We finally made our way out of the obliterated village and into the depths of the densely packed forest. I had to make sure we walked slowly so we wouldn't fall into the same cavern as I did the other day. If it weren't for those blocked piles of rocks I witnessed back then, it would have been my first choice to go since it's well-hidden.

Simultaneously, we watched the perimeter with vigilance. We feared that the hollowed ones might be lurking in the forest, hiding in plain sight. This was evident from the thick fog looming over that obliterated every scent and sight, leaving behind this cold and utterly disgusting amalgamation of flesh and blood.

We didn’t feel safe at any point while walking through the forest. Regardless, we found a secure spot under a horde of accumulated giant rocks that provided good cover from sight and the suddenly impending rain. Additionally, the surrounding trees offered further protection.

We settled down under the rocks, resting for a while after the long run we had made.

The weather was cold; it was still the mid-winter season. We huddled closely to each other for warmth, as we always did when we ran out of firewood.

Another problem we would soon encounter was the food shortage. Except for frozen grapes and a few birds' meat, finding food during this season was almost impossible. Most animals around this season were hibernating, and perhaps killed by the hollowed ones, which only worsened the situation.However, Mom managed to gather as much food from the house as she could, mostly necessities that could withstand the cold.At some point, we would have to start hunting, or we would die of hunger.

Another downside was the hollowed ones. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't chase us here. As I had heard before, the hollowed ones feasted on the living, drawn to the essence of life like a dog sniffing around for food.It's only a matter of time before they find us. Until then, we must escape and find a new place to hide.

One crucial aspect was the clothes we wore. Thankfully, we had garb made of sheep’s wool that provided good insulation against the cold.We even had a woolen carpet we used to cover ourselves in bed. So, the risk of dying from cold was thankfully out of the picture for now. We could go for days without eating, but days with cold meant instant death.

In short, our situation was hazardous. We were alone, stranded in a densely packed forest, pursued by a pack of hollowed demons seeking to drain our life. Not to mention the dangers of the wilderness itself.

“Makas... honey...” Mom called out to me as I started, her tired eyes filled with sadness and worry. “Are you okay?”

“I... I am fine, mom... are you?”

“I am fine too...” she said, trying to give a faintly optimistic smile.

That was a lie; I could see her tears on the edge of dripping down. Her lips trembling as if they wanted her to cry.

I couldn’t bear the despair; thus, I hugged Mom tightly. She quickly returned the hug and said quietly, saddened while finally releasing the grip of her tears:

“I am sorry, Makas...” She was sobbing heavily. “I am so... so sorry...”

The sorrow, the dejection, the misery, the pain. All were overwhelming feelings that no human asked for.

My mother, the sweet, innocent, kind-hearted mother she is, was just rewarded with this unwanted hell of a life.

“I am sorry... for everything... for Winfrey... for Jill... for Margaret... for our home... I am... sobbing...”

“Stop apologizing, Mom,” I answered softly. “We will make it... together...”

“Hehe... with that big brain of yours... I know we will...” Even in these "hunt or be hunted" scenarios, she still managed to smile and laugh, albeit faintly.

How can she? How does she have the power and tenacity to smile after all of this?

I hardly ever smile, and even if I do, it's nothing but a mask to cover myself up.

Her smiles are so innocent, yet ignorant of the truthfulness, or she is well aware of the horror of this world but chooses to smile regardless.

I am truly envious...

I don’t ever recall smiling in this world, especially after the ordeal I went through in the previous one.

Perhaps I did smile once but slowly started to lose sight of those memories...

The only memory I still vividly remember by the book was that one event... that one and only memory I recall from that one time.

And now, history is repeating itself.

The hollowed ones, the bane of darkness, and the unholy end of the abyss. The first and the last. The beginning and the end.

Emerging from the shadows of the unknown realm, these creatures of the void came to fulfill the wishes of mankind's darkest desires: total annihilation and the obliteration of all that is happiness and sadness. Pure, existential nihilism. An eternity of abysmal peace and pleasure.

