The footsteps grew louder, and my breath paused as panic rushed through me.


    I raised a hand to my face, wiping at the tears that fell down my cheeks, though it did little to steady the panic rising within me. My breaths came uneven as I forced myself to stand, my legs weak and hurt beneath me. My head moved in every direction, searching desperately for a way to escape.


    They were coming from the village—I was sure of it. Running near the open field to my right would only make me an easy target, a sitting prey waiting to be caught. My eyes shifted behind me, where the dense forest stretched into the shadows of a mountain.


    It was my only chance.


    Clenching my fists, I slowly walked toward the forest, my steps each in desperation and fear. The rough ground beneath me seemed to threaten to trip me with every step. As I reached the start of the forest, I stopped, frozen by the sight of the dark trees ahead. My heart pounded in my chest, and for a moment, the fear of the forest—of what might be waiting inside—held me. I had no choice but to keep going, but I couldn''t shake the terror and fear I was having.


    I didn''t want to go in—I was always terrified of the monsters lurking in the dark, the ones people whispered about. The villagers, those same faces that screamed at me and called me a monster, used to laugh and tell me I should just go into the forest and let the creatures there take me. But now, with the hunters closing in, those monsters didn''t seem so bad.


    I hesitated for a moment, looking into the dark trees where shadows twisted and moved. Then, I thought to myself, "Well, it''s better than being caught and killed."


    With that thought, I took a deep breath, clenched my fists, and ran into the forest, my heart pounding in my chest as the trees closed in around me. The darkness inside felt suffocating, swallowing every glimpse of light, as if the forest itself was alive, waiting for its prey. As I got deeper the forest grew darker and darker, almost growing pitch black.


    The rough ground beneath me made every step painful. I could feel the jagged rocks digging into my bare feet, sending sharp stings of pain up my legs. My face twisted with each step, my jaw clenching as I tried to push through the pain.


    But I couldn''t stop. The thought of them catching me kept me moving forward.


    I stumbled past a small, quiet lake, the water reflecting the dim light, before moving deeper into the thick woods. Hundreds of trees seemed to stretch on forever, their shadows twisting and merging into one endless sea of darkness. The forest felt like it had no end. It all looked the same. I couldn''t shake the feeling, though—like the forest itself was watching me, waiting.


    Then, suddenly, I froze.


    I didn’t want to, but I had to. My legs trembled as an eerie feeling washed over me. Slowly, I tilted my head to the right, my instincts screaming that something was there. It was pitch black, and I couldn’t see a thing. For some reason, I always had a sense for danger—a sharp, unexplainable instinct that had kept me alive more times than I could count.


    I glanced a bit further to the right and saw it: a faint glimmer of light breaking through the trees. An exit. A shortcut to escape this dark forest. Despite the exit, my instincts kept stopping me. My legs felt like they couldn’t move anymore. It was impossible to see any further, as the moonlight was hidden behind dark clouds.


    I hesitated, my breath shaky as I forced myself to take a step forward. The path was completely pitch black, save for that faint light at the end. Each step felt heavier than the last, tension building in my chest. The closer I got, the more my body screamed at me to stop, as if it were trying to warn me of something.


    But then, I froze.


    “No,” I whispered, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest.


    I clenched my fists, forcing myself to focus. That faint light ahead felt like an escape, but my instincts screamed it was anything but.


    “I have to trust my instincts,” I muttered. “It''s the only thing that has never betrayed me.”


    Without another thought, I spun on my heel and ran to the left. My heart pounded as my feet slammed against the ground, the forest around me growing darker with each step. The air felt heavier, the shadows deeper, but I didn’t stop.


    As I ran, the moonlight, previously hidden behind clouds, broke through and illuminated the forest. That’s when I saw it behind me—something dark, shifting in the shadows. Its form was hazy, almost blending with the trees, but I could feel its eyes on me, cold and piercing.


    I turned my head slightly, trying to catch a better look.


    It was hard to see as the clouds slowly returned to hide the moonlight, but I caught glimpses. Horns twisted upward from its head, and its tall, shadowy frame loomed with unnatural stillness. Its wide hands dragged claws across the ground, sending shivers through my spine.


    It saw me.


    Yet, for some reason, it didn’t move. It just stood there, silent and terrifying.


    Then, it vanished, swallowed by the darkness.


