For the first time in many years, Kevin had a nightmare.

He was in a red forest, thick with red mist that bound his body. Ahead, a colossal bear stood, its body fading into the distance. It huffed, its breath knocking trees down. It looked at Kevin. Unable to move, he could do nothing but watch the maw envelop him.

It didn't end there.

Inside the bear's stomach transported Kevin someplace else, where huts were being built with sticks and cloth, acting more like tents. Everyone wore a smile. A couple, man and woman, joined another pair, helping them build their house.

A man with chocolate skin kissed a pale woman on the street, the crowd around them cheering. An older man with wrinkled, weathered skin slapped the man's back, laughing boisterously. At least, that's what Kevin assumed. He couldn't hear anything. But he didn't have to.

He felt something prod at his side. Looking at the source, it was a little girl missing a few too many teeth, wearing pigtails, poking him with a stick. She looked into his eyes, an infinite depth captivating him. Then, in a voice too deep to be her, a voice said, "The predator gains strength from its prey."

He woke up, bleary-eyed, as he scanned the area. Everyone else was asleep. He would've gone back to sleep after seeing that, but there was something poking his side...

It was Khal, smiling as he poked him with a stick. Kevin groaned, wishing to go back to sleep, but stood up anyway.

"This early?" he complained, following Khal as he walked away from the rest of the group. Kevin almost tripped several times until they stopped in front of a legless green creature that crawled on the floor..

"Trust me," Khal replied, handing a proper sword to Kevin. "You'll be thanking me. Kill the Goblin."

"I thought you said we shouldn't-" Kevin started, hands shaking slightly.

"For no reason." Khal pointed downwards. "They tried to ambush us. I merely stopped them." By their feet lay a dead Goblin corpse, its head a little ways away from the actual body.

"Why me?" Kevin asked, gripping the handle tighter.

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"Because you're the only one that hasn't. Now, do it."

Kevin left the cover, walking towards the struggling Goblin. It turned as he unsheathed the sword. The little light reflected onto its face, showing a bloody mess. It was definitely a Monster. But Kevin hesitated when their eyes met.

"Pl-please," it plead, rolling onto its back. "Don't. Not me, please!" Kevin held the sword above his head, tip pointing towards the sky.

Kevin trembled, tears pricking his eyes. "I can't do it," he whispered, lowering the blade to his side.

"You must," Khal ordered, grabbing Kevin's hand, plunging it into the Goblin's head. Kevin felt every layer that it pierced, from the skin to the muscle, to the skull, to the brain, then back out again as it hit the earth. The blood splattered onto his arms, the warmth a sheer contrast to the cold he felt inside.

The tears spilled, dripping down his cheek quietly.

"Good lad. Now, swing."

A couple months passed since Kevin killed that first Goblin, and the Monster attacks were constant. The mercenaries slept in shorter shifts, allowing each to have sleep in between waves.

They made slow progress. Kevin's training didn't stop, instead increasing in difficulty. Now he could lift one of the heavier boxes just above his knees. It still took a lot out of him, however. He did enjoy Bull's company, though Bull tried to act like he hated Kevin's.

He didn't like to think about what he did with Khal. Still, what he did couldn't escape him, the expressions of slowing dying Monsters hurting him in ways nothing could recover. When he hesitated, Khal forced his hand. There was nothing he could do. Then, right after, he swung the sword, the blood spraying off the blade.

Every time, it made him sick.

Then, one night, Kevin wasn't able to sleep, the heavy breathing coming from just behind him. He pretended to not hear it, though that did not stop it from moving even closer. Something dripped onto his ear. He couldn't stop himself from turning, expecting to find a beast that would be able to kill everyone.

Fortunately, that wasn't what greeted him. Instead, it turned out to be a transparent dog the size of a small tree. It smiled, tilting its head, ears flopping with the motion. It stared, happily, and began to howl. Kevin had to cover his ears, though he saw no one else doing so. Once it was done, it started prancing about.

"What are you?" Kevin asked, reaching a hand forward. His hand passed through the dog's body. The dog, looking as it passed through, tilted its head again. Then, it perked up, as though remembering something, and walked towards the woods. It turned its head, waiting for Kevin to follow. For some reason, Kevin obliged.

With the dog Kevin named Buddy, the Bloody Forest seemed a much calmer place. The trees weren't creeping up on him, the Monsters weren't watching, and the night air almost seemed welcoming.

They seemed to walk for hours towards an unknown destination, heading deeper into the forest. Still, Buddy pranced about happily, its tail wagging furiously. It didn't understand seem to understand that it could walk through obstacles, elongating the trip even more.

Finally, they reached a cave. This cave was even brighter than the outside, as luminescent crystals lit the interior. Kevin hesitated at the entrance.