During the breakout from the village, I wondered how the hollowed ones decided to attack all of a sudden, without any signs of their impending arrival. How strategic and practical they were, how cunning and deceitful they could be, and how easily they could overwhelm the meek and the strong.I feel like they are creatures that go against the logic of life—the way of predator, prey, and parasite. They are simply monsters.

What scares me the most about the hollowed ones is not their sheer strength, nor their apocryphal intelligence, nor even their final goal. Instead, it's how they function.

We've all heard the statement: the oldest and most gruesome kind of fear is the fear of the unknown.

These hollowed ones, at least in my view, go against all the principles of life, at least against this world. And the maidens are nowhere to be found. Thus, a new principle is born—or replaced—one filled with dread and lifelessness.

But one can wonder, what if life was always like this? Based on the premise of agnosticism and abnegation. A time when time itself wasn't on speaking terms, so to speak.

Who is to say that the hollowed ones are the villains? I mean, what are they exactly?

The elder ones? Demons? Old gods? Or something far worse than what I've experienced?

I honestly don't know. All I know is the present, my mother, and her smiles...

I must keep them!

----------------------------------------

After resting for a bit, Mom and I began discussing our next move: where to go next, how to find food, and how to avoid the hollowed ones.

Regarding food, it wasn't a major setback for now. We were currently relying on the rations we had managed to gather from the house. We had a few vegetables and fruits, and I was surprised by how successful Mom had been in gathering these supplies in such a perilous situation. We were both grateful for her efforts.

However, these supplies wouldn't last for more than a week unless we limited ourselves to eating once per day, in which case they might last for at least a month or less. By then, they might simply dry out. Therefore, we needed to start hunting as soon as possible.

But that presented another challenge: our lack of hunting knowledge, particularly in practical hunting skills. Especially considering it was winter, our success would likely be more dependent on luck than skill.

As for our next destination, that was another complex matter. Mom suggested finding any surviving nearby villages and seeking shelter there. However, I rejected the idea. I assumed that all the villages nearby had already been attacked by the hollowed ones.

Even if we were to go to a previously attacked village, there was no guarantee that the hollowed ones had left. Besides, any survivors would likely have died by now, as none of the neighboring villages had warned or reported any attacks. The thought alone sent a shiver of worry down my spine.

There was this one troubling thought that crossed my mind while we were running away from the village. When it was attacked, we didn't receive any warning about the impending danger. Normally, soldiers from the republic stationed at the entrance of the hollowed kingdom would send messengers or even use owls to warn neighboring villages of an incoming attack. But none of that had happened.In fact, no one had seen the hollowed ones coming. No one was alerted, and there were no visible signs to indicate their existence. It was all spontaneous, as if they had been lurking in the shadows all along and simply chose the right moment to strike.

And then there was the mystery of the missing horses from the stables. The last information I had was that Marcus had managed to escape with a few villagers, leaving us with no means of escape. This raised suspicions in my mind. His group wasn't numerous, yet they took all the horses—about twenty of them—along with carriages to carry as many people as possible.

Furthermore, he left his own son behind. This wasn't simply an impulsive act; it was a deliberate behavioral choice. Something more was at play.

Maybe I was overanalyzing Marcus's behavior, but the absence of the horses was just strange. Something else had troubled me before Marcus's extreme and irrational violent behavior after his wife's death. His behavior had changed drastically from before her death, although the details of her passing were never revealed.

(Could it be that he was replaced? there is no point in dwelling on that thought. It's already over. I just hope Jill and Martagret made it out alive.)

Despite these village-related issues, there was a potential upside. If we ran out of food, clothes, and water, we could potentially loot abandoned villages to restock our supplies. However, this was a risky gamble, as the hollowed ones might still be lingering in those areas.

So, we were left with one option that might save us from this relentless pursuit: seeking the safety of Gumtar Fort's high walls. This military stronghold is protected by towering walls that mark the border between the eastern and western lands, where the night elves and hollowed ones originated from.However, the journey was far from easy. Given our current condition, it might take at least half a year to reach the fort. And there was the constant risk of encountering hollowed ones along the way, which could further delay our journey.

