A young elven girl made her way through the forest, picking herbs that grew in its depths. Her basket, woven from reeds, hung lightly from her elbow as she carefully rearranged the contents within, making room for the plants she had gathered.
Sunlight filtered through gaps between the trees above, casting a soft beam of light across her face, illuminating her eyes with a hue of blue—a color that mirrored the sky on a clear day.
She was far too pale and thin for a girl her age. She was almost fragile. To cover herself, she wore a dress woven from gray fabric, more suited for a day in the village than foraging in the wilderness. Her studies had brought her on an adventure to seek a rare medicinal herb, yet it was never her intention to venture so deep, to a place where she was warned never to enter.
She was proud of herself, and rightfully so. Her mastery over ice magic was unparalleled, even among her elders. It was said that she was destined to become a mage of great power—at least, that’s what her mother had always told her.
A cold breeze swept through the forest, gently lifting her silver hair as if the wind itself paid homage to her presence.
She took a deep breath, a smile on her face, as she gazed into her basket.
There it was, nestled among the other herbs—the Flourim Loue. This rare plant was famed for its ability to heal scars and enhance magical concoctions, a true gem for any skilled mage. Yet, Alice knew its value extended beyond her own needs. Flourim Loue was also a favored food of unicorns, creatures if not rarer than the plant itself. She had been careful, taking only what she needed, leaving enough behind to ensure the unicorns would not be deprived of their meal.
The sun began to set. The dense foliage overhead made it difficult to gauge the time of day, but Alice knew it was growing late. She'd been wandering the forest for nearly four days, sustained only by the forest’s abundance. Her quick reflexes and sharp mind had kept her safe, but now, with her basket full and her mission complete, she knew it was time to return home.
Alice made her way toward a tree where she had carved a subtle marking to guide her back—a precaution to avoid getting lost in the woods. As she approached, a soft whisper escaped her lips, a habit of speaking her thoughts aloud when alone. "Hm..."
Something was wrong with the tree. The familiar markings were there, but the tree itself seemed restless. As an elf, Alice possessed a unique connection with nature, able to communicate with plants, albeit in a limited way. The tree before her, ancient and wise, seemed troubled.
She placed a gentle hand on its rough bark, closing her eyes, "Please, tell me what causes you such distress, Ancient One."
Referring to the tree as "Ancient One" was a mark of respect, especially for a tree of such age. The tree responded, its voice resonating within her subconscious, "You... must leave... this forest. There is... a presence... watching you."
Alice’s eyes remained closed, yet her breath caught at the tree’s warning. She looked around. Who could possibly be watching her? Her heart quickened as she realized that, for the first time since entering the forest, she was not alone.
Alice slowly withdrew her hand from the tree’s bark, her senses heightened as she looked to her surroundings. The dense bushes and towering trees blocked her view in every direction.
The tree's warning lingered in her mind. She closed her eyes to concentrate.
She could feel a presence nearby...
A tall bush quivered, drawing her gaze. Her heart skipped a beat as she fixated on the movement, her breath hitching in her throat. Before she could call out, a figure emerged, standing just a few feet away.
He towered over anyone Alice had ever encountered, his presence both commanding and unsettling. He was draped in dark, ominous garments unlike anything she had ever seen before—grand, voluminous, and crafted from a fabric that seemed almost far too extravagant for an ordinary traveler. The wind pressed against him, causing his cloak to billow, as if nature itself sought to push him away from Alice.
But it was his eyes that truly unnerved her—glowing red like the crystal that hung from his neck, carrying an intensity that made Alice's courage to falter.
It was rare for humans to venture into elven territories, especially deep within the sacred and forbidden forests of the elves. Most humans were weak, fragile, and slow compared to elves. This man, however, had an intensity unlike any she had come across before.
"What are you doing in the elven forests?"
Alice's tone was more demanding than anything else, yet the man remained silent, only serving to add to her tension. Slowly, he reached his hand and pulled back his hood, revealing a pale face framed by long, black hair that fell down his back. "Pardon the intrusion, young elf," he began, "but what year is it?"
