The deeper they ventured into the unknown forest, the more unnatural it became.
The trees were taller than castles, their twisted roots weaving through the earth like the veins of some ancient, slumbering beast. The sky above was an endless swirl of dark green and gold, unmoving, as if frozen in time. And the whispers…
They never stopped.
Low, hushed voices drifted through the trees, not spoken by any living thing, yet always there—pressing against the edges of their consciousness. Words neither Vierd nor Rain could fully understand, but their meaning was felt.
“LEAVE.”
“YOU ARE TRESPASSING.”
“THIS IS NOT YOUR WORLD.”
Vierd clenched his fists as he walked, his golden eyes scanning the shifting foliage. "THIS PLACE FEELS LIKE A TRAP."
Rain smirked, though there was little humor in it. "THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS."
They moved in silence for a while. Every step felt heavier, the pressure of unseen eyes boring into their backs. The creatures they had slain left no corpses, no traces of their existence. Even the blood that had stained the ground was gone, as if the land itself had swallowed it.
Rain exhaled through his nose. "I DON’T LIKE THIS. I’VE FOUGHT WARS, MONSTERS, THINGS THAT DON’T BELONG IN THE REALM OF MEN. BUT THIS?" His crimson eyes flickered. "THIS PLACE DOESN’T FOLLOW ANY RULES."
Vierd’s grip on his sword tightened. "THEN WE FIND WHO MAKES THE RULES… AND BREAK THEM."
A rustling in the trees.
Then, a shadow moved.
The Hunters of the Forest
Before either of them could react, the air itself shifted.
A presence descended upon them.
From the darkness between the trees, something emerged—tall, skeletal figures, their limbs elongated, their bodies covered in moss and shifting bark. Their faces were hollow, gaping voids where eyes should be. And yet, Vierd felt their gaze.
They were not beasts.
They were hunters.
Rain’s posture shifted, his muscles tensing. "I’M GUESSING THEY’RE NOT HERE TO WELCOME US."
Vierd didn’t respond. There was no time.
One of the creatures moved.
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Not ran. Not lunged.
It glided.
A blur of unnatural speed.
Vierd barely had time to react before its claw slashed toward his chest. He twisted at the last second, feeling the wind of the strike graze his ribs. With one fluid motion, he countered—his sword carving through the air in a lethal arc.
The blade passed through the creature.
For a moment, Vierd thought he had missed.
But then—
The creature screamed.
A sound so raw, so filled with agony, that the very air around them trembled.
Rain’s eyes widened slightly. "YOUR SWORD WORKED."
Vierd didn’t answer, but he felt it too. His blade, which had failed against the previous monsters, had cut through this one.
Why?
But before he could process it—more of them came.
The forest erupted in movement.
Dozens of hollow-eyed hunters emerged from the darkness, surrounding them on all sides. Some crawled from the earth, others descended from the trees, their movements eerily soundless despite their monstrous forms.
Rain exhaled. "WELL THEN…" He rolled his shoulders, gripping his blade with both hands. "LET’S SEE WHO DIES FIRST."
Then, the battle began.
A Fight in the Shadows
Vierd moved first.
His instincts had already memorized their speed. The moment one lunged, he was already gone, his body shifting with unnatural precision. His blade flashed in the dim light, cutting through the void-like flesh of another hunter.
It screamed.
But instead of dying, its body contorted, its wounds shifting and closing before his eyes.
Vierd’s teeth clenched. "THEY HEAL FAST."
Rain twisted around, dodging a swipe aimed at his throat. He plunged his blade into one’s chest, his magic igniting in a pulse of gray energy. The creature convulsed, its form cracking before it finally collapsed into dust.
Rain smirked. "THEN WE JUST HAVE TO KILL THEM FASTER."
Easier said than done.
They were relentless.
For every creature that fell, two more emerged from the shadows. Their hollow faces never changed, their movements unnaturally synchronized, as if controlled by a singular force.
And then—
Something changed.
One of the hunters stepped forward.
And it spoke.
"YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE COME HERE."
Vierd’s breath caught for just a second.
Its voice was not monstrous. It was not the distorted growl of a beast, nor the screech of a mindless horror.
It was human.
A Choice in the Darkness
Vierd and Rain froze.
For the first time, the creatures did not attack. They simply stood there, watching.
Waiting.
Rain’s fingers twitched over his sword. "DID THAT THING JUST TALK?"
Vierd didn’t respond. His golden eyes locked onto the speaking creature.
"WHAT ARE YOU?" His voice was steady.
The hunter tilted its head.
Then, slowly, its shape began to change.
Its elongated limbs shortened. Its hollow face shifted.
And before their eyes, it became a man.
A human.
Tall, with pale skin, silver hair, and glowing blue eyes. His face was unreadable, his presence as unnatural as the void itself.
But what unsettled Vierd the most was not what he saw.
It was what he felt.
A familiarity.
The man exhaled. "LEAVE THIS PLACE. BEFORE IT TAKES YOU, TOO."
Vierd’s pulse slowed.
Something was wrong.
This man. These creatures. This forest.
It was all connected.
Rain stepped forward slightly. "AND IF WE REFUSE?"
The man’s expression didn’t change.
"THEN YOU WILL JOIN US."
The whispers in the forest grew louder.
“STAY.”
“BECOME ONE WITH THE LOST.”
“WE WERE ONCE LIKE YOU.”
Vierd’s fingers curled into a fist.
Then, his decision was made.
"WE’RE LEAVING."
The man tilted his head again, as if observing something unseen.
Then—he smiled.
"GOOD."
The whispers stopped.
The creatures vanished.
And suddenly, Vierd and Rain were alone again.
The forest was silent.
But it was not empty.
Vierd exhaled, his mind racing. This wasn’t over.
Something was coming.
And next time…
It would not let them go.