    My breath caught in my throat as I tried to make sense of what I saw, but there was no time to think. I had to keep running.


    I pushed on, my legs burning, the weight of fear pressing against my chest. Then, I heard them—shouting, the hunters. "We found her tracks! She''s not far!" Their voices echoed through the trees, and my heart pounding more than ever.


    But then, a new sound pierced through the air—screams. The hunters'' screams. They were begging, desperate cries for help, their voices trembling with terror. "Help! Something''s—it''s—! Aghhh!" I continued to run, my breath shallow as I heard them, straining to hear every word. Their cries were frantic, filled with pain, and then abruptly cut off. The forest seemed to absorb their voices, leaving only an eerie silence behind. I couldn''t tell what was happening, but it didn''t sound like they had a chance.


    The screams echoing in the distance, sharp and full of terror, slowly faded away. Panic surged through me, pushing me to run faster, to get away from whatever was behind me.


    My legs burned, my breath ragged, but all I could focus on was escaping. I didn’t realize where I was going. The world around me blurred, everything spinning too fast. Before I could stop, I stumbled forward, and the ground beneath me wasn''t stable anymore.


    I tripped and fell straight into the muddy waters. Cold liquid splashed up, soaking my legs and edges of my tattered clothes. My knees buckled under the sharp pain, and for a moment, I could do nothing but sit there, trembling. The ground beneath me was slick and clinging, as though the mud itself wanted to pull me down and keep me there. My legs throbbed with a dull, relentless ache, each pulse of pain a cruel reminder of how far I had pushed myself.


    As I tried to catch my breath, a rancid smell hit me, so thick and foul it made my stomach churn. I gagged, turning my head away as though I could escape it, but the stench clung to the air, refusing to let me go. “Ugh, what is that?” I muttered disgusted, coughing as the bad odor clawed at my throat. It smelled like rot—like something decaying in the wet, suffocating heat of the forest.


    Grimacing, I planted my hands in the mud, forcing myself upright despite the pain screaming through my muscles. The smell was only getting stronger, almost unbearable now, and I realized the air itself felt heavier, thick with something sickly and wrong. But I didn’t understand. Not yet. I only knew I had to keep moving, to get away from whatever was causing that horrid smell. I swayed on unsteady legs, blinking to clear the dizziness clouding my vision, and stumbled forward, still coughing.


    Then, the moonlight started to peek through the dark clouds, pushing them aside and shedding pale light over the scene. Everything around me seemed to freeze for a moment, as if even the forest held its breath.


    It wasn’t muddy water. It was a river of blood, thick and murky, filled with the remnants of the dead.


    Corpses. Bodies hung from the branches like grotesque ornaments, their pale, withered faces twisted in eternal agony. Empty eye sockets stared down at me, lifeless yet filled with a chilling sense of awareness, as if they could still see. The vines suspending them creaked softly in the wind, making them sway like broken puppets, their limbs contorted unnaturally.


    The air turned ice-cold, and a suffocating dread wrapped around me. My chest tensed, and the breath I had fought to steady escaped in a shaky, ragged gasp.


    What was this? Why were they here? My mind screamed at me to run, to get away, but my legs refused to move. I was rooted in place, overwhelmed by the sight of the bodies swaying with the faintest wind. The trees seemed to lean over me like they were part of the nightmare, their gnarled branches reaching down as if to grab me.


    I could feel panic rising in my throat, my skin crawling, but I forced myself to breathe through the bad smell, to calm the storm inside. I couldn’t afford to fall apart. I couldn’t let fear drag me under.


    I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut against the images of the hanging bodies. No. No, I couldn’t stay here. Not with them—not with the forest watching me like this. I swallowed hard, my throat tight, and forced my legs into motion.


    I had to move. I had to get out.


    Pushing through the terror, I stumbled forward, my breath quick and erratic, the water sloshing beneath my feet. I barely noticed the pain in my legs, the rawness of my scraped palms, or the exhaustion gnawing at me. I just kept running, tearing through the dark, hazy woods, praying that I wouldn’t hear the eerie creaking of the branches behind me.


    But I couldn’t outrun the feeling—the oppressive weight of the forest pressing in on me from all sides. It felt endless, suffocating. My body screamed for rest, for a break from the terror, but I couldn’t stop yet. Not when every shadow felt like it was following me, not when the forest itself seemed to shift with malice.