The way he addressed her as "young elf" felt strange, especially coming from a human. Elves were often far older than humans. It would only be natural that he would regard her with the courtesy elves often received. He was staring at her, as if waiting for an answer.
She felt uneasy, but also compelled to provide him one, "Based on our elven calendar, we are in the year 901."
The elven calendar was revered for its precision, a testament to the elves' desire to maintain thing in a traditional sense.
From where she stood, Alice could see the man was lost in thought. There was something dangerous about him, and those red eyes that resembled those of a demons'. She instinctively raised her hand, summoning a shard of ice that hovered above her palm. "I must ask you to leave this forest."
The hatred between elves and humans ran deep, rooted in centuries of bloodshed and betrayal. Alice, like many of her kind, harbored a lingering resentment toward humans. They were easily corrupted, swayed by greed and lust for power. Many elves had fallen to human swords in the dark days of old, victims of human need for wealth and dominance. Even during the great war, humans had been divided, their loyalties as fickle as the wind.
Yet that was a tale of old. Now was an era of peace, a time when all nations had vowed to lay down their arms after vanquishing a common enemy.
Seeing her prepare for combat, the man spoke, but the way he did was as if he were mocking her, "Are elves so hostile that they resort to aggression at first sight?"
Alice hesitated, lowering her hand slightly, though the ice shard continued to hover in the air, "You're not welcome here. These forests will be your undoing. I warn you for your own sake."
The man’s gaze shifted from the shard to Alice. "An elf capable of ice magic, and I sense strong magical energies from you."
His words, rather than calming her, only heightened her fears. Alice felt every fiber of her being urging her to flee. It was her pride that held her in place. She was a prodigy, a mage destined for greatness—how could she run from a mere human? "You're familiar with magic then?"
Magic was not something humans were meant to wield. Though there were rare exceptions, no human mage had ever been powerful enough to rival the scholars of the elven race.
The man smiled, a cold, knowing smile. "Yes, I’m familiar with it."
If he could use magic and had ventured so far into the forest, his intentions were far from innocent. Alice’s mind raced, trying to decipher the mystery before her. What was he after? And why had he come here, to this sacred place of the elves. One thing was certain, that he bore ill intent, and she remained vigilant, her gaze flickering to the bushes where the man had emerged.
A faint glow emanated from within. She couldn't discern what it was, but the sight made her suspicious. "These woods are forbidden to humans, if you've managed to survive here, you must be capable. Still, I must insist—you are not welcome here."
Alice began to circle him, moving cautiously toward the glowing bushes. He turned with her, his eyes never leaving her. "I wouldn’t go there."
Curiosity gnawed at Alice, urging her forward despite his words. As she neared the bush, her foot caught on something soft. She stumbled, her breath hitching as she fell down. The sight before her turned her blood to ice—a unicorn’s carcass, its flesh savagely torn apart as if by a ravenous beast.
She felt nauseous.
She had looked into reports from elven scholars detailing the mysterious decline of the unicorn population. Dead unicorns had been found throughout the forest, their bodies mutilated in ways far too brutal for even the most vicious wolves. Many had dismissed it as the work of wild animals, but Alice had always felt there was something more sinister at play. Now she knew.
When she looked back, she noticed the man’s expression had darkened. His reaction was all the proof she needed. "What... what have you done?"
She knew, deep in her heart, that this was his doing. But how? A human killing a unicorn was unthinkable. She stumbled backward, her hands trembling as he took a step closer. "I warned you not to go there," he said coldly, his gaze shifting to the lifeless creature at his feet.
"What kind of man can do such a thing? What... are you?"
His eyes locked onto her frightened face as she continued to move backwards, away from him. "Have elves become so blind that they can no longer distinguish a human from a demon?"
A demon? But how? They were supposed to be extinct, wiped out after the war. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the impossible.
Demons were among the most feared beings in existence. Ones that possessed incredible magical and physical powers. They were cunning and deceptive creatures, able to shift hearts to their will. Left unchecked, the Demons could have ruled over the world as she knew it, yet their inability to work together was their ultimate downfall.
