I stumbled upon a scavenged house in the dried forest of Haywan, the house looked quite big with a brick-red roof, two windows on the left one above the other and one window on the right making it look asymmetrical and messed up, the upper window on the left was broken and so was the one under it, I approached the house to get a closer look on it, the doorknob was broken, and a hole pierced through the door, the house looked modern enough from the outside to be a good base.

When I looked through the pierced hole, all I saw was destruction and a wall painted red with blood by a skeleton that lay in front of it.

The skeleton was not just made of bones, it still had some flesh, muscles, and a kidney.

The blood on the wall said one word "RUN" and so of course, like the idiot I am, I entered the house crouching before the skeleton, on my right behind a closed door I heard a growl that lasted for 3 seconds before the door getting kicked down, it was a cheva'.

Chevas are beasts cursed by the devil and sent to earth to make humans suffer, they are four legged beasts without fur, they have long wicked ears, and long upper fangs that exited out of their mouths, and beneath the long fangs another pair of long fangs that pierce through the roof of their mouths beside their noses, and their eyes pitch-black with a faint glow making them seem souless.

As soon as I saw the cheva' I immediately pulled out my Cultro, a knife specially made for killing the souless, it was made after a cheva' killed a blacksmith's wife and as revenge the blacksmith made it for killing his wife's killer.

The Cultro is a simple, dark blade. Its hilt is worn, wrapped in rough leather. The metal is a deep, shadowy silver, smooth but cold to the touch. Its edge is unnaturally sharp, whispering through air and flesh alike. It feels both ancient and inevitable. Everyone carries one, bound to it by fate. The blade absorbs life with each strike, erasing the essence of its victim. It is a tool of death, silent and relentless.

The cheva' launched itself forward at me with unnatural speed, jaws snapping open revealing its upper fangs, It charged straight at me aiming for my decapitation, I swiftly reacted dodging the initial lunge by rolling to the side narrowly missing the cheva's jaws, I sprung up and swung my Cultro in a wide arc aiming for the cheva's exposed side, targeting its ribs.

The cheva' whipped around, using its long fangs to swipe at me.

One fang glanced off my shoulder, leaving a shallow wound, and the other fang aimed at my throat.

I shifted my weight, ducking just in time.

The Cultro's edge slashes through the air, narrowly missing the cheva's jaw as it lunges again.

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The cheva backed off momentarily, it's glowing black eyes widening, before charging with brutal force, It lunged to pin me to the ground its fangs snapping.

I sidestepped at the last moment, using the Cultro to slash at the cheva's side as it passed by, catching the creature's ribs with the sharp blade.

Blood oozed from the wound, but the cheva' shrieked in anger and span to face me.

In one fluid movement, the cheva' leaped into the air, attempting to land a top of me, its claws outstretched to tear into flesh.

I rolled forward out of the way of the attack but used the momentum to plunge the Cultro upward into the cheva's belly midair.

The blade sank in deep, but the cheva' twisted throwing me off balance.

I was breathless, bleeding from several wounds, but the cheva' was clearly injured as well, its movements slower.

I raised the Cultro once more, my face grim, knowing I must end it now.

I charged at the cheva', using my knife to parry a wild swipe from the beast's fangs.

And with one final, focused effort, I used the cheva's momentum to my advantage, stepping to the side as it lunged at me, the Cultro plunged deep into the Cheva's skull, severing its connection to life in one quick motion.

The room smelled like blood and sweat. My chest ached with every breath, the pain from the Cheva's claws sharp in my side. I barely noticed. My hands shook, the Cultro tight in my grip, but my mind felt foggy. I should have felt relieved, but all I felt was exhaustion.

The Cheva was dead, lying still in front of me. Its growls still echoed in my ears, its final scream haunting me. The fight had been quick, but the adrenaline still rushed through me, making everything feel unreal.

I stepped closer to the creature's body. The blood on the walls, the skeleton's warning, everything came rushing back. RUN, it had said. But I hadn't listened.

I knelt down, careful not to touch it. The Cheva's eyes were dull now, no longer glowing with that evil light. I swallowed hard, the taste of iron still in my mouth. It was over.

The Cultro was still covered in blood, its dark blade glinting in the dim light. I stared at it for a moment. It had done what it was meant to do.

But as I held it, something felt wrong. It wasn't the kill itself—no, that was necessary. It was knowing this wouldn't be the last time. There was always more to fight. Always more to kill.

I looked at the Cheva one last time, then turned away. I didn't have time to rest. Not yet.

I stumbled out of the house, the weight of the battle still dragging at my bones. The forest stretched out before me, its shadows thick and suffocating. My chest heaved with each breath, my body fighting against the overwhelming fatigue. My movements were sluggish, every step a battle in itself. The Cheva was dead, but I felt far from victorious.

I didn't know how long I walked or how far I'd gone, but the trees started to thin, the oppressive forest opening up into something else. A village.

It looked abandoned, but not in the way that made you feel safe. The homes were falling apart, windows boarded up, doors hanging loose like they couldn't even bother to stay shut. The smell of rot clung to the air, thick and sickening. It felt... wrong.

I barely noticed the warning signs. My mind was fogged, every thought a struggle. I staggered forward, my legs giving out beneath me. I barely made it past the village edge before my knees buckled, and I hit the ground hard. The world tilted, my vision blurred, and everything felt like it was slipping away.

I heard footsteps approaching, faint, but they were there. A voice, high and energetic, echoed through the fog in my mind.

"Welcome."

And then, everything went dark.