I start running like a maniac as the looming figure approaches me; I stop caring who I run into I just wanted to escape; I just wanted to go home. I begin crying like a child. Athena where the fuck are you god damn it?! I think crying to myself I run into a few more alien entities until I come across a deciduous forest. Maybe I can lose the monster in the woods. I think to myself as I run into the woods. My optimism didn’t last for long however as the monster didn’t seem to let me leave as I still felt it encroaching on my form.

As I run through the forest the visibility gets darker and harder to see and I feel more and more monsters in the dark watching me as if I were prey. I might've made a mistake coming here. I trip and fall into the dirt realizing my legs were paralyzed from being overworked to death, I feel the monster who had been relentlessly pursuing me this entire time had been right behind me. I could hear its growling, heavy breathing, I could feel the moistness of its salivating mouth, the sharpness of its claws capable of tearing my body in two. I tried to force my legs to move, but I could no longer move them. Panic begins to overcome me "Move! Please move!" I start smacking my calves, but I still fall flat as I try to get up and am forced to try to crawl away "god- please move!" Tears start to blind my vision. I could practically feel the creature touching me now; it was getting some sick sadistic satisfaction out of my futile attempts at escape. I could practically see the eerie smile covered in ecstasy on its face.

I was scared to look back- if I looked back now It would confirm my fears, I felt that looking back now would confirm how utterly fucked I was. Regardless, I felt I had to look back, so I toughened up took a deep break, and looked back at the predator that had followed me deep within the forest, only to find nothing but air in its place.

I begin wheezing realizing how much that full-on sprint had taken out of me. My lungs felt empty and no amount of air was helping. I fall to the ground heavily breathing grabbing my chest. All I could do was put my form against a nearby tree and cry in a ball praying ill survive till tomorrow. Why is this happening to me? I cry. I never wanted to live a grand life, I never did anything wrong. All I ever wanted to do was to spend my days out peacefully reading my favorite light novels while drinking coffee in the morning, but why the hell do I have to face off against monsters all of a sudden? Is it too much to ask for a peaceful life? I'm just a kid, what the fuck am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? I begin to sob.

after a while, I realized that I had no more tears to shed. I could still see the silhouettes of the monsters in the pitch-black darkness from time to time, but they hadn’t done anything at this point.

My stomach starts to rumble and I realize how hungry I am I haven’t eaten for like 2 days now, so it makes sense. I lay there on the dirty ground the cold creeping in and I was just tired. Am I going to die here? How many monsters are in this forest? I can’t sleep if I die, who’s going to save Athena? Yeah, I gotta save Athena. I try to encourage myself to stay up and force my eyes to stay open I'll have to find Athena when I can see again.

***4 hours later***

I felt my eyes slowly closing. However, I bite my lip to keep my eyes open. I was able to keep this up for a little while to the detriment of my juicy lips. However, I was unable to keep that up for long as the sheer amount of exhaustion was getting to me. I’ll just close my eyes for a bit… I’m sure if I just close them for a bit I won’t get killed immediately… yeah the monsters would probably wait until I fall into deep sleep. I shut my eyes and I could tell I wouldn’t be able to open them again. Ah shit… sorry Athena I'm a shitty brother. I think to myself as I drift off to sleep.

I awake some time later still groggy and cold. I had survived the night but was still stuck in the middle of the forest. I couldn’t tell where I was and I had forgotten what direction I had come from. How long have I been asleep? It doesn’t feel like I’ve slept at all. It had still been dark but now there was a bit of illumination from glowing crystals on the roof of the sky. Wait, what is that? Is this the crystal forest? It seems a bit different from how it was described in the book. Honestly though, at this point, I don’t care, I'll get Athena and get out of here. I leaned on a tree and got up slowly, my legs were still wobbly and were riddled with pain. I groan as I get to my feet like my grandparents would always do. is this what aging feels like? it's awful. I think to myself Crack! I hear a cracking noise within the forest causing me to quickly glance at the direction of the noise.

I didn't know whether or not this was a cause of my paranoia like the monster or if this was real, but I could hear the rustling of leaves getting closer as I tried to make more distance. Eventually the figure of a purple sludge creature resembling a perfectly identical smaller version of the giant sludge monster from earlier emerged from the fallen leaves. When it noticed me it started jumping around and making weird noises; while it wasn't the most menacing thing I’ve seen in the past two days, it sure was weird. I calmed down as this creature was smaller than my hand and didn’t really seem to pose a threat despite being the same-looking thing as the sludge monster from earlier.

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Is this a baby version of it? I think to myself it seems kinda cute sorta like those slime monsters from video games. I kinda wanted to poke it- respectfully of course. I limp a little closer and try to get on a knee, only to fall on my ass. Honestly sitting was more comfortable anyway. I attempt to examine the creature a bit, But before I’m able to do that in what feels like an instant balls of purple sludge instantly converge on the form of the creature and it starts growing to a size that would put a basketball player to shame. The creature had been that same sludge monster from before!