She looked to him in disbelief, her words shaking as her eyes met his sinister gaze. "You're a demon... How is that possible?"
As he approached, she continued to move back frantically, grabbing the dirt to pull her faster, "No! Don't come any closer! Stay away from me! Stay back!"
Panic surged through her as she scrambled to her feet, summoning every ounce of magic she could. Dozens of ice shards formed in the air around her, each one sharp enough to kill. Her hair was covered with dirt, but she was too consumed by fear to care. Her eyes never left him, and he remained where he stood. "Why have you done this?!" she demanded, her voice breaking as she looked to the unicorn's mutilated body. "Why?!"
"I needed sustenance."
Sustenance. The word sickened her. This was no hunt for food. The unicorn was alive as the demon ate away at it. Signs of struggle were evident on the ground where the carcass was found. There was a profound cruelty in the way he fed on the poor creature that made her stomach churn. "You're a monster! I’ll kill you!"
Alice cast a magical spell to examine the demon's stats.
Name of Enemy: ???
Estimated Level: 100
Race: Demon
Class: ???
Alignment: Lawful Evil -999
Stats
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Strength: ???????????
Agility: ???????????
Intelligence: ???????????
Charisma: ???????????
Mana: ???????????/???????????
Health: ???????????/???????????
Skills: Unknown
Status: Alice Ashenvale
Level: 12
Race: Elven
Class: Mage
Alignment: Lawful Good +500
Stats
Strength: 10
Agility: 23
Intelligence: 60
Charisma: 14
Mana: 8000/8000
Health: 1000/1000
Skills: Scan, Create Ice, Ice Shards, Featherfall, Illuminate, Arcane Bolt, Ice Lance, Air Slash, Frost Nova, Frozen Tempest, Foresight
Level 100...?
His powers were beyond comprehension. Never before had she encountered anything so formidable. His alignment was so far in the negatives that seemed almost impossible. Her gift of foresight failed her completely, unable to expose a single weakness or reveal any of the demon's abilities.
With a cry of rage, she hurled the ice shards at him, each one aimed to end his life. But with a simple gesture, he closed his hand before him, and the shards disintegrated into dust long before they could reach him. This was no ordinary magic; the demon's power far exceeded her own.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished and reappeared behind her. Her heart raced as she swung her fist around, but he was gone again, only to reappear moments later. "Your mana capacity is unusually large for an elf. A natural occurrence, or a blessing from the gods?"
Alice’s throat tightened, fear choking her. She was outmatched, outmaneuvered. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly powerless, with no plan, no escape, and no hope.
"I've been feasting on these unicorns to satisfy my hunger for magic," he said, as if he were speaking to himself, "I recall these creatures being rare, so imagine my surprise when I found so many in one place."
Alice's anger surged, her body trembling with fury. "You killed them? Every unicorn we've found dead—it was all your doing!"
He stepped closer, and Alice instinctively backed away, only to find herself now pressed against a tree. Before she could react, he grabbed her face, his fingers running down her jaw. She struggled, but it was as if her strength had left her. "You're rather pretty for an elf," he mused, his eyes roaming over her.
"TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Alice screamed, thrashing against him.
He placed his hand over her mouth, silencing her protests. Leaning in, his gaze bored into hers, as if peeling back every layer of her being. "You're in no position to give orders," he whispered.
Alice’s resistance waned, her frantic struggles slowing as dread washed over her. He removed his hand from her mouth, and she collapsed to her knees, a tear slipping down her cheek. "What are you going to do to me?" she asked, her voice trembling in fear.
"I'm going to eat you."
"Eat me...?" she echoed, her voice giving out, "Why?"
She wanted to flee, to scream, to fight—but she felt paralyzed, his words seeping into her like poison.
"I don’t particularly enjoy eating elves" He said to her, with a cold tone of a maniacal being, "but you... something about you intrigues me. Even if it’s just to try it out. These unicorns have been enough to keep my hunger for magic at bay, but your magical reserves... they would sustain me for much longer."
