His cheeks glistened under the torrent of tears. He slumped down the grass and grasped it with his trembling hands, feeling each strand caress his skin.

How long has it been?

Perhaps the realization that he was finally free had just struck him. Freedom was nothing but a fleeting dream for him. Especially after his last flicker of hope was extinguished. He thought that he was destined to rot in that cold, empty cell, never to be found.

Samael raised his hands, closing his eyes as he felt the warm embrace of the sun dancing on his body. Oh, how much he longed for it. Yearned for it.

His hand balled into a fist as he rummaged through his bag. There was still one thing left unfinished.

He held a matchstick in his hand and Ignited it, his gaze fixated at the small burning ember dancing on his fingertips.

Soon, the smell of fire and ash lingered in the air, and the crackling sounds echoed in his ears. His shadow shifting under the hypnotic dance of the flame.

Samael hated fire. It's destructive, dangerous, and painful. Yet the flame that brightly illuminated the lab felt soothing.

He wore a solemn expression as he closed his eyes.

"Rest in peace. May the light guide you."

***

Step... Step... Step...

It has been a while since he left the clearing. Whenever he looked, all he could see was the thick, towering trees that hid the brightness of the sun and the eerie silence that came with it.

He didn't know where he was; he barely had food and water, plus he could barely feel the strength in his limbs. His situation wasn't just bad; it was dire. He estimated that his food ration could last at most until tomorrow. If he doesn't die of dehydration by then.

Right now, his priorities are to find food and a clean water source.

Food shouldn't be too hard to find, right? I mean, this is a forest, fruits should be abundant here. Samael looked around and scanned his surroundings, only to be disappointed.

The trees around him were lush and big, but they bore no fruit. The leaves of the trees had a tinge of yellow as they plummeted to the ground. He could smell the cold in the wind, which brought wariness to his heart.

Samael held his chin while looking at the falling leaves. He felt like he was forgetting something really important.

Yellow leaves..? Samael asked himself.

His eyes widened. He hurriedly recounted the months he spent on the lab. His memory hazy at first, but the answer to his questions was set to light.

"Winter..."

Samael spoke in a hushed tone, bearing an invisible weight mounted at his shoulders.

It looks like his situation just got even crazier. If he was correct, about eight months ago was the start of spring.

He used his fingers to count the months that had passed.

Wait... then doesn't that mean...?

"I have a month left?!" He roared in disbelief.

He grasped his mouth as he set a watchful eyes on his vicinity. He didn't want to attract trouble. He already has enough on his plate.

With the news of the upcoming winter, a feeling of unease bloomed in his heart. He just got out, and everything is already going against him. Is fate playing some form of sick joke?

Samael sighed and continued forward. Sure, he needed to ensure survival first, but overthinking won't help him. He needs to be rational and calm.

Samael is not the smartest, but he is no fool either. He is not illiterate. His family had quite a high position, and like any good family, he was given a chance to study at a young age. He knows how to write, read, and count.

Unsure of where to go, he roamed around and had his ears sharpened. If there was a running river or waterfall nearby, he might just possibly hear it.

It's one of his talents. He has keen senses. He is able to see, hear, and smell things extremely well.

It has come in handy in many situations. Like how he managed to dodge an arrow when his father brought him to an archery range one time. Fortunately, he was able to hear the distant whistle in time.

He didn't expect his talent to come into use now. He always thought that he was weird since other kids his age didn't have such abilities. It separated him from the others. Made him feel... different.

As time ticked by and the light of the day turned orange in hue. Samael's steps have started to pick pace. He has barely found anything of value in the last few hours. Now that the sun was fading from the blue sky, how could fear not seep in his heart?

He didn't know what kind of monsters lurked in this forest, but the abnormality of the place was apparent just by staying here for a few hours.

The crimson-red trees appeared drenched in blood. Along with the bone chilling silence that shrouds it.

Just my luck, I guess

Samael halted his steps and approached a tree. Its ginormous body towered over him and sent a shiver down his spine. Nonetheless, he had nowhere to go for the night, so his best option was to climb a tree and wait the darkness out.

