A lone figure moved through the Hurton Forest with steady, unhurried steps. Kael kept heading north toward Vrinhelm, the image of the city still solid in his mind. Mako had given him a crude, barely legible map before they parted ways, but Kael could hardly understand half of what was written on it. In the end he could only rely on instinct and the position of the sun, hoping he would eventually stumble across the city by luck or sheer stubbornness.
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When they had finally stepped out of the Nimbra Ruins the night before, the sky above Eryndor had been quiet and dark, lit only by the soft glow of its three moons. Kael had been completely drained after everything he had survived inside the ruins. His body demanded rest.
He found a small, shallow cave tucked between the roots of a massive tree and cautiously tossed a stone inside. Nothing moved. Relieved, he gathered dry sticks from the forest floor and used the flint Mako had given him to start a fire. The flames crackled to life, pushing back the cold darkness.
Only one problem remained.
Grhh—!
His stomach growled so loudly it echoed off the stone walls.
He had no food left. Mako hadn't left him any supplies, and Kael hadn't thought to ask. The idea of hunting in an unfamiliar forest full of unknown dangers made his skin crawl, but another violent growl from his stomach reminded him that hunger didn't care about fear.
He sighed, grabbed a thick branch he could use as a club, and stepped back out into the trees.
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He was drifting slowly across a dark sea on a small wooden boat. He couldn't move. He couldn't speak.
"Mhmmm… hmmpf…" he tried to mumble, trying to force words out of his locked throat.
The boat was drifting straight toward a violent storm ahead. Lightning flashed inside the black clouds like veins of light. Kael's heart pounded wildly in his chest. He wasn't bound by any ropes, yet his body refused to obey him. The storm grew closer and more violent with every passing second.
Where the hell am I? he thought in rising panic.
He tried to look around, but could only move his eyes. In his limited field of vision he could see his own hands and feet — brutally battered, bruised, and covered in dark, drying blood.
What's going on…?
Up ahead, lightning crackled violently inside the storm.
CRACK—!
The sound of thunder exploded directly above him, louder than anything he had ever heard in his life. A warm, thick liquid began dripping slowly from his ears. He couldn't lift his hands to check, but he already knew the truth.
My eardrums…!
Kael gritted his teeth in agony. He tried to move, pouring every ounce of strength he had into his limbs, but something invisible was eating away at his power, draining him dry from the inside.
CRACK—!
Lightning struck again, even closer this time.
Time seemed to slow down. Kael could see the raw, intangible force of energy racing straight toward him even as everything else dragged like molasses. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the collision.
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Haaa—!
Kael jolted awake inside the cave, gasping for air like he had been drowning. He was covered in cold sweat, his heart hammering so hard it hurt. For several terrifying seconds he still felt like he was on that boat, still trapped in that storm, still waiting for the lightning to tear him apart.
He could move. He could speak. He was alive.
The fire he had built earlier had died out sometime during the night, but he had already prepared extra sticks the night before. He quickly rebuilt it, blowing steadily until the flames returned and pushed back the darkness once more.
He dismissed the dream as just a nightmare and tried to shake off the lingering dread clinging to his skin. The sun wasn't up yet, but the forest was already coming alive with the sound of early birds and distant animal calls.
He had no hunting skills. He was relying entirely on luck and desperation.
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Kael had gone quite deep into the forest but still hadn't found anything he could kill. Every time he tried to approach an animal, it either bolted immediately or turned aggressive, forcing him to back off. His frustration was reaching a breaking point. Hunger made his hands shake and his thoughts slow.
He was about to turn back toward the cave when a loud, piercing cry suddenly echoed through the trees.
SHRIIIIIIEK—!
It wasn't just any cry. It was the sound of pure distress — high-pitched, desperate, and filled with pain. Kael's instincts immediately told him to follow it. He broke into a jog, moving toward the source of the noise without thinking.
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He found the source quickly.
A rabbit.
"What in the actual fuck…" he muttered under his breath.
The creature was caught in a crude wooden trap — probably set by another hunter or traveler passing through — and was thrashing violently to free itself. But this was no ordinary rabbit. Its fur was a strange, shimmering silver-gray that almost seemed to glow in the early morning light. Long, razor-sharp claws extended from its paws, and when it opened its mouth to scream again, Kael clearly saw long, needle-like canines.
What a deceptive little bastard, he thought. Something this small and almost cute-looking could easily tear a person's throat out. If this thing roamed the forest freely, what other dangerous creatures were hiding in the shadows waiting for easy prey?
The rabbit spotted him and instantly went feral. It growled and snapped its teeth while yanking its trapped leg with all its strength. The other leg was still free, which meant Kael couldn't safely walk right up to it without risking serious injury.
His tiny dagger wouldn't do enough damage from a safe distance. He needed reach.
Kael moved to a nearby tree and cut down a long, straight branch. Then he tore a strip of cloth from his already damaged trousers and used it to lash the dagger tightly to the end of the branch, creating a crude but surprisingly sturdy spear. The total length was nearly four times the length of his arm.
The rabbit watched him with intelligent, furious eyes, swinging its free leg in the air as if daring him to come closer.
Kael tested the weight of the spear, adjusted his grip, then stepped forward carefully.
The moment he got within range, the rabbit lunged with its free leg. Kael sidestepped and drove the spear forward in one clean, practiced motion.
Thunk—!
The blade sank deep into the rabbit's left eye.
It let out a horrible, piercing screech that made Kael's ears ring. Blood poured down its silver fur as it thrashed even harder, trying to rip itself free from both the trap and the pain. But it was still alive. Still dangerous.
Kael didn't hesitate. He pulled the spear back, took one step back for momentum, then lunged again with everything he had.
Thunk—!
The second eye was gone.
The rabbit was now completely blind and screaming in pure agony and fear. Blood soaked the ground beneath it, staining its beautiful silver fur dark red. It kept struggling, kept trying to attack anything that came close even though it could no longer see.
Kael stood over the struggling creature with cold, empty eyes.
"The weakest ones are always the ones who don't understand the situation they're in," he said quietly, almost to himself.
He backed up several steps, then broke into a short run. At the last moment he jumped, angled the spear downward, and drove it with all his remaining strength straight through the rabbit's skull.
The creature gave one final, weak cry… then went completely still.
Kael stood there breathing hard, spear still buried deep in its head. Blood dripped slowly from the blade onto the silver fur.
The deed was done.
He had made his first real kill in the wild.
For a long moment he just stared at the body, the reality of what he had done settling into his bones. Then, slowly, he pulled the spear free, wiped the blade on the grass, and began the messy work of preparing his first proper meal in days.
As he worked, he couldn't stop thinking about how easily the rabbit had gone from prey to predator in his mind. Nothing in this world was safe. Nothing was what it seemed.
And now, neither was he.