His tone, his eyes, they were those of a savage, evil creature. Even so, she couldn't actually believe it. He was going to eat her, and the look in his eye told her he was serious about it. "You can’t be serious," Alice said as her voice cracked, her eyes darting around, desperately seeking for a path to escape. "You can’t do that. Please..."
"I can’t very well let you leave, now can I?"
"Why not?" she pleaded, panic rising in her chest. "Just let me go—I promise I won’t tell anyone about you."
"Letting you go isn’t enough. What can you offer me in exchange for your life?"
Alice's mind raced, scrambling for a solution, any way to talk her way out of this nightmare. "In exchange for my life?" she repeated, grasping at straws. "I—I could..."
He felt the need to clarify himself, so he interrupted her, knowing that it would take her some time to offer a solution. "We demons are known for making deals, It's a point of great pride for us. So tell me, what can you offer in exchange for your freedom and a promise of silence about what has happened here?"
Alice's mind raced, desperate for a solution. Her herbs and basket were lost in the scuffle, and she doubted they would interest him. "You want magic, don't you? I can give you all my magical items—my scrolls, my research, my crystals, my weapons. Everything I have. Just... just let me go."
He shook his head dismissively. "I can't very well eat your weapons, and your research holds no value to me."
Alice took a deep breath, trying to muster some semblance of confidence. Demons relished the thrill of toying with the desperate and weak. She needed to stand on her feet and present herself as a worthy opponent, even if she felt anything but. "I need time to think of something valuable. Can you give me that?"
"I'm growing hungrier the more you talk," he said impatiently. "Hurry up."
Alice's was desperate. Why hadn't he killed her yet? What could she possibly offer that would make him spare her? As she sought to find answers to the ultimate question, of what she could offer, a thought crossed her mind that would sicken anyone who heard it. Of course, a demon would be intrigued by it, but even so, what she was going to propose was nothing less than insanity. "Please, don’t kill me."
He rolled his eyes. "We’ve been over this already."
Alice quickly thought over her proposal once more. She couldn't believe what she was saying. "Please, if you're going to do it, then at least let me live."
His expression shifted, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Do you understand what you're asking for?"
"Yes," Alice replied, meeting his gaze with desperation.
He laughed, brushing a hand through his hair as if contemplating her request. "You're the first to ask for this. I have to admire your bravery. But are you aware of the pain you'll endure?"
"Magic flows through the very blood of elves," Alice said, her voice steady despite her fear. "If you drink my blood, that should sustain you, right?"
"Right," he acknowledged, his gaze lingering on her. "But even so, why should I not take what I want right now? Why should I let you live?"
"If... If you let me live, you'll benefit more," she stammered, nearly gagging at the thought of what she was proposing.
"But if I let you live, I'll have to constantly keep an eye on you. I can't just leave you unsupervised."
"No! I won’t say a word to anyone. I swear it!"
He had already made up his mind but decided to toy with her by pretending to be mulling it over. He had to admit that her proposal did intrigue him slightly, having never been offered such a deal before. While she waited, she anxiously searched his expression for any sign of what he might decide.
"You’ll provide me with portions of your blood. Every day. For the rest of your life."
The forest around them gradually grew darker and the wind stilled, their eyes locked in a tense standoff. "I understand," she said softly, raising her wrist toward him. "I swear by it, and I promise I won’t tell anyone. Just let me live."
It was an invitation for him to drink her blood, and as terrifying as it was, the fact that she was still alive gave her a glimmer of hope. After what felt like an eternity, he stepped closer, kneeling before her. Before she knew it, his fangs sank deep into her wrist. The pain was sharp, and the sensation of her blood being drawn from her veins made her even more nauseous. Her body grew warm, then unbearably hot, as her life force was drained. She felt herself weakening, her knees trembling as she watched him. It was revolting, a cruelty that she could hardly bear, but it had been her own suggestion. If this was what it took to survive, she would endure it.