We had other alternatives like going down the infamous dreadful forest, which anyone in his or her right mind knows well how dangerous this forest is. Looming with the most dangerous kind of beast and monsters inside, and how convoluted making anyone get lost amidst the forest. this one was a no-go. and the other, the Aldes Highlands was a large cliff mountain that suited southwest of the Arklight kingdom. we considered going there. however, the Kingdome is known for how parlous cold it is and with winter coming. it would be a freezing death storm. in addition, given how close it is to the hollowed Kingdome. I feared the worst.

Therefore, we didn't really have a choice. We were faced with the decision to either fight and struggle to survive or seek out the nearest sanctuary. In a way, it was a combination of both.

There was another downside that I had considered earlier. Even though we had warm clothing for now, I was concerned that it wouldn't be enough as the cold weather intensified.

Additionally, the path we had to take was already challenging. The fort was southeast of our village's position, and we had fled to the forest to the east on a cliff mountain. Unfortunately, this withdrawal had put us at a disadvantage, making our journey much longer. and returning to the village or passing it sideways weren't viable options due to the hilly terrain to the southwest.

This left us with the most demanding route. Thanks to my mother's geographical knowledge and what I had learned from reading various books, we had some advantages, though I wished we had a map.

Our first step was to safely navigate our way out of the forest and then head toward a nearby village to the east of our current position. While this was a risky plan due to the possibility of encountering hollowed ones on the way, it was a crucial step. At least in this case, we can be sure we were walking the clearest route and not risk getting lost. If we managed to leave that village unscathed, we would then have to traverse to another extensive forest, which would take around a month given its vastness.

Following that, the journey would become even more challenging. We would need to pass through a landscape flanked by the Dykstra Gal Band noble house and its village to the east. This route would eventually lead us to another landscape that would demand tremendous time and effort, ultimately bringing us to the outskirts of Gutmar's walls.

The most difficult part of this leg of the journey was that, according to my calculations, by the time we reached this point, the winter storms would have already begun. These storms were known for their deadly freezing temperatures and their impact on travel.

And all of this assumed that the hollowed ones hadn't already caught up to us by then. If they did, this plan would likely fail and result in our demise.

In essence, luck played a crucial role in these situations. Given our circumstances so far, a miracle would definitely be needed right here and now.

I wasn't asking for a miracle for myself; I was asking for one for my mom. She didn't deserve any of this, and neither did Winfrey, Margaret, Jill, or even Sayar. None of them deserved this gruesome fate.

This led me to the question: Could things worsen from here?

[https://yourimageshare.com/ib/Q4E5CPuEdm.webp]

(Author note; The blue line is the main road. which they chose to avoid. the red line is the road they decided to take.)

----------------------------------------

It had been a week since then. During this time, we had established our first priority: finding a suitable, easy target for hunting while simultaneously progressing toward our goal.

The forest turned out to be larger than we initially assumed, leading us to spend a couple of days wandering around in what felt like a maze. Eventually, we stumbled upon the same fountain pond where I had fallen a month ago. This became our current safe campsite, even though it wasn't far from the village—a potential risk in itself.

Throughout this week, we faced significant challenges. Our idea for hunting involved targeting birds, which we believed would be our best bet. To achieve this, we needed to create a slingshot, a tool that could help us hunt from a distance. The challenge was in gathering the necessary materials.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

Fortunately, my mom had a history of adventure in her younger days, which gave her some knowledge about camping and hunting in the wild. This came as a surprise to me, but I was undoubtedly lucky to have such a dependable and capable mother.

Our first task was creating the slingshot. This required three key components: a stick, a piece of cloth, and strong tape, along with small rocks for ammunition. Finding a suitable stick proved to be a challenge, as we didn't have an axe to cut a perfect branch. The knife I had was better suited for shaping the branch into the right curvature for a slingshot.

So, I had to climb a tree to cut down a branch. I can still remember the anxiety on my mom's face as she watched me ascend the tree.

"Makas! Please, it's not worth it! Just come down before you get hurt!"

"Mom, it's either this or we'll die of hunger. Just give me a bit more time; I'll be down soon."

"Please be careful."

