The boy reached the edge of the forest, feeling a mix of relief and unease. Every step he took on open ground gave him the impression that the forest itself was pushing him out, wanting to be rid of him. He was like an uninvited guest, an intruder who had disturbed the ancient peace of this place. The trees, seemingly unchanging, appeared to lean toward him, casting ominous shadows. The air was cool, and the wind carried the rustle of leaves, reminiscent of a warning whisper.
As he passed the last trees, his heart began to beat faster. A terrifying, low sound came from deep within the forest—a howl that pierced the air. The boy held his breath, listening, though he didn’t need to. The echo of the howl reverberated off the trees, and the vibrations penetrated the ground and his body. There was something untamed about the sound, something full of rage and a thirst for blood. His body reacted with a cold shiver, and fear gripped his heart.
The boy guessed that the sound came from whatever had destroyed the settlement earlier. Now it had returned to its lair, and he was too close. He knew he couldn’t take the risk. He had to get away as quickly as possible before he was noticed. Fear dominated his thoughts, leaving only one option: to run. There was no time to analyze the situation. Every moment of delay could cost him his life.
He started to run. The uneven ground dug into his feet, and the cold penetrated his legs. He was exhausted—the pain from his fall from the tower still throbbed, and hunger gnawed at his stomach. But fear was stronger than pain, and the instinct to survive took over. Every step was a struggle with his own body, which protested with every movement. His legs felt like lead, but he couldn’t stop. His heart pounded like a hammer, and his breath burned his lungs, but he had to keep running.
Soon the ground under his feet turned to rocks and roots, which seemed to try to stop him. With each step, he moved away from the edge of the forest, but he still felt the echo of the howl in his ears. He squinted, focusing on the run, ignoring the pain and fatigue. Every step brought him closer to freedom but also led him into the unknown.
While running, he turned his head and saw at the edge of the forest a huge, unnatural silhouette. It lacked regular shapes and seemed to shift, but one thing was certain—it was watching him. His heart sped up, and panic overtook his body. Adrenaline pushed him to speed up, but soon he tripped over a protruding root and fell heavily to the ground. A sharp pain shot through his body, and blood started to flow from his hand—he had impaled himself on a branch during the fall. Tears welled in his eyes, but he knew he couldn’t give up.
He got up with the last of his strength, feeling every muscle burn with pain. He gritted his teeth and moved forward, running again, though his body was on the brink of exhaustion. The beast at the edge of the forest still stood in place, as if contemplating whether chasing him was worth it or whether it should leave him to his fate.
The boy had no time to ponder. He had to run as long as he had even a shred of strength. He ignored the throbbing pain in his hand and the fatigue. He knew that stopping would mean the end. The growing exhaustion and panic tried to take control of him, but he took a deep breath and focused on one step at a time.
Survival was all that mattered in his mind. Every step took him into the unknown, but he trusted that he was moving away from danger. The ground under his feet became increasingly sandy, less treacherous than the roots and rocks in the forest. The sounds of the forest grew quieter, as if they were left far behind. Still, fear did not leave his heart, and every rustle seemed like the echo of the beast that could spring into pursuit at any moment.
Finally, he reached a small hill from where he could look back at the forest. He no longer saw the silhouette, but it brought him no relief. He knew that the threat was still there, hidden in the darkness of the trees. He tried to steady his breath, but his lungs still burned from exertion. He looked ahead at the vast plain stretching out before him. It was expansive, and its emptiness seemed as unsettling as the forest he had just left.
Despite his exhaustion, he moved on. He knew he couldn’t stay here. Steps on the open plain were steps toward freedom, but also steps into the unknown. The pain still hadn’t subsided, but adrenaline drove him forward. He knew he couldn’t stop now; all that mattered was putting distance between himself and the place that had almost cost him his life.
The pain in his hand grew more intense, and blood slowly soaked through his clothes. He tried not to think about the wound, focusing instead on his breath and the rhythm of his run. He had to find shelter, a place where he could tend to his wound and rest, even if just for a moment.
Eventually, he reached a small cluster of trees on the edge of the plain. It was the only place that could offer even a bit of shelter from the wind and danger. He sank to his knees with difficulty, trying to catch his breath. For a moment, he sat still, listening to the silence. His heart was pounding, and each breath was painful. He looked around, searching for something that could help him tend to his wound.
He knew he couldn’t stay here long, but he needed a moment to gather his strength. He looked at his hand—a piece of wood was still lodged in it, and blood slowly oozed from the wound. He had to act quickly before he lost more strength. Determined, he began searching for suitable twigs and leaves that could serve as a makeshift bandage. Every movement required superhuman effort, but he had no choice. He had to survive, had to find a way to keep moving, no matter what.