    Finally, I staggered into a small clearing, the trees thinner here, and collapsed against the rough bark of the nearest one, my chest heaving with exhaustion. I slid down to the ground, the coolness of the earth biting into my skin. My legs felt like they might give out at any second, but I stayed upright, clinging to the tree for support.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I closed my eyes for a second, trying to steady my breathing, trying to block out the terror. But even as I sat there, trembling, I couldn''t shake the feeling that the forest was still watching. That the corpses were still hanging in the trees, waiting.


    I wasn’t alone here.


    And I couldn’t afford to stay for long.


    My leg throbbed again, the wound from earlier reopening, blood slowly seeping through the torn fabric of my clothes. It hurt, but the pain felt distant compared to the terror coursing through me. My body shook uncontrollably, trembling with fear as I tried to steady myself. Every breath came in shallow gasps, and the world around me seemed to close in, the air thick with dread.


    As I took a moment to recover, a drop of liquid splashed onto my arm from the tree, cold and sticky. I slowly glanced up, and my eyes widened with terror as I saw it—the monster. Its dark, hollow eyes locked onto mine, empty and soulless. It was hungry, watching me with an eerie stillness, as if I were its next prey. The air around me grew cold, suffocating, as the creature’s presence seemed to stretch through the forest, filling the space with a feeling of unnatural dread. I didn’t even feel the pain in my legs anymore, not with the monster standing above me.


    The creature’s form was twisted, barely human, its limbs too long, its claws glinting in the dim light. It shifted slightly, and I could hear the creak of its bones, like the cracking of old wood. It was watching, waiting—ready to catch me.


    My heart raced, paining in my chest. My body screamed in exhaustion, but all I could feel was fear—the kind of fear that paralyzed, that made my blood freeze. Instinct kicked in. Without thinking, I forced myself to move, my legs feeling like lead. I ran as fast as I could, stumbling over the uneven ground, the fear pushing me forward like a tidal wave, crashing over every ounce of reason.


    I didn’t dare look back. The thought of it following me was enough to make my legs move faster, my breath ragged and desperate. It was coming. It had to be coming.


    Branches scratched my skin, but I couldn’t stop. I had to get out. My chest burned, my legs screamed, but I kept pushing through the trees, desperate for a way out. Then, ahead, I saw it—a small gap in the trees, a sliver of hope. But before I could reach it, a shadow stepped into my path. My heart sank. It was in front of me now.


    The creature was massive—three times my size. Its horns twisted like jagged spikes, gleaming wickedly in the dim light. Its claws glinted, sharp and dripping with something dark, something foul. It let out a low growl that rattled through my bones, sending a wave of terror crashing through me.


    Before I could turn, another growl came from behind me, closer this time, like a terrible omen. I spun, my stomach dropping as a second creature crept into view. It was smaller, but just as terrifying. Its eyes gleamed with malice, and it blocked my only escape.


    I was trapped.


    Panic surged through me, my breath coming in shallow gasps. I couldn’t think straight. I couldn’t fight. The creatures slowly closed in, their eyes locked on me with hunger, the scent of death thick in the air. I glanced around desperately, my gaze darting from one monster to the other, trying to find any way out.


    What do I do now? The question echoed in my mind, my thoughts racing, but every option felt useless.


    Coughing harshly, my breath ragged, the exhaustion making my chest tenser. My mind raced—Should I fight? Should I keep running? But I knew. I knew I couldn''t outrun them forever.


    As the creatures closed the distance, my panic began to subside, replaced by a bitter clarity. My breath grew shallow, and my limbs felt heavier. There was no escape anymore—no more running. The reality of it sank in. The faith was closing in, and I couldn''t fight it anymore.


    Maybe this was it. Maybe it was for the best. This nightmare had to end, one way or another.


    But just as they leapt forward, their long, twisted arms reached out, claws scraping the air, inches from my skin. I could hear the sickening sound of them slicing through the air, the dark, jagged tips gleaming in the faint light. Fear flooded my veins, freezing me for a split second. The creatures were almost upon me, their jaws snapping open, their eyes glowing with hunger.


    Something inside me snapped.


    No. I wouldn''t just give up. Not now.


    I pushed myself harder, running to the side, hoping for a way out. The monsters paused for a moment, then leapt at me again, their movements terrifyingly fast.