"I will."

Climbing the tree wasn't a major issue, as there were plenty of sturdy branches to use as holds. It was a combination of skill, patience, and strength. Surprisingly, this body seemed to possess all of these traits.

The forest was filled with pine trees, known for their strength and resistance to easy cutting. Although cutting the tree branch with a knife was a bit challenging, it was far from impossible. The right technique and tools would ensure the task's success. My mom suggested using a baton, a cylindrical wooden branch, to position the knife at the right angle for cutting the branch.

Given our circumstances, using a proper baton wasn't an option, so I used a heavy rock with similar attributes. Hanging from a thick branch, I started the process of cutting down the branch, following my mom's guidance.

"By choosing a root that is in an area free of undergrowth and making sure there is a clear drop lane so that the branch falls cleanly and avoids getting snagged within the branches of other trees," my mom explained enthusiastically. "Once you've selected the right branch, place the edge of the knife at the base of the root, at a 45-degree angle facing downward but slanted into the tree. Then slowly hammer it with the rock, making sure not to lose your balance. Next, reposition the knife at the same 45-degree angle, but this time facing upward, again slanted into the tree."

"You sure know your stuff, Mom!" I yelled as I worked on cutting the branch.

"Well..." She chuckled. "Your dad taught me all of this, so I'm just copying his homework."

"And you keep surprising me!"

The objective was to cut and remove a V-shaped chunk of wood as low as possible on the tree. This process needed to be repeated several times from the same spot to achieve the desired depth of the V-shaped cut near the center of the trunk.

Unfortunately, I learned later that cutting the root into an asymmetrical panel took longer. Plus, as I struggled with the rock against the knife, a few attempts resulted in the knife hitting my hand, causing intense pain. Yet, I endured the discomfort.

After a couple of attempts, I successfully cut down the Y-shaped branch without any major mishaps, aside from my sore hands. Although Mom scolded me for being reckless, we achieved our goal.

For the cloth part of the slingshot, Mom generously contributed a piece of her dress. I tried to object and use my own clothing, but she insisted and tore a portion of her clothes without hesitation, ignoring my protest.

As for the adhesive material, luck was on our side once again. We stumbled upon tree resin, a highly flammable substance. Many trees and plants secrete glue-like substances for various purposes, including adhesion, protection, and acquiring nutrients. These mucilaginous secretions also contribute to water storage within the plants, reducing the rate of evaporation. These secretions can also prevent or delay decay due to their antiseptic properties.

The gluey secretions help plants attach to surfaces as they attempt to climb or spread in their surroundings. Researchers have found that the glue acts as a strong adhesive. Using this resin, we would be able to properly attach the cloth to the stick and create a functional slingshot.

My mom took the initiative to collect several resin specimens, as well as wooden sticks and thin branches to start a fire. Although the resin had adhesive qualities, it could also serve as a nutrient source, though not the most palatable. We agreed to use it as a last resort.

After successfully assembling the slingshot, our greatest challenge remained: hitting birds with it. Since neither of us had experience in this area, we knew we would likely encounter hunting-related difficulties.

With rocks as our ammunition, we attempted to hunt pigeons, red and white-winged crossbills, and snow buntings. Unfortunately, all our attempts ended in failure, leaving both of us disappointed in ourselves. After all the effort we had put into creating the slingshot, not being able to catch a single bird was disheartening.

But eventually, I did it.

"Mom, I think I found an opportunity for us to eat something..."

"You did? That's incredible, Makas! What is it?"

"A snow owl... I managed to strike it while it was sleeping in its nest..."

"Oh... that's... that's good..."

Before, when I had suggested hunting to my mom, she had shown a concerned expression. I could tell that a part of her didn't want to kill innocent animals, especially as a sport. However, we were in a desperate situation, and she understood that. Both of us were tired, fatigued, and on the brink of starvation.

So, she reluctantly accepted the idea, out of necessity, and even went through the trouble of preparing the food by removing the skin and handling the bloody process. I could see the disgust and reluctance in her eyes.

