CHAPTER 2: AWAKENING IN SHADOWS

The ground was damp, cold, and unforgiving. Jae-Hyun stirred, his body protesting every slight movement. Pain radiated from his back and shoulders, where the Shadehound’s claws had torn into him during the fight, now worsened by the rough treatment of being dragged through the forest. His head throbbed, and a bitter, metallic taste filled his mouth—blood, he realized. As his senses began to sharpen, so did the reality of his situation.

His first clear thought was rage.

“Tae-Jun...” he hissed, his voice hoarse and trembling. His mind replayed the events from earlier: the betrayal, the smug smirk on his brother’s face, and his father’s cold, final judgment. Anger surged through him like fire, burning away the fog of weakness and disorientation. They had planned this, crafted it to perfection, ensuring no one would question his disappearance. The very people he had tried to prove himself to had discarded him as though he were nothing.

But he wasn’t nothing. Not yet.

Jae-Hyun forced himself to sit up, his breath ragged and uneven. His surroundings came into focus, though dimly. The Hollow Dreadlands were aptly named. Ancient trees with gnarled, skeletal branches stretched toward the darkened sky, their bark blackened and slick with moss. A thick mist coiled around the base of the trunks, obscuring the ground and creating the illusion that the earth itself was alive. The air was damp, heavy, and oppressive, carrying a faint stench of decay that seemed to seep into his very skin. It was as though the forest was waiting, watching, eager to claim him.

He clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. Anger boiled beneath his skin, hotter and more potent than the pain. They think I’ll just die here, he thought bitterly. They think I’ll vanish, swallowed by this cursed place like so many others before me. But I won’t. I’ll survive. And I’ll make them regret this.

With a sharp exhale, he pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly as his body protested. His legs felt weak, unsteady, but he gritted his teeth and steadied himself against a nearby tree. Every movement sent jolts of pain through his battered frame, but he embraced it. Pain meant he was still alive. Pain meant he could still fight.

Jae-Hyun’s gaze fell to his hands, trembling but functional. He flexed his fingers, testing his grip. He had no weapon, no supplies, nothing but the tattered clothes on his back and the sheer force of his will. His mind raced, assessing his options. The Hollow Dreadlands were infamous among guild members for their lethality. Stories of adventurers and mercenaries venturing in only to never return were common, whispered like cautionary tales around the guild’s training grounds. The beasts here were unlike any others, twisted and monstrous, thriving in an ecosystem that defied logic and reason.

For a fleeting moment, fear gnawed at the edges of his mind. But he crushed it beneath the weight of his fury. Fear was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

He turned his attention to his surroundings, his eyes scanning the dense, shadowed forest. The mist seemed to thicken the farther it stretched, obscuring his view and making it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead. He listened carefully, straining to pick up any sounds beyond the distant rustling of leaves. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the occasional creak of branches overhead. It was too quiet.

Jae-Hyun knew he couldn’t stay here. He needed to move, to find shelter or higher ground where he could get a better sense of his surroundings. Survival was his first priority, but it wasn’t his end goal. Survival was just the means to an end.

Revenge. That word burned in his mind like a brand. He’d cling to it, let it fuel him when his body begged for rest. Tae-Jun’s smug face, his father’s cold dismissal—they would pay for this. He didn’t know how, not yet, but he would find a way.

“I’ll fucking kill them,” he muttered, his voice low and venomous, as if speaking the words aloud gave them power. “Every single one of them.”

His steps were slow and deliberate as he began to move through the forest, each one sending shockwaves of pain through his battered body. The mist clung to him like a second skin, chilling him to the bone. The ground was uneven, littered with roots and rocks that threatened to trip him at every step. But he pressed on, driven by sheer willpower and the burning need to survive.

After what felt like an eternity, Jae-Hyun’s ears caught a faint sound in the distance—a low, guttural growl. He froze, his entire body tensing as he strained to locate the source. The growl grew louder, closer, and was soon accompanied by the faint crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot. His heart raced, but his mind remained focused. He had no weapon, no means of defending himself. Running wasn’t an option; his body was too weak, and the terrain was unforgiving.

The growling stopped, replaced by an unsettling silence. Jae-Hyun’s breath hitched as his eyes darted around the mist, searching for any sign of movement. Then he saw it. Two glowing green eyes, piercing through the fog like twin lanterns, locked onto him with predatory focus.

For a brief moment, Jae-Hyun’s chest tightened, thinking it might be another Shadehound. But as the figure stepped closer, he saw its hunched form, mottled green skin, and jagged teeth. A goblin. Smaller than a Shadehound, but its wiry limbs and cruel, beady eyes betrayed its cunning. Goblins in the Hollow Dreadlands were never alone, and that realization sent a chill down his spine. If there was one, more were likely nearby.