Status: Alice Ashenvale
Level: 12
Race: Elven
Class: Magic Caster
Alignment: Lawful Good +500
Stats
Strength: 10
Agility: 23
Intelligence: 60
Charisma: 14
Mana: 313/8000
Health: 152/100
Skills: Scan, Create Ice, Ice Shards, Featherfall, Illuminate, Arcane Bolt, Ice Lance, Air Slash, Frost Nova, Frozen Tempest, Foresight
When he finally released her, she collapsed to the ground, silent tears streaming down her face. Her skin was so pale it seemed nearly translucent in the faint moonlight that barely penetrated the leaves above. He stood for a moment, then, without a word, sat beside her.
She loathed him with every fiber of her being, in ways that words could never capture. But that hatred was mingled with fear and exhaustion, leaving her unable to speak. They sat in silence, staring at the carcass of the unicorn.
Alice wanted to scream, but the terror and blood loss had stolen her voice. What cruel fate had condemned her to this? She needed to return and warn everyone, but with him watching her every move, escape seemed impossible. Her heart raced from the blood she had lost, but the worst of it had passed. After a brief moment, a chilling realization gnawed her thoughts, she would have to endure this again tomorrow.
The scent of her blood had attracted two wolves from the darkness of the forest. She almost wished they would end her suffering, but the demon stood, lifting the wolves into the air with a flick of his hand. Her eyes widened at his display of power, and then he snapped their necks, letting more blood spill onto the forest floor. Their lifeless bodies fell to the ground with a thud.
The demon made his way and stood above the carcasses of the wolves he slaughtered. He looked to Alice, and then bent down, "You must be hungry. Eat," he said, throwing one of the wolves' bodies in her direction.
She recoiled, her stomach churning with nausea. "I can’t eat this."
"You elves eat animals, why not wolves?" he asked, a mocking tone in his voice.
"It’s raw, you damned demon! Have some decency," she snapped, curling in on herself.
"Oh right, you elves cook your food before eating it."
"Yes! We do!" she shot back, her voice shaky but firm.
"Just try it."
"I don’t want it!" she nearly screamed.
He stared at her, clearly displeased with her refusal. Her stomach rumbled, the blood loss making her hunger unbearable. "Fine, then don’t eat it."
He tore off a piece of the wolf’s leg and bit into it, blood dripping from his mouth. She watched in horrified silence as he ate beside her. As he ate through it, he then offered the leg to her, his voice eerily calm considering the situation. "Take a bite. It’s not that bad."
She wished he would choke on it. "All you care about is eating, whether it's magic or meat. Is there no more backbone to a demon?"
The demon took another bite of the wolf's leg, chewing deliberately before responding. "You know, you talk an awful lot for someone begging to live. Here's how it's going to go: you eat, and I'll let you keep talking, or you keep that mouth of yours shut."
She was puzzled. Why did he care so much about her eating? Was he trying to keep her alive for some twisted reason? The thought gnawed at her, but the sight of the raw meat still turned her stomach. She glanced at the bloodied leg but couldn’t bring herself to eat it. The revulsion was too strong.
Without a word, she turned away from him, deciding to endure the hunger rather than give in to his demand. She lay down on the forest floor, her back to him, and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the situation, the hunger, and the fear that still gripped her.
She closed her eyes but sleep never came. The night dragged on endlessly, a suffocating blanket of darkness that refused to end.
He never slept, his gaze fixed on her through the entire night. She could feel the weight of his stare, an ever-present reminder of her captivity, but she chose to ignore him, curling even tighter into herself.
Time seemed to stand still, the forest silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. She dreaded the coming dawn, knowing that with it would come another feeding. The memory of his fangs piercing her skin, the searing pain that followed, haunted her. When he fed, it felt as though a piece of her soul was being drained away along with her blood.
What once were her blessings—her magic, her life, her very existence—now felt like a curse. She was trapped in a waking nightmare, with no escape in sight. The thought of enduring this torment day after day was unbearable, yet she had no choice but to survive.