Clearly, this wasn't a practice she was used to, even though she had been the village's chief. Her past experiences had shaped her personality, and it was likely the reason behind her aversion to such activities—or perhaps it was simply her nature.

With the fire started, we finally had our first meal in a week. It was a refreshing relief after a long period of starvation and struggle.

Starting the fire had also been a bit of a challenge, but after a few attempts in the first days of the week, we eventually succeeded. One of the main tricks was to set up near dead leaves and use a wooden stick to create friction against the logs. Although it took several tries, we eventually got the fire going.

The past week had been filled with both hardship and progress. We had successfully fashioned a slingshot and even caught a snow owl for our first meal. It was a glimmer of hope in the midst of our desperate situation.

----------------------------------------

Today is the seventh day of the unwanted venture.

The skies were blue and cold amidst the winter season. It was late at night. I could hear the crows cawing as they attracted the wanderers. The owls hooted against the night, while Katydids trilled and crickets stridulated between the bushes.Thick and immensely dense pine, elk, and oak trees lurked all around the forest, completely covering the sight of the outside world.

The heavy falling fountain streamed down with gravity into the pod. I wondered if we could find any aquatic life since the pod was directly spilling into the ocean ahead. But unfortunately, this wasn't the case, as there weren't any to begin with, not to mention it wasn't exactly the suitable time to swim.

The chilling wind blew against the trees as they glided alongside the current. I could feel the breeze against my skin as it sent shivery and needle-like tingles down my spine.

The howls of the whistling air drifted through the leaves and trees.

Although this was my second time going through the forest, I didn't notice the beauty of the scenery, the scent of nature, the cacophony of the night creatures permeating life.

It was such an experience I never witnessed in my past life.

It's so... peaceful... and beautiful...But also, dark... cold... and lonely.

Amidst this breathtaking sight lies the most dangerous beasts and animals. The fear is not due to the existence of mythical horrendous creatures such as Griffins, Ekhidna, ghouls, and the deep ones, but of the fear of the unknown.Fear of being hunted and stalked by the hunter, fear of being chased down by the pursuer, fear of being stricken by the beast without ever knowing where or when it's coming, fear of being deficient in knowledge to know how to fight back, fear of the absence of confidence, fear of having no strength.

All of these qualities I possess, qualities I've had since the old days...

But then again... don't we have that already? Especially with the beyond.

I sighed wearily as I retracted from my sky-gazing back to the surroundings.

I sat close to Mom as she leaned her head against me, sleeping profoundly behind a chestnut tree.

She looked so innocent as she breathed lightly.She must have been through a lot. The recent journey was by all means not an easy task. It must have drained her both mentally and physically. Yet she continues to fight back.She even suggested that I should go to sleep and she would take the shift to watch the perimeter at night.

There was no room for me to interject. However, I merely pretended to sleep for a while until eventually, she went to sleep as well. Therefore, taking the shift instead of her.

I wasn't really sleepy after all. All this effort, including the turmoil in my head, made my head spin like I was possessed.

With one common theme... the hollowed ones.

Where did they come from? And why now of all times?

There is a record from about thirty years ago when they first invaded the Nordic western mountains. They nearly wiped out the whole culture, leaving only survivors to tell the tales, with most becoming slaves for the republic.

This must have been a well-planned attack from the beginning. It's not hard to assume that even for such senseless flesh-eating demons, they would be sentient for once; the black knight is an example.They must have figured out that the watchtowers would eventually recognize their impending attack and send distress signals to nearby towns and watchtowers.They most likely left hollowed-infected soldiers as decoys, pretending to be republic infantry units.

As for where they came from, I can only guess that it must be none other than the hollowed kingdom to the north. It's the most obvious, really.

As for the cause that remains unknown, it could be as simple as world domination, as simple as it sounds, yet not to meddle with ease like any other threat.But out of everything that is alarming, that black knight was by far the most unnerving being out of all the hollowed ones I encountered.

The sheer intimidating looks, the eerie presence, the inescapable doom, the unmerciful nature, the strength it wielded, the hollowed soul it possessed, the unmitigated composure it had.

A feeling I have grown accustomed to over the last years, repeated time and time again...