The beast might have stayed in the forest, but he didn’t know if it would start chasing him. Maybe it wanted to give him a chance to escape, or maybe it wanted to make the hunt more entertaining. He wasn’t sure of anything.
He moved farther from the forest, feeling the threat he left behind gradually fading. Each step brought him a bit of relief, though unease still lurked somewhere in his mind. The air was dry, and the open space ahead gave him a sense of freedom, though it also exposed him, making him an easy target. He felt as if he was finally on a safer path, though he knew full well that the challenges ahead could be just as dangerous as those he had already left behind.
After a few hours of walking, he saw indistinct figures in the distance. For a moment, he thought it might be an illusion caused by exhaustion, but as he got closer, the details became clearer. It was a group of five people, armed and looking like adventurers. Three men and two women—some wore long robes, as if they were mages, others carried weapons that hinted at their skill in melee or ranged combat. Each of them wore armor or leather protection, and their faces showed determination and exhaustion. It was clear that the journey had not been kind to them.
He stopped, uncertain whether to approach. Fear gripped his throat, but at the same time, he felt a spark of hope—maybe these people could help him? After a moment of hesitation, he took a tentative step toward them, raising his hand to draw their attention. One of the adventurers, a tall man with dark stubble, noticed his gesture and raised his hand, stopping the group. For a brief moment, they stared at each other, then the man started toward the boy, with the rest of the group following, alert and ready for anything.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here? You don’t look like you're prepared for a journey through these lands," the adventurer said, looking at the boy with obvious surprise. The boy was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. He lowered his gaze, trying to gather his thoughts. His exhaustion was apparent at first glance, something one of the women noticed. She stepped closer, looked at the wound on his hand, and without a word, began pulling bandages from her backpack.
"You don’t need to be afraid, we won’t hurt you," the woman said gently. Her eyes were full of compassion, which made the boy feel the tension slowly leave his body. The adventurers surrounded him, and the woman began tending to his wound, much more delicately and thoroughly than he could have done himself. He felt gratitude, but he was too weak to speak. He nodded, trying to show his appreciation.
When the wound was dressed, the man with the stubble handed him a water flask. He drank a few sips, feeling the water soothe his parched throat. He took a deep breath, feeling safer for the first time in a long time. The adventurers sat around him, giving him a moment to rest, but at the same time, they watched his reactions carefully.
"Where are you from? How did you end up here alone?" the man asked in a calm tone. The boy, feeling he could trust them, briefly told them what had happened to him over the past few days—the destroyed settlement, the beast, the solitary trek through the forest. They listened in silence, their faces showing understanding and sympathy. When he finished, the man put his hand on his shoulder.
"You’ve had a really tough time, kid. But now you’re with us. We’ll help you as much as we can. It’s not safe here, but together, we have a better chance of surviving." The boy felt that, for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t alone. The support they showed him gave him hope that he might survive and find a place where he could start anew.
The adventurers decided to take the boy with them. It was clear that he needed help, and they had the resources and experience to offer him at least a bit of safety. One of the warriors approached the boy and placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling for him to move with them. The group set off, surrounding the boy, who no longer felt so alone.
During their continued journey, the boy had a chance to observe their behavior. The two mages seemed to always be alert, ready to cast spells if the need arose. The man with the bow constantly watched their surroundings, prepared to shoot at any moment, while the warriors kept their eyes on the path ahead. Their quiet conversations and exchanged glances revealed the experience and trust they had in each other.
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As they approached a small hill, one of the mages raised his hand, signaling the rest to stop. Everyone stood silently, and the man began listening, frowning. The boy didn’t understand what was happening, but his heart sped up again. He felt that this wasn’t just an ordinary stop. After a moment, the mage turned to the group and nodded, indicating that they could continue. The tension that had hung in the air began to slowly dissipate.
As the sun neared the horizon, the group found a small clearing where they decided to spend the night. They set up a makeshift camp, and the boy was asked to help gather wood for the fire. Though he was exhausted, he knew he had to do everything in his power to be useful. This was his chance to prove that he wasn’t just a burden. When the fire finally blazed, the warmth brought him comfort, and the smell of roasting meat made his stomach growl.
The woman who had bandaged his wound earlier handed him a piece of bread and meat. She smiled at him, saying, "You need to regain your strength, young one. The road ahead is still long." He nodded, accepting the food, and began to eat, feeling energy slowly return to his body. As darkness fell, the adventurers began quietly discussing plans for the next day. Though the boy was still unsure of his place in the group, he felt he was among people he could trust. It was something he had been missing all this time—a sense of community, even if fleeting, gave him hope.