The goblin tilted its head, sniffing the air. Its mottled green skin was streaked with dark veins, almost as if the forest itself had corrupted it. Fungus grew along its shoulders and arms, glowing faintly in the dim light. Its movements were unnervingly precise, each step calculated, as if guided by an unseen intelligence. It held a crude, rusted blade in one clawed hand, while its other dragged a torn animal carcass. Jae-Hyun’s instincts screamed at him to act before it alerted others. He crouched low, grabbing a sharp rock from the ground as silently as he could.

The goblin’s ears twitched, sensing movement. It snarled, dropping its prize and crouching into an attack stance. Jae-Hyun knew he had to strike first. He lunged forward, his rock swinging in a brutal arc. The goblin dodged, screeching in surprise and slashing at him with its blade. Jae-Hyun barely avoided the strike, his reflexes sluggish from exhaustion.

But desperation fueled him. He feinted left, then slammed the rock into the goblin’s temple with all the force he could muster. The creature let out a strangled cry, its body crumpling to the ground. Jae-Hyun didn’t stop. He struck again and again, rage and fear blending into a single, primal need to eliminate the threat. The sickening crunch of the final blow echoed in his ears, mingling with the acrid scent of dark ichor that splattered his trembling hands. When the goblin finally lay still, dark blood pooling beneath it, he staggered back, his chest heaving.

Jae-Hyun crouched beside the body, his hand brushing over the rock still slick with ichor. The fight had been brief, brutal—but necessary. He stared at his trembling hands, the blood staining his skin, and felt... nothing. No guilt, no remorse. Just the bitter satisfaction of survival. He tightened his grip on the rock, the weight of it reassuring. If survival meant killing, then so be it.

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The creature’s death brought no relief. His gaze darted to the surrounding mist, his heart pounding. Goblins were never alone. They thrived in tribes, moving as a unit, hunting as a pack. If one had found him, others couldn’t be far behind.

He wiped his trembling hands on his tattered shirt, his voice a low growl. “Just my luck. One down, and now the whole damn forest knows I’m here.”

Despite the ache in his limbs and the burning in his side, Jae-Hyun forced himself forward. He had no time to rest, no time to think. Survival was no longer a simple matter of endurance—it was a race against time.

Into the Maw

The forest seemed to hold its breath. Jae-Hyun crouched low, his makeshift weapon still damp with goblin ichor. The weight of his actions pressed on him, not as guilt but as an urgent reminder of the stakes. He knew he had little time. Goblins never traveled alone. If this one had strayed, the rest wouldn’t be far behind. His breath fogged in the cold air as his senses heightened, straining to detect the faintest sign of movement.

A sharp, distant cry pierced the oppressive silence. It was guttural and high-pitched, an unmistakable goblin shriek. Jae-Hyun’s heart skipped a beat. The sound was echoed moments later by another, closer this time, then another, overlapping like a chorus of malevolent intent. The forest itself seemed to shift and ripple with their approach.

“Shit,” Jae-Hyun hissed under his breath. He gripped the bloodied rock tighter, though he knew it wouldn’t be enough. The crude weapon had served its purpose against one goblin, but a group? He needed more.

His eyes darted around, searching for anything that could aid him. The mist swirled around the dense undergrowth, obscuring most of the forest floor. Then he saw them—dark, hunched shapes weaving through the fog. The goblins were closing in, their guttural chatter growing louder. Jae-Hyun’s muscles tensed. He prepared to fight, despite knowing the odds were stacked against him.

The goblins emerged, their grotesque forms more menacing than he had anticipated. Their skin was a sickly green, streaked with blackened veins as though corrupted by the Hollow Dreadlands themselves. Small fungi glowed faintly along their twisted limbs, pulsing with an eerie bioluminescence. They clutched crude weapons—rusted blades and jagged spears—and moved with a hive-like coordination that sent a chill down Jae-Hyun’s spine.

He crouched lower, gripping the rock as if it were the last tether to his will. His mind raced for a plan. If he struck quickly, perhaps he could—

The forest erupted with a deafening roar.

The sound froze the goblins in their tracks. It was a noise born of something ancient, something primal, vibrating through the very bones of the earth. Their chatter turned to panicked shrieks as they turned toward the source. Jae-Hyun’s blood ran cold as he followed their gaze.

From the mist, a hulking shadow emerged. It moved with an unnatural fluidity, its sheer size making the ground tremble beneath its weight. As it stepped into view, Jae-Hyun’s breath caught. The beast was monstrous, standing nearly three times his height on four massive limbs. Its obsidian-like scales glistened with a faint, malevolent glow, etched with glowing red runes that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat. Its head was elongated, reptilian, with a maw lined with jagged teeth that dripped a viscous black fluid. Crimson eyes burned with an intelligence that made the goblins look like mere pests.

