Death."

A small smile escaped my lips.

I slowly crouched, making sure not to frighten them.

The nearest pup tilted its head.

"...Cute."

Then...

Something tugged at the back of my mind.

A memory.

"The forests surrounding the northern regions are home to many magical beasts."

I remembered one of the Cathedral scholars explaining the wildlife to another Hero during an afternoon lecture.

Back then...

I hadn't paid much attention.

"Among them are the Shaprons..."

"They closely resemble ordinary dire wolves, making them difficult to distinguish at first glance."

"Never approach their young."

"Shaprons possess an exceptional instinct for protecting their own."

"The moment a single cub senses danger..."

"The entire pack responds."

"..."

My smile slowly disappeared.

"..."

"...Shaprons?"

I looked back at the tiny pups.

Then...

At the countless pawprints covering the ground around them.

Fresh.

Far too many.

"..."

"...No..."

"...No..."

A cold chill crept slowly down my spine.

"..."

"I'm standing..."

"...inside their den."

One of the pups suddenly let out a sharp cry.

It wasn't loud.

Barely more than a bark.

Yet...

The entire forest answered.

Howls echoed from every direction.

Left.

Right.

Behind.

Above the rocky ridge.

Every direction.

"..."

"...Run."

My body moved before my mind could catch up.

I turned and sprinted through the trees.

Branches whipped across my face.

Roots reached for my feet.

Behind me...

The howls grew closer.

Much closer.

I risked a glance over my shoulder.

"..."

At least eight.

No...

More.

Adult Shaprons burst through the undergrowth with frightening speed.

Their bodies were nearly twice the size of ordinary wolves.

Dark grey fur shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight.

Their golden eyes never left me.

"They're fast!"

One leapt.

I barely threw myself sideways in time.

Its claws tore through the sleeve of my shirt.

Another snapped at my leg.

Pain exploded across my calf.

"...Gah!"

Sharp fangs pierced my skin before I kicked wildly, forcing it away.

I stumbled.

Almost fell.

Then kept running.

"..."

"This way!"

I had no idea where "this way" actually was.

Every tree looked identical.

Every path disappeared beneath fallen leaves.

The forest had become one endless maze.

Another Shapron lunged from my left.

Instinctively...

I drew my sword.

The dull blade caught the creature across its shoulder.

Clang.

"...What?!"

The wolf stumbled backward...

More surprised than injured.

Not even a scratch.

"..."

"...Seriously?"

"What kind of sword is this?!"

There was no time to complain.

Another pair of glowing eyes emerged ahead.

Then another.

I was surrounded.

Without realizing it...

My feet carried me toward a familiar place.

The rocky cliff.

The dark cave.

"..."

"...Not again."

The black mist still drifted lazily from its entrance.

The same overwhelming feeling crawled across my skin.

Leave.

Every instinct screamed at me to run.

But something strange happened.

The Shaprons...

Stopped.

Their growls became uncertain.

Their ears flattened.

Several took cautious steps backward.

"..."

"They're..."

"...afraid?"

Hope flickered inside me.

"If they're scared..."

"...Then maybe I can scare them too."

With a desperate shout...

I charged.

The nearest Shapron sprang toward me.

Its jaws clamped tightly around my left forearm.

"...AAAGH!"

Pain shot through my entire body.

Without thinking...

I slammed the hilt of my sword against its skull.

The beast released its grip with a yelp.

Another Shapron launched itself from the side.

Time seemed to slow.

Almost instinctively...

My body twisted.

Its claws brushed past my chest plate instead of tearing into it.

"..."

"...How did I...?"

There was no time to think.

Using every bit of strength I had left...

I swung my sword like a club.

THUD!

The blade struck the beast across its ribs.

Not sharp enough to cut...

But heavy enough to send it flying.

The Shapron crashed straight into the darkness of the cave.

Silence.

and i fell on to my knees coughing blood due to exhaustion and breathing was also rough.

One heartbeat.

Two.

Then—

A howl.

A howl of absolute terror.

Every Shapron froze.

Even I stopped breathing.

Something happened...

Inside the cave...

"...What's happening?"

No one answered.

Then...

Another howl echoed from within the cave.

It wasn't loud.

It was the desperate cry of something that had looked directly into death.

The sound ended abruptly.

As if someone had silenced it.

My heart pounded violently.

One of the larger Shaprons whimpered.

Another slowly stepped backward.

Then another.

The Alpha...

The creature that moments ago had been ready to tear me apart...

Was retreating.

"..."

"They're..."

"...running?"

Without warning...

Every Shapron turned toward the forest.

They fled.

Not in  any formation.

They simply ran.

As though every instinct they possessed screamed one thing.

Escape.

"..."

For a brief second...

I almost smiled.

"They're leaving..."

Then...

It happened.

The nearest Shapron suddenly stopped.

Its body remained perfectly still.

"...?"

For one impossible moment...

Nothing happened.

Then...

A thin crimson line appeared across its body.

Then it's eyes widened.

Its body slowly slid apart.

Both halves collapsed onto the forest floor.

"..."

My breathing stopped.

Another Shapron leapt over a fallen log.

It never landed.

A spray of blood scattered through the air.

Its lifeless body crashed several meters away.

"..."

"...What..."

was happening there was.

Only massacre.

One after another...

The fleeing pack disappeared into the trees.

And one after another...

Their cries echoed through the forest.

Desperate.

Then...

Silence.

The Alpha made one final attempt to escape.

It sprinted with everything it had.

It reached the tree line.

For a heartbeat...

I thought it had survived.

Then...

Its head slowly rolled across the ground.

Its body collapsed where it stood.

The forest became still once more.

"..."

"..."

"..."

My stomach twisted violently.

"...Ugh..."

I fell to my knees.

Everything I had eaten that morning spilled onto the moss beneath me.

"..."

"...Haa..."

"...Haa..."

My entire body shook uncontrollably.

"..."

"...What..."

"...What was that...?"

I couldn't even process what I had witnessed.

Predators...

Creatures strong enough to hunt in packs...

Had been erased.

Effortlessly.

Like insects.

The smell of fresh blood filled the air.

Even the breeze had stopped.

I slowly wiped my mouth.

Trying to steady my breathing.

"..."

"...Leave..."

Every instinct inside me screamed.

Run.

Run now.

I tried.

My legs refused to move.

They felt nailed to the ground.

My body no longer belonged to me.

Then...

The temperature dropped.

Not slowly.

Instantly.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood upright.

A shadow stretched across the ground.

Long.

Unnatural.

It slowly covered my feet.

Then...

My entire body.

"..."

"..."

My breathing stopped.

Something...

Was standing behind me.

I could feel it.

Without seeing it.

Its presence alone crushed the air around me.

The pressure pressed against my shoulders.

Against my very soul.

"..."

"...No..."

Trembling...

I slowly began to turn around.