That night, lying by the fire, the boy looked up at the stars. He felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time—a sense that he might have a future ahead of him. He didn’t know what the next day would bring, but he knew one thing: he was no longer alone. Beside him were people who had chosen to help him, and that was more than he could have imagined just a few days ago.
The night deepened, and only the crackling of the fire and soft conversations broke the silence in the clearing. The group of adventurers remained alert, but they didn’t anticipate that the threat the boy had left behind would soon reach them. The forest, which had seemed distant before, suddenly came alive with sound—the noise of breaking branches and a deep roar that pierced the night air. All eyes turned toward the darkness, and the boy felt his heart begin to pound wildly. He knew it was the beast. The beast whose terror he knew all too well.
In an instant, everyone jumped to their feet. The mages raised their hands, ready to cast spells, and the archer reached for an arrow, aiming into the unknown. The warriors grabbed their swords, prepared to defend. The darkness seemed to take on a life of its own, and from it emerged a massive, terrifying silhouette. The beast had inhuman proportions, and its body seemed to be a mixture of stone, shadow, and pure horror. Its deformed back resembled rocky peaks, and its massive paws, looking like the limbs of a giant predator, could easily crush any opponent. Its eyes, black as a starless night, emanated emptiness, devoid of any intelligence—only primitive rage. There was no mistaking it—this was the same beast he had seen at the edge of the forest.
The beast charged into the clearing with a roar like thunder, its movements swift. Every step it took made the ground shake, as if nature itself recoiled before its power. The archer loosed an arrow that struck its side, but it didn’t slow it down for a moment. The mages tried casting spells, and flashes of magical energy lit up the night, but the beast seemed impervious to their magic. The stone-like scales covering its body deflected every attempt to injure it. The warriors rushed forward, trying to divert the creature’s attention away from the rest of the group.
Seeing the chaos, the boy backed away, searching for any form of shelter. The air felt cold, as if the beast's presence drained all the energy, and the surroundings seemed to fall into a deafening silence, as if nature itself was too scared to make even the slightest sound. His heart pounded like a hammer, and his thoughts were chaotic. Suddenly, he felt the icy gaze of the beast turn toward him, and terror paralyzed him. He felt an overwhelming fear seize his body, as though in those black eyes he saw his deepest nightmares. He looked at it, frozen, and saw the massive paw rise, ready to strike.
Time seemed to slow down. He knew he had no chance of avoiding the blow. The beast lunged toward him, and he felt every second stretch into eternity. Instinctively, he raised his hands, as if trying to shield himself from the inevitable. In that moment, he felt a strange warmth spreading through his body, as if some force was awakening within him, suddenly and unexpectedly. The world around him blurred, and moments later, the boy realized he was lying on the ground, somewhere entirely different.
In terror, he watched the clearing, seeing the fight continue. He was about a hundred meters away, his heart still pounding, and his body engulfed in paralyzing fear. He didn’t recognize the place where he found himself. Was it magic? Did he move on his own? He had no answers, but he knew one thing: it had saved him from certain death. He heard the distant roar of the beast, still fighting with the adventurers, now confused, as if it had lost its target.
He stood there, trembling all over, unable to move, witnessing the adventurers' desperate struggle. The mages cast spells, trying to weaken the creature, their hands glowing with energy that struck the beast, but the effect was minimal. The archer fired arrow after arrow, each one finding its mark, but it was still not enough to stop it. The warriors, swords raised high, attacked relentlessly, their blows bouncing off the beast's tough scales, but they fought with unyielding determination.
He felt the paralyzing fear grip him tighter and tighter. Images of the destroyed settlement, the beast's roar, and what he was seeing now—people fighting desperately to help him—all mixed in his mind. He knew he was too weak to join them, but he couldn’t just stand and watch. Though fear paralyzed him, he tried to find some strength, some solution within himself that could help.
When he saw one of the warriors being thrown aside by a powerful swipe of the beast's paw, the boy felt his desperation grow. He couldn’t let these people die, especially when they were fighting something that was after him. He clenched his fists, feeling tears of helplessness well up in his eyes. He noticed that one of the women—the mage who had bandaged his wound earlier—was struggling more and more to maintain her spells. Her hands were trembling, and exhaustion was etched across her face.
