The forest closed in around her like a suffocating embrace. Twisted branches reached out like skeletal fingers, grabbing her hair and scratching her skin. Emily stumbled over exposed roots, over the remains of towering trees, now fallen and decaying. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat leaving a thunderous echo in her mind, as fear and adrenaline fuelled her desperate escape. She dared not look back, knowing that those knights were still hot on her trail.
Questions flooded her mind, but time was a luxury she didn't seem to be able to indulge right now. Why were knights, clad in glimmering armour that seemed centuries old, chasing her? What happened to her breakfast, that she was eating a few minutes before?
She was glad that some sort of primal instinct kicked in once the first arrow glanced her arm, and her legs had started running on their own, but now her mind started to catch up with the surreality of the situation. Her instincts screamed at her to focus on moving forward, haunting her with the gleaming helmets and warped grimaces of the hunting dogs that replaced her breakfast table.
Every rustle of leaves and every snap of a twig sent a shiver down her spine. The forest seemed alive with unseen eyes watching her every move. Fear and exhaustion gnawed at her resolve, her lungs starting to burn worse than they had back in her track days. She stumbled through another group of trees, losing her fuzzy slippers to a root sticking out of the muddy ground, but kept on running. The adrenaline pumped through her veins, fully waking her up. Her mind raced in a whirlwind of confusion and fear as she darted through the darkening forest.
is this all a dream? it's gotta be, right, I'm still laying in bed, I never stood up, I just dreamt of pancakes and strawberries and -
Her thoughts abruptly halted as her foot hit a hidden rock, sending a jolt of pain through her already battered body. She gritted her teeth, cutting the train of thought short and forcing herself to keep moving despite the sharp ache.
The trees grew thicker around her, their canopy blocking out even more of the little moonlight that was shining through the clouds. Emily's breaths came in ragged gasps as she fought to keep her pace, her body screaming for her to stop, to give up and just lay down. Her legs ached, and started to slow down - as another arrow whistled through the air. She barely had time to hear it, before more adrenaline rushed into her system, and a scream left her lips before her mind even registered the sharp pain in her shoulder.
Her body spun, trying to keep balance, grasping for support from a nearby tree, feeling blood mix with bark under her fingers, her mind going blank from the pain. Her shoulder was radiating heat and the arrow felt like it was digging deeper. The bark under her hand felt like it was melting, her hand pushing into it like soft sand.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
She glanced at it, seeing bright red droplets of blood slowly creeping down her arm, onto her hand and onto the bark. It was mesmerizing, froze her in place despite the pain, despite the approaching danger she could hear in form of clanging metal and barks.
Emily's started spinning, her vision blurring and she felt like she was about to faint any second, her mind briefly fading to black, as a voice pushed itself into her mind, piercing her thoughts like the arrow that had pierced her flesh.
> [New Skill Acquired: And Her Blood Became Bark]
what?
Quickly, she ripped her hand away from the tree, stepping back, arrows flying towards her. Her mind was racing in circles. She tried to process what had just happened, the fact that she had just been shot, but could not think of anything but that voice.
wait, what?
Arrows continued to fly, shrieking past with unreal noises, thumping into the same spot she just stood a second ago. She started running again, her feet pushing off in the muddy ground, racing at the same speed that her mind was.
hold on what -
The pain had subsided, reduced to only a dull twitch in her right shoulder.
She pushed through another thicket, thorns failing to scrape her hands, and saw a clearing up ahead, illuminated by a soft, silvery glow. The open space looked inviting, peaceful even, but the shouts, barks, the clangs of armour and clopping of hooves kept her pushing forward, past the clearing, back into the dark woods.
what the actual fuck was that? am I hearing voices? seeing things?
Just a up ahead, she spotted a narrow stream winding through the forest. Its surface was shimmering like the little bit of hope that surfaced in her mind. With her last bit of strength, she plunged herself into the water, wincing at the icy cold biting her bones, and began slowly make her way upstream. Her eyes kept scanning the underbrush behind her at the edge of the stream, watching out for any sign of movement, but the hounds' howling grew more distant as she waded further. The water mixed with her blood, washing it off her legs and feet, dulling the pain of the sharp rocks she stepped on earlier.
It's just a temporary solution, isn't it. They're going to find me. They have horses. They are going to catch me if I don't do anything - they are going to kill me fuck I don't want to die I don't want to die
Her thoughts were rudely interrupted, as she stumbled out of the stream, trying to make her way through an especially thorny bush. She stumbled again, losing balance, and her head struck a jagged rock with a sickening thud -
Everything went black.
Towering above her, an ancient oak stood silent sentinel, its branches whispering secrets lost to the ages. The moon cast its ethereal light upon the scene, illuminating Emily's still form as she lay crumpled in the muddy riverbank, blood dripping down her temple. Seeping into the roots of the oak,
In that moment of stillness, the forest held its breath, as if waiting for some unseen force to tip the balance of fate. And in the depths of Emily's unconscious mind, a flicker of something stirred, like a flame struggling to reignite in the darkness.
---
> [Class: Runner Obtained!]
> [Hidden Class Obtained!]
> [Level Up!]
>
> [New Skill Acquired: Survival Instinct]