    I ran, gasping for air, my legs heavy and aching with every step. The burning in my lungs felt unbearable, and my mind screamed at me to stop. But I couldn''t. If I stopped, they would catch me.


    And then, something grabbed my leg from behind. Causing me to fall directly down to ground.


    I screamed, feeling the claws sink deep into my ankle, pulling me back. My right leg throbbed painfully, blood spilling from the fresh wound as their grip tightened. I looked behind me, and there they were—drooling, their mouths wide, their eyes filled with hunger.


    The pain in my leg was sharp, but the terror in my chest was sharper. I struggled, kicking and pulling, but their claws held firm, dragging me closer to them.


    The creature was dark, its body a shifting blur, blending into the shadows like it belonged there. It was fast—impossibly fast—its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. Jagged teeth glistened as it bared them, dripping with saliva. Its limbs were very long and twisted, reaching out from the darkness like unnatural shadows, claws sharp and ready to tear through flesh.


    The other one reached out, its other hand trying to grab me, I kept on struggling to pull away. But the claws—they were holding me in place, and I felt my strength disappearing, like something was slowly draining from me. I was losing my will to fight, but I couldn''t understand why.


    Why did I feel so weak? Why was it getting harder to breathe, to move? Each second, I felt my body growing heavier, as though something inside me was being ripped away. My mind was clouded, and my thoughts were disappearing.


    I tried to push back, to move, but I couldn''t. The pull on my ankle was too strong, and my vision was starting to blur. My heart raced, but my limbs felt like stone.


    And then, it hit me. It—the creature—was taking it all away. My energy. My will. Every ounce of strength I had left.


    My body was weakening, my limbs heavy, but I wouldn''t stop. I couldn''t. Even as the darkness closed in, I refused to give up.


    I kicked out with my other leg, desperate to shake off the creature''s grip, but its claws only tightened, digging deeper into my skin. My fingers clawed at the rough bark of a nearby tree, but they slipped, useless against the smooth, unyielding surface. Nothing worked. Every attempt to fight felt like it was only dragging me closer to my doom.


    Cold dread settled in, sinking deep into my bones. The realization hit me like a slap to the face: there was no escape. No way out. I was going to die here, alone and helpless, swallowed by the darkness of this nightmare.


    Just as I felt my strength falter, the other monster''s claws grabbed onto my other leg. My body went rigid, pain radiating from both wounds. My heart pained in my chest as I looked up, terror freezing me in place. The creatures towered over me, their faces grotesque, twisted in dark, macabre delight. Their eyes gleamed with hunger—but worse than that, there was something in those eyes. They weren’t just hungry... they were pleased. They reveled in my terror, in my struggle. They were enjoying it.


    I couldn’t fight it anymore. All my hope drained away, swallowed by the crushing weight of the nightmare closing in around me. It was too much. The fear, the pain, the hopelessness—everything came crashing down. In that moment, I understood the truth. This would be my end. They would feast on me, and there was nothing left to stop them.


    I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t fight anymore. And as the darkness consumed me, I gave up all hope.


    Before my vision blurred more, I saw both monsters look away from me for a second, their focus shifting to something on the left. One of them loosened its grip on my leg, slowly shifting its weight and walking to the left side with heavy, uneven steps. My body was numb, but I tried to force my eyes to stay open.


    Through the haze, I saw him—a boy. He was slowly walking straight toward the monster, unaware of the danger closing in. My heart sank, a weight pressing down on me.


    No, not him too. He didn''t know. I wanted to scream, to warn him, but I hesitated.


    I can scream to warn him, but should I? The thought twisted in my mind, heavy with indecision. All my life, I''ve been hunted by people like him. And now... now I could watch him die. Watch him suffer, just like they''ve made me suffer, just like they''ve done to me.


    The sadness weighed down on me, bitter and sharp. Part of me wanted to scream, to warn him, but another part, the part that had been broken by years of hunting, couldn’t bring itself to care. He was just another hunter, another person who would cause me more pain if given the chance.


    But why does it hurt so much to watch him suffer? The question echoed in the depths of my mind, unanswered and cold. They’ve hunted me, tormented me, made me afraid for so long. Is this how it should end?


    I felt the ache in my chest grow, a hollow emptiness that seemed to swallow me whole.


    I had no doubt that he was one of the hunters. He wanted to kill me, I thought bitterly, feeling an ache of helplessness deep in my chest. But even so, I didn’t want him to die like this. It didn’t matter.