"Urghh!" Samael grunted, his face contorted under the searing pain of his wounds. There weren't many gaps to use, so he had to rely on his grip. His muscles burned as he felt like sandpaper brushed against his skin. Leaving cracks in his flesh.

Samael momentarily stopped and took a mouthful of air. His arms sore, and his shoulders slumped down. His eyes had dark circles underneath, worthy of being in children's nightmares.

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He glanced down and his blood went cold.

Woah! Too high!

His grip tightened and his palm as white as the foreboding snow. The humongous tree roots appeared like small vines in his eyes. He could feel the wind harshly scraping his skin as the leaves danced in front of him. If he falls down now, he will surely die.

The sun was also starting to vanish off the horizon, and the inevitable darkness of the night was starting to engulf the crimson forest. Either he climbs up or he goes down, completely eliminating his chances of making it through the first night.

Samael swallowed a mouthful of air, his face flushing red as he burned through the last remaining strength left in his body.

His muscle strained while he slowly climbed up. Without hesitation, he dug his nails into the coarse tree bark, stabilizing himself. A warm red liquid trickled from his fingernails, and like raindrops, it slithered down his scarred cheeks. Yet, even under the pain and constant pressure of death, he persevered and went up unhindered.

Almost... There!! With a loud thud, he plummeted his body onto the massive branches of the tree. His skin shone under the sweat, and his chest moved like the waves under a storm.

Samael slowly regained his calm. The tree was so high that he could see the bright stars in the night sky. They were beautiful, like gems embedded in the finest cloth in the world.

Samael can hear the distant howlings and growls. However, he wasn't bothered by it. He was already elevated and well hidden. Or at least he thinks so.

Maybe I'll rest my eyes. just for a little bit...

His eyelids felt extremely heavy. His vision dimmed.

And just like that, he drifted into the unknown under the guiding light of the night stars.

***

By the time Samael regained consciousness, he was greeted by the silver gleam of the moon. He released a sigh as he watched the leaves move under the guidance of the wind.

So it wasn't a dream.

Samael sat down when a sharp ache struck him in the back. He winced, rubbing his rear in an attempt to lessen the soreness. His stomach released a growl.

He took out a piece of bread and tore off the moldy parts. He greedily bit down on it and devoured it within seconds, all while looking at the starry night sky.

It should be midnight by now. He concluded by observing the position of the moon.

The boy sucked his fingers, making sure not to miss even a single crumb.

Well, there goes my bread.

Samael licked his lips and held his stomach. Which released another dreadful sound, he groaned, his brows furrowed. He was now really regretting throwing up the bread he ate back at the lab.

His throat was also burning, and his lips felt flaky. Then an idea came to him. Samael stood up and stretched a little. Fortunately, he managed to regain some of his energy. Not all, but just enough.

When he got up, he used the tree branches to maintain his balance. Then he set a watchful gaze over the horizon.

"Huh?" His brows furrowed, he narrowed his gaze. In the distance was a black, square-looking object. At first, Samael thought that it was just a boulder, but upon closer inspection, he was mistaken. It was some sort of caravan, and there was also light coming from that direction.

A smile found its way to his face. He hasn't seen anyone else except his dead master. If those were humans, then that means they can help him get out of this forest.

He hurriedly checked his vicinity, ensuring there are no monsters nearby before descending. Even slipping along the way.

With a loud bang, Samael grunted while he massaged his arse. His aching back not helping in the slightest. However, he didn't waste time and ran off in the direction of the caravan. He couldn't wait to leave this forest.

Inch by inch, he closed off the distance until he was just a couple meters from them, but what he heard next completely halted his advance.

"I'm telling you! I skinned that man alive for messing with me!" A voice said. Samael flinched, and he sank into the tree trunk. Hiding beneath the shadows of the night. As far as he knows, people don't usually feel proud of skinning someone.

"Oh, shut up, you blabbering bastard! There's no way in hell you can skin someone!" A booming voice replied.

"Oh fuck you! You never believe what I say!" The first voice scowled.

"Of course I won't! You never even received proper education you stupid bastard," The burly voice mocked.

"Oh like you did," The first voice muttered.

Samael's heart galloped like a stallion. His body trembled as he remained still. He just realized how stupid he was. He didn't even think twice before approaching strangers. Now look at the predicament he is stuck in.

