Aidan’s eyes snapped open, the darkness of the night pressing in around him as a low growl echoed through the forest. A shiver ran down AIdan's spine at the sound. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes, his heart racing as he scrambled to his feet on the narrow tree limb. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor below.

Aidan squinted, trying to make out the branch he stood on, stepping where he thought the branch was, only to lose his balance as he attempted to locate the source of the growling. With a muffled scream, he tumbled from the branch, landing hard on the forest floor below with a resounding thud.

“Ow, son of a bitch!” Aidan cursed as he lay sprawled out, feeling the impact reverberate through his body. He winced at the incoming announcement, struggling to push himself to sit up.

‘Warning.’

‘Falling from high heights will result in fall damage. Fall damage was reduced for this occurrence.’

‘Warning. Damage received.’

“Yeah, no shit, computer.” Groaned Aidan. “Who would have thought you could fall from a tree without getting hurt? Really stating the obvious.”

Aidan glanced up as he struggled to orientate himself. A dark shadow of a bear was looming over him, its eyes glinting in the darkness. Fear seized him once more as Aidan let out another scream before he got himself under control and sprang to his feet, his legs pumping with adrenaline as he ran through the forest, trying to put as much distance between the bear and himself.

The forest blurred around him as he ran blindly. The only thought in his mind was getting away from the Bear again. Sprinting as fast as he could move, Aidan grunted as his foot caught on something right before whatever it was sent him to the ground again. He winced as he felt a flick across his vision as the pain finally registered from his impact on the ground.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Aidan scrambled to his feet and started running again as a growl sounded close behind him. His lungs burning with exertion as he ran, the dense undergrowth seemed to conspire against him, obscuring his vision and causing him to stumble through the darkness. He didn’t see the tree in front of him as he collided headfirst into the sturdy tree trunk, the impact knocking the wind out of him and leaving him dizzy and disoriented.

“Damn it all! Stupid. Damned. Tree.” Aidan shouted as he clutched his throbbing head, his vision swimming as he struggled to regain his sense of direction, his muscles protesting with every movement. The Bear’s enraged growls reached his ears as the sound of the low underbrush being torn free sent a fresh surge of terror coursing through his veins. With a desperate cry, Aidan pushed himself to move and resumed his frantic run, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he dodged under the Bear’s swiping claws as they came within a hair breath from giving him a new haircut.

As the Bear closed in on him again, Aidan’s mind raced to his newly unlocked ability—[Flee]. With a quick shout, he cast the ability, feeling a surge of strength and agility wash over him as he bolted forward with newfound speed.

For a precious few moments, Aidan outran the pursuing Bear, his heart pounding in his chest as he put as much distance between himself and his relentless predator as possible. But even as he fled, the effects of the ability began to wane, leaving him faster than Aidan had accepted. Leaving him vulnerable once more to the Bear’s relentless pursuit.

“What the hell was that shit. The stupid ability didn’t even last 10 seconds.” Aidan muttered through gritted teeth. Cursing, Aidan pushed himself to keep moving, his muscles screaming with what he could only assume was a feeling beyond exhaustion as he stumbled into the darkness. But as the first rays of dawn began to filter through the dense canopy overhead, Aidan dared to hope that perhaps, just perhaps, he might yet find a way out of this.

Aidan ducked and rolled as his senses tingled, ducking under another of the Bear’s swipes as it roared directly behind him again. The Bear had caught up with him after the [Flee] skill had worn off. Standing up on its back legs, the Bear looked every bit the fearsome beast it was. Aidan scrambled backwards on his hands and knees. Just as he began to turn, His hand slipped as he stumbled upon a game trail that cut through the underbrush.

Without hesitation, he veered onto the trail, hoping it would lead him to some form of safety. The ground beneath his feet was uneven and treacherous, but he pressed on, his determination outweighing the pain and fatigue gnawing at his body. As the first light of dawn slowly began to paint the sky in hues of pink and gold, Aidan’s weary eyes caught sight of a faint glimmer through the trees—a sign of hope amidst the forest’s darkness. Aidan pushed himself forward. His senses heightened as he ran towards the elusive beacon of hope, whatever it was.

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After what felt like an eternity of running, Aidan burst through the dense foliage and stumbled onto a roadway bathed in the warm glow of the early morning sun. He collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving with exertion as he gasped for air. The sound of horses whinnying grew louder as they approached in the distance.

Aidan pushed himself up as he heard a tree breaking behind him. He started running towards where he thought the sound of the horse had come from. The Bear roared behind him as it spotted him. Aidan could hear the Bear’s claws now as they clinked on the rocks that made up the roadway’s base.

“Help. Someone, please help.” Shouted Aidan as he ran. He could make out something coming towards him now in the distance. Aidan dug deep and pushed harder, pleading with himself to go just a little further.

