"Why not give us your soul?"
Elaine awoke to familiar voices. She rolled to her side, palm rubbing her pounding forehead. Where am I? The last scene she remembered was facing the creature from the nightmare, staring into its deep crimson mouth before it devoured her.
She lifted her head and blinked, then blinked again. I can't see, Elaine realized. Am I in a dream, or is this reality? The situation felt eerily similar to her nightmare, sending chills up her spine. The monster must be near if this is the same place as my nightmare. I need to hide. She reached for the dagger inside her dress pocket and exhaled. It's still here. Elaine crawled to her feet, wanting to run. However, knowing that she would not reach very far with her current sight impairment, Elaine considered her options. Shouting for help would be unwise, since it could attract predators. For now, she could only rely on herself. Even within an unknown territory, the magician association's limits still applied, restricting her to only one standard spell per hour. Therefore, she must choose carefully. Elaine decided on sight enhancement, given the prevailing circumstance. Once she applied the spell, a veil seemed to lift from her eyes, and she could finally see the land she stood on.
Around her, ancient trees with massive trunks and sprawling roots stretched toward the skies. Their branches intertwined in tight knots like a giant spider web with thick canopies layering, blocking all external light sources. Strange bird-like creatures perched on high branches, observing her. Some had spiral horns and kaleidoscopic insect wings, while others had long snouts and sharp teeth with eyeballs positioned on their chests instead of their heads. Their cold eyes, similar to colorful beads, reflected Elaine's image.
Both in awe and horrified, she staggered backward. A twig snapped under her feet, and Elaine froze, afraid to disturb some hidden beasts nearby. She slowly moved away from the object, careful not to make a sound. Elaine then studied her surrounding, looking for a direction. She strained her ears, listening to the hissing wind and rustling leaves, not knowing where to turn. Elaine lacked the knowledge to navigate through a forest, let alone survive. Bubbling panic pitted inside her stomach, but she forced it down.
Even without a clear direction, Elaine started walking. She could not remain here, not when the creature might be close. The crisp air brushed against Elaine's skin, making her tremble. She glanced up at the covered skies, wondering whether it was day or night. Time flew by, and Elaine was unsure how long she had been walking. She could feel countless eyes on her, curious creatures fascinated by the lone human or hungry predators observing their prey. But, no matter the eyes' owners' identities, she needed to continue, to find shelter before exhaustion took over.
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More time passed, and Elaine began feeling weakness in her legs. Her throat throbbed from thirst while her stomach growled in protest. The temperature rapidly dropped, coating the surrounding vegetation with a thin layer of ice. Snow flurries from nowhere started falling, flaking Elaine's entire body. She could barely sense her numb fingers as she wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to keep warm. Elaine had been casting an energy-replenishing spell but knew she could not sustain it for much longer. Maintaining the enhancement spells required mana, and she was quickly running low. Each hour seemed to prolong more than the next, shambling her concept of time. Elaine's world would return to the debilitating darkness if she could not find nourishment to restore her mana soon.
"Instead of freezing to death, why not give your soul to us? Release yourself from the suffering." Voices suddenly descended from above, echoing throughout the forest floor. It's the creatures! Their callous laughter imitated innocent children, yet deafening to Elaine's ears. She spun around, seeking the voices, but failed to locate them.
"Why keep struggling? Why not break free from the prison that is your body? Relinquish your soul to us, and you will no longer have to endure the torture of the flesh," the creatures continued. Their words enticed like sweet honey, luring flies into their trap.
"N..n..o." Her lips formed a broken reply between chattering teeth and misty breath. She could not succumb when the story had not begun, and she was still far from her goal. She trudged forward, bracing the snow and ignoring the creatures' jeer.
A silhouette appeared in the far corner of her eyes, and Elaine immediately turned. Her face lit up like a dying man discovering an oasis in the desert. Beyond the whiteness and mist stood a human figure. It's a man! Maybe he is from the Étoile troop. She ran toward the figure, disregarding the stiffness in her legs. However, Elaine suddenly stopped short before reaching her destination. Something felt wrong. The 'man' was not standing on the ground but levitating. His body appeared weightless, swaying along the wind.
She crept backward with warning bells ringing inside her head, alerting her of imminent danger. Unfortunately, it seemed he noticed Elaine and began gliding toward her. The fog slowly evaporated, clearing Elaine's vision and showing her the 'man' appearance. She tumbled to the ground, face contorted with fear, shaken by the grotesque monster before her.
The figure Elaine saw was a man, or what remained of him. His insides were hollowed, either devoured or carved out, leaving only the skin worn on the creature's face like a meat mask. Behind the human skin was a towering monster with an elongated neck. Scales like tree bark covered its giant body and tail, combined with eight thick, hairy spider legs. It was a creature that stepped out of her worst nightmare.