    He was still a person. A life, like mine. I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else dying here, even if they were one of the hunters. They might’ve been chasing me, hunting me, but I didn’t want them to die like this—not like the others.


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    I closed my eyes for a moment, imagining a life without the pain, without the constant weight of fear and regret. I thought about how long I’d been running, how long I’d been haunted by my past, always looking over my shoulder. I didn’t want anyone else to suffer the way I had.


    Not like I ever truly lived. A life where I never truly felt alive, just surviving in a world full of suffering and pain.


    My life had always been a struggle, a never-ending fight to survive. I had learned early on that nothing ever comes easy, that even the smallest moments of peace are fleeting. And now, as my strength drained away, I realized that this boy—this hunter—deserved a chance at something better. Something I would never have.


    I didn’t want him to die here, in this forest, with nothing but the monsters as his witnesses. I wanted him to run, to live, to see the world beyond this nightmare.


    Even if they had once been the ones hunting me, I couldn’t wish that fate on anyone. Not after everything I had been through, everything I had lost. My heart ached, knowing that I could never escape this torment, but maybe—just maybe—he could.


    I closed my eyes, the weight of my own helplessness crushing me. All my life had been a battle for survival, a never-ending chase, and now, it would end here, in this forsaken place. But if my sacrifice could give someone else a chance to live, a chance to escape what I could never have... then maybe it wasn’t all for nothing.


    With the last bit of strength I had, I forced out a weak scream, barely a whisper through my dry throat, but it was enough to say two words: "Run away!"


    A part of me wished for something different—for a life I would never have, for a future I would never see. But if I could give him that chance, even for a moment... maybe I had done something right in all this darkness.


    The monster didn''t hesitate. It leaped toward him in a blur of motion, hearing my scream as if it had been waiting for me to make a sound.


    I was dragged closer to the monster’s open mouth, its sharp teeth ready to sink into me. The smell of rot filled the air as its mouth stretched wider, like a dark pit that would swallow me whole. I could feel the heat of its breath against my skin, making my heart race. I was almost there. It was the end.


    The world started to fade, everything going dark, and I braced myself for what was coming. But just before I closed my eyes, I saw him again.


    The boy.


    He stood still, as the monster charged at him with terrifying speed. But he didn’t move. He didn’t run.


    Instead, something felt... off. It was like his body was falling apart, breaking into pieces and decaying. He slowly reached behind him and pulled out his sword. It felt unnatural, like time was slowing down around him.


    I could barely take it in. The monster’s teeth were so close to me, but my eyes stayed on him. Something had changed. He wasn’t the same anymore.


    In that split second, the joy that had been in the monster''s face vanished. It was replaced by sheer terror. I saw it in its eyes just before it was too late. My vision swam as tears blurred my sight, saying my goodbyes to the world.


    The wind rustled the leaves, making them whisper in the dark. Birds scattered from the trees, their wings a blur as they fled into the sky, their cries echoing in the distance. The forest felt alive in a way that only made the moment feel more urgent, it was completely silent for a second.


    Then, I heard it. The sound of slicing—so fast, I could barely note it at first. A blur of metal and sharp cracks filled the air, followed by the monster''s screech. The earth trembled, and I could feel the vibrations in my bones, my heart racing with every passing second.


    The monster was screaming in pain, its howls almost sounding like it was begging for help. I couldn''t believe it—this terrifying creature, so full of malice, was now desperate.


    I reopened my eyes; not sure how much time had passed. My energy slowly crept back, inch by inch, until I could see again.


    The creature that had been holding me? Its head was gone, cleanly severed from its body. And then, my eyes moved to the left. The rest of the monster''s body was torn apart—sliced over fifty times, each mark deep and precise.


    The grip on my ankle loosened, and I collapsed, falling to the ground. Confusion clouded my mind. I couldn''t quite understand what had just happened, the whirlwind of pain and shock making everything harder to understand.


    But before I could fall unconscious, something strong caught me. My head rested against someone''s chest, and I blinked up, still dizzy, still unsure.


    With my vision blurred, I could barely make out the shape, but then, through the blur, clear beautiful blue eyes stared back at me.


    He placed his warm hands behind my head, almost as if trying to comfort me. He smiled, a brief but reassuring look. "Looks like I was in time."


    And for the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to feel hope.