The trees towered above, their dark silhouettes forming a jagged canopy that blocked out much of the moonlight. Only faint shafts of pale light broke through, illuminating patches of the forest floor. The river beside Insanity flowed quietly, its waters reflecting the eerie glow of the night. This forest was a place of danger—its predators silent, its shadows alive. But for Insanity, it was merely another backdrop to his internal chaos.

He knelt by the riverbank, splashing cold water onto his face. His mind raced, the madness always there, lurking just beneath the surface. The events of the past few days replayed over and over in his head—the battles, the bloodshed, the constant, gnawing hunger for destruction. It never left him.

"I should've killed him quicker," he muttered, his voice low and hoarse. He was alone, and that suited him fine.

He stared at his reflection in the water, watching as the ripples distorted his image, a twisted mirror of his fractured mind. The bloodstains on his face, the madness in his eyes—he no longer recognized himself. His once clear purpose had been consumed by the rage and insanity that now defined him.

The forest around him was quiet, too quiet. It was as if even the creatures of this deadly place feared him. Perhaps they sensed the instability, the violence that simmered within him, waiting to erupt.

The wind picked up, rustling the leaves in the trees. Insanity stood, his eyes scanning the dense forest around him. There was something about this place. It felt… wrong. The silence was oppressive, almost suffocating. But instead of feeling fear, Insanity felt a twisted sense of excitement.

"Come on then," he growled under his breath, clenching his fists. "If something's out there, let it come. I'll tear it apart."

The tension in the air was palpable, but nothing moved. The shadows remained still, and the only sound was the gentle flow of the river beside him. Frustrated, Insanity kicked a stone into the water, the splash breaking the eerie silence.

He hated waiting. The rage inside him was a constant, burning fire, and he needed an outlet. He had come into this forest seeking something—someone—to fight. Something to release the madness that threatened to consume him entirely.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

But nothing came.

With a snarl, Insanity turned and began to walk along the riverbank. His pace was quick, each step filled with barely-contained fury. The trees closed in around him, the path narrowing as the forest grew denser. He could feel the eyes of the forest on him, the creatures lurking in the shadows. But none of them dared to show themselves.

"Pathetic," he spat, glaring at the darkness around him. "Hiding like cowards."

His footsteps echoed through the forest, the sound muted by the thick undergrowth. The oppressive silence continued, gnawing at his mind. He had always been alone, but this—this isolation felt different. It wasn’t the solitude that bothered him; it was the lack of challenge. The lack of anything worthy to fight.

As he continued deeper into the forest, the sound of the river faded, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves and the occasional distant howl of a predator. Still, nothing came for him.

"Is this all there is?" Insanity muttered, his voice barely a whisper. "Is this what it's come to? Wandering in the dark, waiting for something that will never come?"

His words hung in the air, unanswered. For a brief moment, a flicker of doubt crept into his mind. Was this endless quest for battle—this insatiable hunger for destruction—all that was left of him? Was he doomed to wander, aimless and alone, forever chasing shadows?

He stopped walking, standing still in the middle of the forest. His hands unclenched, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a strange sense of calm. The silence no longer felt oppressive; it felt… peaceful.

But peace was not for him.

With a sudden, guttural scream, Insanity lashed out, slamming his fist into a nearby tree. The bark splintered, the tree shaking under the force of the blow, but it did nothing to quell the rage inside him. He struck again, and again, each punch fueled by the chaotic storm within him.

When he finally stopped, his knuckles were bloodied, and the tree was barely standing. But the forest remained silent. Nothing had changed.

Insanity's chest heaved with heavy breaths as he stepped back, his mind racing. This wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

He looked up at the sky through the gaps in the canopy, the stars barely visible through the thick branches. Somewhere out there, beyond this forest, beyond this world, there was something more. A challenge worth his time. A fight that would finally push him to the edge.

He just had to find it.

Without another word, Insanity turned and continued down the riverbank, leaving the shattered tree behind him. The forest still watched him, silent and unmoving, but he no longer cared.

There were bigger battles ahead.