I scuffle backward screaming and wailing as the monster starts to approach me and I’m using everything I can to get away. I throw dirt and rocks at the thing only for them to bounce off its form. My fruitless attempts at self-defense fuel my helplessness as the monster wraps tendrils of sludge around my form causing me to flail around at every attempt to escape “NO GET AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” I scream “PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!” I plead “MOM! DAD! SOMEONE SAVE ME!” I cry out for help with a throat coarser and dryer than the desert I was in just 2 days ago.

I continued my worthless struggle against the sludge monster trying to push and kick myself off its form only for my attacks to slip off its body or to be completely ineffective either way all my efforts were being rendered null. The monster formed letters in front of me with its tendrils, but I wasn’t having it these things were dangerous and beyond our understanding. I try to look away from the words it’s trying to manipulate me, it could be some sort of mind-washing, I can't trust this thing! I tell myself as my fruitless struggle ends when the gelatin monster starts shaking me like a bobble doll to look at what it had written. “Calm down,” it said in English changing the words as I read them “You're fine I won't hurt you” it tried to reassure me “I’ll just take you back to the village. When you’re there you can get cleaned up, have a nice meal, and meet up with your sister,” the thing writes “YOU DIDN’T HURT MY SISTER RIGHT!?” I angrily scream at the monster causing the monster to shake its head “Your sister is fine; Why would we cause her pain?” the creature asks as if I asked a dumb question “Don’t you want to eat her!?” I argue back “I’m vegan” the monster replies making me more confuddled than scared. I give the monster a dumbfounded look “You were making egg fried rice earlier that's not vegan” I reply. This thing does not have more ethical eating habits than me. “I wasn’t going to eat the fried rice, I made a dish of white rice with vegetables along with the meal for Brandon, Andre, Athena, and you just in case you woke up,” he explains

“uh huh,” I say skeptically “let's get you home,” it writes as if I feel safe enough to call that place home. I can’t exactly do much in this situation, all I can really do is follow it and hope I can get Athena and run… But… If by some chance…If I can trust these creatures… then we might be able to use them to find Catie and Liam, I think to myself internally biting my lip. Fuck it! Fine! I’m out of options anyways! I don’t know where I am, how I got here, nor do I truly know what these things truly are for fuck sake! There has never been a mention of a demon who looks exactly like a human who knows English and French. I just find it hard to believe a human that can control trees actually exists; like how the fuck does that work this isn’t some goddamn isekai- well it is, but that's not the point! This isn’t some goddamn fantasy story- well it is, but GOD DAMN IT! THE POINT OF THE STORY IS THAT NOBODY ON OUR PLANET WAS ABLE TO USE SUPERNATURAL POWERS IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE WE WOULD SUDDENLY BE ABLE TO NOW! I convince myself how fucked my situation is, but it’s not like we have many other options I think to myself. Okay I'll give them a chance if I see that Athena is okay and uninjured I decide

“I’ll signal everyone that I found you, okay,” the sludge monster writes and then raises its tendril-like hand into the air and stretches it to distances that easily reached over the large trees of the crystalline forest “Now cover your ears,” it writes. wait what? I cover my ears quickly regardless of my confusion. The sludge monster forms a giant forms a giant O resembling a mouth and does a motion reminiscing of taking a deep breath “KUKAKAAAA” it blares shaking my very bones and rustling the trees and ground around us. HOLY SHIT IM GOING TO DIE! I regret ever thinking of trusting these creatures as I feel lightheaded from the sheer sound force phasing through my body. “Are you okay?” it writes, you know what it doesn’t matter fuck it just kill me I give up you win at this point i’d believe it if these things can kill me with a sneeze. I cry a little thinking about how helpless I really am.

The sludge proceeds to princess carry me through the woods and not too long after I could make out a bustling atmosphere of huts, domes, waterfalls, and creatures big and small beyond the trees.

Instead of taking the straight path towards the main hall, the sludge monster takes an alternative route, leading to more secluded even isolated areas within the village. Am I being taken to a research facility? Well, I don't have many regrets… if I were to say one regret I have it would be being unable to save Athena… not being able to see the ending of Ruthel’s Redemption would be pretty bad too. I silently accept my fate as we head through an underpass and come across a spiral staircase made of cobblestone heading up towards the bright light of the sun. the sludge monster simply ignores taking the stairs and simply uses its tendrils to elevate itself upwards. Weirdest escalator ride ever. I think to myself as we cross into the light we enter a backyard flower garden and are greeted by Brandon, Oliver, Andre, Athena, and the Gerbil. Athena was pacing back and forth biting the nail on her thumb, Brandon and the gerbil were sitting down together at a table sitting in silence. Oliver was sitting at a table adjacent to Brandon’s with Andre just reading, while Andre was sitting with his legs up playing with his knife.