After walking for a long time, the forest began to grow darker than before, due to the density of the trees. Although the sun was at its zenith, Virak felt as if the sun had started to set.
Virak did not know where those white beings had gone, but he continued walking in the same direction they had taken. The trees began to grow denser and larger with each step he took. There were many rumors about the North Moon Forest, not to mention the legend of the Silver Moon race. There were numerous myths, whether told by travelers claiming to be truthful or merely tales to scare children. The most famous legend was about a magical plant that only existed in the North Moon Forest. Travelers said it was a highly toxic magical plant that could kill anyone who approached it and was capable of movement.
There were thick roots stretching as far as Verak could see, entwined around the trees and reaching high into their canopies. The trees around him were now many times larger than normal, thick and their tops invisible. Verak didn't know how he was still walking and hadn't run away to the village since he saw what happened to that wild boar, as if he couldn't control his body, as if something was pulling him into the forest.
After a while that virak did not recognize, he arrived at a large square, covered with many branches, and in its center was something resembling a large rock, covered in green grass as if an eternity had passed over it. He walked slowly towards the rock; at first glance, it seemed like an ordinary rock, but virak noticed that there were openings in the rock from which a sticky green liquid was oozing out.
He wasn't foolish enough to touch this strange liquid or even get too close to it. He looked around and picked up a branch from a tree. Virak extended the branch of the tree to the strange liquid, touching the sticky substance. The branch began to dissolve immediately. When that happened, Virak quickly threw the branch away. It melted within five seconds, and his eyes widened when it occurred.
Virak looked again at the rock and the viscous liquid oozing from it. He began to sweat at the thought of what would happen if he touched that sticky substance. He gathered his scattered thoughts and started to consider which direction to take. The first option was, of course, the way he had come from, while the other direction led deeper into the forest. Virak couldn't see what lay ahead due to the density of the trees, as if the sunlight was avoiding this place.
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*Crack*
Verak heard the sound of branches breaking, looked behind him, and saw a huge group of small white creatures. His heart raced when he saw the scene before him. He felt his legs weaken when he saw the huge smiles on their small faces, and their hollow black eyes from which he could not see. Despite their small size, he felt a deep fear more than ever before. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right foot. He looked down and saw a small white creature pushing against his foot as if trying to enter it. He noticed that his foot was starting to bleed, and he felt as if there were things moving inside it.
His eyes widened in shock as he kicked the small creature away. When he did that, he noticed the rest of the white creatures starting to approach him. Verak tried to move away when he saw this, but suddenly he felt a terrible pain in his right foot, as if a very sharp sword was trying to cut through it. He looked at his foot and saw blood gushing from it, and green fluid began to seep out. Verak tried with all his strength to stand on his feet, and he succeeded. As soon as he did, he started running deep into the forest without knowing where he was going. If it weren't for the fear that had taken hold of him and the adrenaline surging through his body, he would have been writhing in pain on the ground.
Virak stopped to catch his breath after running at full speed, but his moment of respite was interrupted when he saw the white creatures standing behind him from a distance, wearing the same huge smile on their faces. His eyes widened in surprise at how these small beings could catch up to him so quickly. When he started running, the white creatures were walking towards him, so how did they end up behind him like that?
Virak looked around and saw that they were surrounding him from all sides. When he turned his gaze back to the front, he noticed that most of them had disappeared and were now much closer to him. Virak was surprised because he had only looked away for a few seconds, and they were now just a few meters away from him. He didn't think much about it and resumed running as fast as he could, even trampling some of those white creatures. When he looked back, he saw that they had resumed standing as if nothing had happened.
Virak couldn't see clearly what was in front of him, due to the pitch-black darkness of the dense forest ahead, which grew darker the deeper he went. He didn't dare to look back, nor did he think of stopping to catch his breath; he didn't want to end up like that poor pig. He stumbled over a thick tree branch and fell into a hollow of a massive tree in front of him. He couldn't see the tree because all the trees looked alike in this utter darkness. He rolled as if he were in an amusement park until he reached cold, rocky ground like ice. He began to lose consciousness, still thinking about those white creatures so they wouldn't catch up to him.
Virak's consciousness began to fade as he saw some light resembling a tunnel. His body was exhausted from running and the fear he felt, and all he wanted now was to return home and eat the dinner his father always prepared. After that, he would go to his warm bed to sleep. That was hiswish at that moment, to the extent that he felt this cold ground, which could only be described as biting ice, was a warm bed waiting for someone to lie down on it.
He closed his eyes, wishing for a little rest, and finally fell asleep on that cold, rocky ground.