The goblins scattered, but it was futile. The creature lunged with terrifying speed, its claws cleaving through the closest goblin with a sickening crunch. Dark ichor sprayed across the clearing as the beast tore into its prey. The remaining goblins shrieked and tried to flee, but the creature was relentless. It moved through them like a force of nature, its powerful limbs smashing and slicing with brutal efficiency.

Jae-Hyun watched in stunned silence, his heart hammering in his chest. The beast’s sheer power was overwhelming, its speed a blur. He felt an instinctive urge to run, to get as far away as possible. He took a step back, and a twig snapped underfoot.

The creature’s head snapped toward him, its glowing eyes locking onto his. A low growl rumbled from its throat, vibrating through the air. Jae-Hyun froze, his breath catching. He could feel the weight of its gaze, the predatory intent behind those burning eyes.

His mind screamed for him to run. But then he clenched his jaw. Run? Like a coward? His fingers dug into his scalp, his mind spinning. He thought of Tae-Jun, of his father, of their betrayal. He thought of Mi-Rae, her smile the only warmth he had left in the world. Her unwavering belief in him, the way she had always stood by his side when no one else did. The thought of never seeing her again, of failing her, cut deeper than any claw could.

And deeper still, he felt something stir—an unfamiliar presence at the edge of his thoughts. A fleeting sensation of clarity, almost as though the rage and desperation were sharpening into something tangible.

“No,” he muttered, his voice trembling but resolute. “I won’t die here.”

With a sharp slap across his face, Jae-Hyun forced himself to focus. The sting grounded him, steeled his resolve. He picked up a nearby branch, jagged and heavy, and tightened his grip around it. If this beast wanted to kill him, it would have to fight for it.

The creature advanced, its massive claws sinking into the earth with each step. It moved with a deliberate slowness, toying with him, savoring the hunt. Jae-Hyun’s body screamed at him to flee, but he held his ground. The creature lunged, and he moved.

Jae-Hyun dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the swipe of its claws. The wind from the attack whipped past his face, and he felt the raw power behind it. The beast roared in frustration, turning to face him again. It batted him away with its massive forelimb, sending him sprawling into the dirt. His ribs screamed in protest, and blood filled his mouth as he struggled to his feet.

The beast’s intelligence was unnerving. It circled him, studying his movements, ensuring he had no opening. Jae-Hyun’s breaths came in ragged gasps. His mind raced for a solution. He spotted a cluster of jagged rocks nearby and staggered toward them. The creature followed, its crimson eyes glinting with amusement as though it enjoyed his futile attempts at survival.

The mist thickened around them, swirling as if alive. For a moment, Jae-Hyun thought he could hear faint whispers carried on the wind. The oppressive atmosphere of the Hollow Dreadlands seemed to react to the confrontation, amplifying the tension.

He tripped purposefully, grabbing a sharp stone and concealing it in his hand. As the beast lunged, he swung upward with every ounce of strength left in him. The stone struck its knee, tearing through a gap in its scaled armor. The beast roared, the ground trembling beneath its cry of pain. It stumbled, its injured leg dragging slightly.

For a fleeting moment, triumph surged in Jae-Hyun’s chest. But it was short-lived. The beast’s tail whipped around, striking him squarely and sending him crashing into a tree. Pain exploded across his body, and he crumpled to the ground, barely able to breathe.

The creature loomed over him, its crimson eyes blazing with fury. Jae-Hyun’s vision blurred, but he forced himself to meet its gaze. Even now, as his body threatened to give out, he refused to cower.

Before the beast could deliver the final blow, a distant howl echoed through the forest. The sound was otherworldly, haunting, and powerful. The creature paused, its head snapping toward the source. The howl was followed by another, then another, a symphony of echoes that seemed to reverberate through the trees. With a final glare at Jae-Hyun, the beast growled and turned, limping into the mist.

Jae-Hyun collapsed onto his back, his body trembling. His side throbbed with pain, and his vision swam. He pressed a hand to his wound, wincing at the warmth of his own blood. Somehow, he was still alive. The beast had left, but the forest was far from safe.

He leaned back against the tree, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. His thoughts were a chaotic swirl of anger, fear, and determination. He had survived, but just barely. And he knew this was only the beginning. The Hollow Dreadlands had more to throw at him, and he would have to face it all.

As darkness began to creep in at the edges of his vision, Jae-Hyun clenched his fists. “I’m not done yet,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Not by a long shot.”

And as his consciousness faded, a voice echoed in the recesses of his mind, cold and commanding: After all these years of struggle, will you let this be your end? Or will you rise and claim what is yours?