Which begs the question... how do I fit in all of this?

Why the hell am I still alive?

How do I feel about this?

I feel.... empty.

I don’t know It's not like I am completely carless for ill-fated poor villagers who failed to survive, but neither mournful for the loss.

It's more the fact I am accepted to all of this...

I did feel wistful when Winfrey died.... the man and his family were so kind to me and my mother for so long. The same family who helped us through thick and thin at every moment needed. The same man who sacrificed himself to save us from death himself.

Yet... I feel so empty...

All of these overwhelming feelings I have experienced thus far are growing all over me, barely holding the grasp of my mentality as days pass by.

What normal days for people is basically a living hell to me.

The dread, the hopelessness, the lack of faith and belief, the absence reason of for living, and the demotivation of finding a purpose.

Those seven years of childhood which should the prime of a human, was nothing but a prison of regurgitation.

Then....really.... why I am still here? Why was I brought here......

I pull from my pocket none other the dragon elemental crystal.

(You were the one who warned me about the coming hollowed ones....in the dream and that spider... weren't you?)

Does it want me to live? To fight back?

That contradicts everything I had assumed thus far, as being alive is the last I want now, the only wish I never desired to be...

(Then are you torturing me? Haven't I gone through enough?)

I was cut off by my mom sobbing sign as she was sleeping, she must be having nightmares again...... this has been happening a lot.

The same reason why I stopped sleeping until recently.

(….... Right...... I almost forgot... I am using her as an excuse to live.... as her motherly smiles, the only thing keeping me alive....)

The only reason why I haven't taken my own life till now was not fear of what comes after death or fear of repeating the same hell again. But fear of what would happen her If she found me dead like this....

If I lose her...... then I lose myself completely.

I am treating her like a tool instead of acting like a real child......

How far have I gone down fell.... how far of a pathetic loser I have become....

The signs of madness finally kicked in.......

I looked to my right only to see the same dagger that Winfrey had given me.

I recalled his last words to me; “If you survive.... please........protect my wife and daughter......”

He placed his trust in the worst possible person...... me....

I took a heavy sigh and then narrowed my eyes as I said internally;

“At least before I go insane, let me offer them a good life.”

----------------------------------------

The journey doesn't get any easier as we further progress.

We have finally escaped the forest after spending another week roaming around, waiting for the proper moment to leave without alarming the hollowed ones.

Some even managed to infiltrate the forest, and we had to go into hiding for a couple of days without food or drinks.

A few days earlier. I figured the best way to eliminate them (temporarily) was to corner them in the very same cave I was trapped in. By luring them out and tricking them to follow me until they eventually fall down the same fissure into the cavern.It was a tedious and risky process, especially since not all hollowed ones are slow. For example, the clawed hollowed monster, which I nicknamed Hunter, was more of a jumper than a walker and would often attack hidden in plain sight.

But as of now, we simply had to stealth our way which in all honestly was a major hassle. One simple mistake and if we were to be caught. I felt the whole horde might charge in our direction.

I noticed that they were very sensitive to hearing and their vision was extremely weak. There was one situation where Mom and I were caught near one. Instinctively, we remained still and didn't produce a single sound. The beast simply ignored us and continued its search.

Using the slingshot to distract the hollowed ones was also an excellent strategy. Over time, I grew more accustomed to it as my skill shots improved.

All of these adventurous behaviors panicked my mom. Nearly every action I would take, she would either forbid me or, if accepted, she would join me on the hunt, which in return shook me of getting her life on the line.

The situation was parallel, but alas, we made it safely out of the woods.

However, we were met with another obstacle on the way. The villages ahead were both occupied by a number of hollowed ones.

When we emerged from the forest, we were left with two options: either go to the village in the southeast, Harelten, or the one to the southwest, the Neunbrück village.

The villages were separated by a large, dense forest, even thicker than the one we had just escaped. The village to the west belonged to the Dykstra Gal Band noble house.