The beast attacked again, its roar tearing through the air, robbing everyone of their remaining hope. The mage fell to her knees, exhausted, while the archer tried to get a better position, but it was clear that the situation was hopeless. Then the boy felt something awaken inside him again. The warmth that had earlier moved him to safety now began to spread throughout his body.
The fight in the clearing continued, and chaos and terror gripped each of the adventurers. Although he didn’t yet fully understand the power that had moved him, he knew he had to do something to help. But before he could act, his heart was pierced by the sight of two adventurers' deaths. One of the warriors was caught by the beast's massive paws and crushed, his scream silenced in an instant, leaving only dead silence. The mage who had bandaged the boy was thrown by the creature with such force that she hit a tree, losing her life instantly. It was a moment the boy would remember forever—a sight that left an indelible mark on his mind.
The beast continued its rampage, but the remaining adventurers—a warrior, an archer, and a mage—did not give up. The warrior tried to weaken the creature with his blows, maneuvering to avoid its powerful paws. His sword struck the beast's hard, stone-like scales, and each blow seemed to only enrage the creature, not cause significant harm. The archer, with cold precision, aimed his shots, searching for weak points between the beast’s scales. Arrows whistled as they pierced the beast, but only a few found places that could weaken it. Despite losing their companions, their determination remained unbroken. The mage managed to gather energy for a powerful spell, which exploded in a bright flash, striking the beast and causing it to recoil with a roar of pain and rage.
The archer, with the precision of a master marksman, released arrow after arrow, finally hitting a sensitive spot—between the scales on the beast's neck. Each strike made the beast roar in pain, and its massive body seemed to waver more and more. Each of the beast's roars sent chills through the boy, the echoes carried through the forest, bouncing off every tree, as if nature itself shivered before the power of the creature.
The warrior, despite his exhaustion, fought with all his remaining strength. His face was covered in sweat and grime, and his eyes betrayed a determination that could not be broken. Seeing the beast momentarily weakened, he attacked with all his might, plunging his sword deep into the creature's side. The beast howled, and its paw struck him with great force, throwing him several meters away. The warrior fell heavily, but the archer and mage didn’t have time to check if he had survived—every second was a matter of life and death.
The beast howled again, its body shaking as if it were losing strength. Finally, disoriented and wounded, it decided to retreat into the darkness of the forest. Its steps were unsteady, each movement seeming to cause it pain. It let out one last roar, its echo reverberating far among the trees, as if it wanted to remind them of its power one last time, until finally, it disappeared into the darkness. When the beast was gone, silence fell over the clearing, a silence that seemed even more terrifying than the earlier noise of battle.
When the beast disappeared, the surviving trio of adventurers collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The boy’s body also trembled, and his mind couldn’t stop thinking about the two who had died to save the rest. He felt an immense burden of guilt—he knew he was the reason for their deaths. The following hours were filled with silence and reflection. The adventurers gathered their fallen comrades' bodies and, despite their exhaustion, began preparing for burial. The ground was hard, and digging the graves took a long time, but no one complained. Each of them knew that this was their final farewell to friends to whom they owed their lives.
When the graves were ready, the adventurers buried their companions with proper respect. Quiet prayers rose into the night air, and each of them carried grief and gratitude in their hearts. The boy stood aside, unable to shake the thought that he was the cause of it all. It was because of him that the beast had found them, because of him they had to face it and pay the ultimate price. When the last stones were placed on the graves, the boy made a decision he had feared for a long time.
He approached the surviving adventurers, who were sitting by the fire, trying to recover from what had happened. "I have to leave," he said quietly but firmly. The archer looked at him questioningly, and the mage raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I can’t put you in danger any longer. I think that beast is following me. I don’t know why, but I know that if I stay, you’re all in danger," he explained, trying to hide the tremble in his voice.
The adventurers were silent for a moment, then the archer nodded, though sadness was evident in his eyes. "We understand. We won’t stop you. But remember, you’re not alone. If you ever need help, find us," he said, extending his hand to the boy. The surviving mage looked at the boy solemnly.
He thanked them, feeling a weight on his heart like never before. The next morning, before the sun fully rose over the horizon, he set off on his journey again, alone but determined to find answers to the questions that still haunted him. Every step he took was full of determination, though the grief of loss did not leave him. He left, knowing that though he was leaving behind new friends, their sacrifice would never be in vain. The night was still deep, and the morning chill crept under his clothing, but he felt a new strength within him. He was no longer the same boy who had run from the beast—now he knew he had to face his destiny, no matter the cost.
The boy looked to the horizon, where the first rays of sunlight began to brighten the sky, promising a new day full of challenges.