Samael inhaled and exhaled. Luckily, it seems that the men haven't noticed his presence yet. I could be wrong. Please be wrong. Samael begged silently as he ever so slightly peeked.

There were three men sitting around a campfire. The fragrant smell of grilled meat permeated the air. Beside them were a few barrels of liquor and a caravan covered in tarpaulin.

image [https://i.ibb.co/GMcKwzz/three-silhouette-sitting-around-a-bon-fire-night-time-shadows-dancing-under-the-flames-art-three.png]

The first voice he heard earlier came from the young man. Probably around his twenties, while the coarse voice was from the older individual.

Samael took a deep breath, squinting his eyes. Aside from the two, there was also another guy who was silently enjoying his drink on the side. They all wore shabby peasant clothes stained with oil and liquor, had messy beards, and had some form of protection. If you can call a few pieces of leather armor, However, something else caught the boy's attention the most.

All three of them had weapons. They had swords sheathed around their waists and knives resting in their pockets. They were armed and dangerous.

Bandits..? Samael wondered while assessing his next moves.

He slowly put his foot back. His plan was to silently retrace his steps and go on his merry way. And that is what he did. Samael slowly backed away from the camp.

SNAP!

Samael stiffened, and his eyes widened in horror. Of all the things that could possibly go wrong. The worst-case scenario happened. He stepped on a twig.

Samael ducked and hastily ran for cover. He took refuge under a small hole between the tree roots, ignoring the insects crawling all over him.

"The fuck was that?" The rough voice exclaimed. "Oi! You check it out!" The voice added.

"Why me?! You heard it, you do it!" The young man retorted.

"The fuck you say?! Im your senior! Do as I say or I'll cut your share!" The rough voice replied.

"Oh, for fucks sake! Fine!" The young man said in defeat. The man lowered his voice and spoke in a hush tone "Asshole" before silence reigned again.

Droplets of sweat fell down his forehead as he sunk deeper the coarse tree bark.

The footsteps loomed closer by the second as the young man approached his location.

The steps grew louder and louder until a foot embedded itself on the dirt beside his face, sending some of it to his pale cheeks. He held his breath and tensed his body. Now that he finally had a good look, the young man had ordinary features, and the familiar scent of booze clung tightly to him. His eyes were unsteady, and his balance was a little off.

Samael could tell by his appearance that he was devoid of sleep. Massive black circles lurked under his eyes, and he reeked of sweat and piss.

With his extraordinarily gifted senses, even seeing in the dark is a walk in the park for someone like him.

Fortunately, the man didn't seem to notice him. Maybe because of his inebriated state or perhaps the veil of the night masked his presence.

The man let out an annoyed huff and retraced his steps back to camp, Samael exhaled and slumped down. However, he didn't relax yet.

"There was no one there! Must be some stray mutts!" The young man said in exasperation, which was closely followed by laughter.

"You got scared by mutts?! HAHAHAHA!" The second man replied in mockery. The two went back to bickering, but to be sure, Samael stayed hidden for a while longer until he finally felt safe enough to exit his little hole. This time, he made sure to look at where he was going.

He remained low and tiptoed his way out, his escape was secured, but his ears picked up something. Words that made him deaf.

"Say, how much do you think this one is going to sell in the market?" The young man asked.

"The slave market has been on decline lately. I'm pretty sure we'll catch a hefty price for this one. After all, it's something native to this forest, and a kid no less," the rough voice replied.

Samael felt like everything had stopped. No wind, no sounds, nothing. Just his heartbeat.

Every pulse it released felt like a bomb going off in his ears.

Slave..? He slowly cranked his head around and looked back.

He was stupid. He was a fool. How could he forget such an important detail? Samael clenched his jaw and tightened his fist. How could he have not notice it sooner?

Bandits travel in groups.

Fuck Samael silently cussed. His body shook, and a burning sensation nested in his chest. How could he go, knowing what horrors await that person? How can he let someone else suffer the same fate he did? Blood trickled from the boy's mouth as he unknowingly bit it. Right now, the only thing he felt were the flames of hatred consuming his very being.

He felt mad.

Angry.

He felt...

RAGE...