Both villages were part of a small content called the western grounds, including mine. The western one was larger in comparison to the north, almost as dense as my home village. Walking there was basically a death wish since the bigger the village, the more populated the town, thus the more hollowed ones would be present since they can reproduce immensely. Therefore, we were left with going to the eastern one, which we hoped would be less crowded in comparison.

I hoped for a moment the village to the west would be less crowded because just next to it was the main road that led to the High walls of Gutmar. and since it's the main road. the chances of encountering another survivor are higher than in non-populated areas. Unfortunately, this isn't the case.

One upside to taking the eastern path would make our journey a little shorter by walking along the Ferbriand Shore. However, it's known some beasts and monsters along this shore to habit. This was troubling since the winter storm was approaching ever closer as we spoke. But I can't be sure of how dangerous it's going to be still...

We just reached the outskirts of the eastern village on top of a hill that revealed itself from a nearby forest we just exited. I took a quick look at the town from a distance.

As we guessed, it was teeming with hollow ones. But Speaking of the village's state, there weren't many standing houses around. It was mainly arranged with two main roads parallel to each other and attached through side roads, with a river lying beside it. Our main destination was the forest beyond the village, and for that, we had two alternative pathways we could take:

The first was through the route we initially assumed to take, the eastern village, which was surprisingly filled with roaming hollowed ones, though to a lesser extent to the point, that we wouldn't call it a major threat. The hollowed ones were scouring the village randomly at a very slow pace, searching for any life form to devour.

The other option was the forest between the northern and southern villages which, in comparison to the former, was more crowded but more remote. And filled with mystery.

As we stood on a cliff just outside the forest we had crawled through, we made a decision to go with the simpler solution: the forest. We assumed it would be much safer compared to the village, and it would provide good protection, shelter, and hunting opportunities.

The only downside was how accurate this assumption would be. There was no guarantee that the hollowed ones wouldn't be scouring the forest, much like the previous one. They were bound to search the area eventually, and it was only a matter of time before they found us.

I honestly believed that going through the village was a much better option. Even if it was dangerous, at least we would be aware of where the hollowed ones were, not wandering aimlessly without any knowledge of our pursuers.

Still, the risk remained the same on either side.

"Makas... help me out a bit..."

"Yeah... on my way."

Suddenly, as soon as I turned my back, I heard the sound of trees and bushes brushing against each other, coming from the forest. I looked back, only to notice sudden quietness among the trees.

I remained still for a few more seconds, making sure I wasn't being paranoid.

"Huh!" I gasped in panic, the tree moved!

"Makas? Honey, what are you gazing at? Is everyth-"

"Mom, we need to take the first route." I quickly dismissed her question and told her about our sudden change in plan.

"The village?! Makas, we both agreed that it would be dangerous to take..."

"I know. But now it's less dangerous than what lies ahead in the forest."

My mother looked distressed and confused, her lower eyelids showing signs of sleeplessness. She approached me, worried about my sudden decision.

"Hah! My god!"

She gasped in horror. She must have witnessed the capricious movements of the trees. But she looked even more panicked than usual.

I turned back only to see one of the chestnut trees falling deep into the forest.

(Whatever is down there, it's not good news.)

I didn’t even want to know what lay ahead, or to be exact, what kind of beast or demon lived down there.

We looked at each other, fully aware of the risk deep in the forest. We were left with no option but to go with the previous plan, through the northern village. An option that made my mother shiver in fear; she rejected the idea of walking through basically a death trap. But it's not like we have any other options left...

"Makas... let's return to the forest; it's much safer than-"

"It's either we die in that forest while waiting for some god to grant us false hope, or die trying."

Mom was shaken by my cold tone. Quickly realizing what I had just said, I immediately apologized to her:

"I am sorry, Mom. It's just... we can't stay here and do nothing..."

"It's okay, Makas..." She looked dismal; my words must have really hurt her. To think her own son would speak so coldly to her. "You are right, we have to keep moving ahead..."

She took a deep breath and then lightly slapped her cheeks with both hands, supposedly motivating herself, and said soothingly:

"Let's go, Makas, together."

"Yes, let's..."

But I swear, for a brief moment, I saw a stag's horn piercing out from between the trees. Something is there. could it be waiting for us?