Drawing closer to what he could now make out as a group of wagons, he could hear the guards shouting ahead, commanding him to stop as they lined up in front of the lead wagon. ,

Shaking his head as his panic drove him forward, his legs pumping with desperate urgency. Aidan knew the Bear was too close, and the fear of its claws sinking into his flesh pushed him to ignore the guards’ warnings.

“Stop, you fool!” one of the guards bellowed, his voice laced with frustration and anger as he pointed his sword in Aidan’s direction. But Aidan didn’t listen to the command; he only focused on escaping the beast at his heels.

Just as he felt a surge of hope at being saved, a searing pain tore through his back, followed by a sickening thud as he hit the ground hard. The Bear had caught him, its razor-sharp claws leaving deep gashes across his back.

Aidan screamed in agony as he struggled to push himself up; the pain was overwhelming, and darkness threatened to consume him. Looking forward, Aidan could see the guards, their hostility evident in their tense stances and drawn weapons, now facing the Bear that Aidan had brought into their midst.

With a grim look, they engaged the beast, their shouts and the clash of steel filling the air. Aidan tried to crawl forward, the rough rocky ground cutting his hands as he desperately tried to escape the fight behind him. Just as Aidan was about to give up, exhaustion finally stopping his efforts, he felt himself being dragged away from the chaos unfolding behind him. He tried to twist to see who was pulling him across the ground just as he was dumped before a pair of boot-clad feet.

“Who is this?” Asked the owner of said boots. They were well made, noticed Aidan as he tried not to groan at the pain the manhandling was causing.

“He was the person who was being chased, Lyra.” Replied a different voice.

Aidan struggled to keep up with what was being said as the pain from the slashes on his back throbbed. As he raised his head, he came face to face with something he had not expected.

Before him was a Female dressed in a pair of black shorts and a white shirt with a red vest over the shirt. Aidan’s eyes locked onto a dark grey tail, shifting backwards and forwards behind the woman. As he continued to look up, tearing his eyes away from the tail, he looked straight into the woman’s striking amber eyes as she stared down at him. Her eyes had vertical slit pupils, which gave her a preditorial look.

“Hmm. It seems you aren’t dead yet. But you have caused my guards a deal of trouble.” Said the owner of the boots, who he had figured was Lyra.

“I… Ah.. Shit. Yeah, sorry about that.” Said Aidan as he winced at the sharp pain as he tried to sit up.

Lyra’s gaze softened slightly as she took in Aidan’s battered form, and without a word, she motioned for her healer to attend to him. A different man knelt next to Aidan. He was a wiry older man with soft, gentle hands and a weathered face. He smiled at Aidan before he set to work, tending to Aidan’s wounds with practised efficiency. A white glow grew from Aidan's back as he felt an itch where the bear had cut him open.

A guard approached the trio, and Aidan felt the warm, tingling sensation roll from over his back to his hands as the healer hummed as he worked. “The Bear is dead, madam. Do we strip it of materials?” Asked the guard.

“Yes, take everything of value from the carcass and push the rest into the forest. We will be holding here until it’s done.” Repiled Lyra.

Lyra turned her attention back to Aidan, her voice calm and detached as she spoke. “You’re lucky to be alive,” she remarked, her tone betraying none of the concern Aidan had thought he would see. “What were you doing out here alone, running from a bear?”

Aidan’s mind raced, scrambling to concoct a believable lie to explain his presence in the forest. “I… I was travelling to the nearby village,” he stammered, his words coming out in a rush. “I heard it was a quicker route through the forest.”

Lyra regarded him with a piercing gaze, her expression unreadable. “Is that so?” she murmured, her voice tinged with scepticism. “And what about your belongings? Did the Bear take everything from you?”

Aidan swallowed hard, his heart hammering in his chest as he struggled to maintain the facade of innocence. “Yes,” he lied, his voice barely above a whisper. “I lost everything in the attack.”

There was silence as Lyra studied him for a moment, her amber eyes probing his soul with an intensity that made him squirm with discomfort. Then, without a word, she nodded to her healer, dismissing him with a subtle gesture.

A sense of unease settled over him as Aidan watched the healer retreat. He knew he had lied to Lyra, and the guilt gnawed at him like a hungry beast. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and if lying was the price he had to pay for survival, then so be it.

“Huh. You can follow us to the next village. You won’t receive any of the Bear’s materials, though. We claim them for having to kill it.” Said Lyra as she turned and walked towards the guards, cutting the Bear apart.

“Thank you.” Replied Aidan as he got to his feet again. Stretching his muscles, he was amazed at what the healer had done. ‘This crazy. They use swords and bows. Not a single gun in sight.’ Aidan looked around at the line of wagons, slowly shaking his head at the craziness of it all. ‘No cars… No guns. Nothing. Completely crazy. Where the hell am I?”