GRAAAAAAAAARHH
Splat!
Left and right, blood would spray all over the place, dirtying the surrounding trees. On and on, loud barks and growls could be heard even from afar. Here and there, leaves would fall down due to the trees they came from being intensely shaken by the constant collision.
Back and forth, the battle to the death between the two wolves wouldn't reach a definite conclusion
And more and more, the laugh that applauded this battle grew less and less distuinguishable from a horrid cacophony...
*****
Yohan: Hah... hah...
He had truly lost it.
As he continued to watch the fight between the two wolves, he kept laughing at the two of them.
They were fighting each other because he told them to. Because HE of all people told them to.
That was stupid of them. Yet, even though he had been laughing hideously, the stupidity in it wasn't the least bit hilarious. After all, their stupidity was the reason he was still alive. He needed them to die one by one, for the sake of him surviving.
That's why... that's why... he had to watch this to the end. He had to see those two wolves fight each other, bite each other, claw at each other, and eventually kill each other in the end.
Even though this entire hour was laced entirely with the intense scent of death that ate away at his composure, he had pushed past the nausea to look at yet another death about to unfold. To yet induce himself further with the scent of iron that accompanied this battle to the death. He didn't want to do it at all. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to kill these two wolves either. But unfortunately, in order for him to live, they needed to die. That was just the reality of this deadly situation.
Yohan: Hah...
The deadly situation that broke him badly.
*****
When a person undergoes immense stress, it causes a lot of strain on the mind. If they experience trauma, then they might have to deal with more permanent mental issues. Like PTSD or anxiety, for example. During these situations, our minds are slightly damaged, and we temporarily stop functioning.
These tend to be caused by near death experiences or experiences that make you question your capabilities as a person.
So what would happen if one were to be hit with both sorts of situations? And not just once. Twice, or Thrice, or more than 4 times. How much damage would their mind take on?
And how long would it take Yohan to snap back into reality?
*****
Yohan: Hah... Hah...
He continued to laugh and laugh like a broken record, doomed to keep repeating. His hand still pointed towards the wolves. He looked as if he were ridiculing them. Making fun of their utter stupidity.
They both intended to kill the other for the sake of their own survival, but how stupid would they be to both get themselves killed?
Yohan: Hah... hah...
He continued laughing. He continued to watch them thrashing their claws at each other and continued to sink their teeth into each other.
He continued laughing. Knowing he was going to be all on his own. He continued laughing, knowing that today was the worst moment for him to be alive. He continued, ignoring his trembling feet. He continued, pointing his fingers, hoping that a conclusion would be reached. He continued, ignoring the tears that escaped his eyeballs.
He continued, waiting for the moment where someone would die. Even if that death was this.
SPLAT!
Alas, as the thought came of his death, so did the death he had been waiting for. Ironically, it wasn't him that died.
GRAAAAAAAARGH!
As blood sprayed all over the ground, the loudest of howls could be heard. It was a howl that remained distinct to the wolves that battled to the death.
Yohan: Hah... hah... hah¿
Yohan continued to keep his eyes his eyes on those wolves. He heard their howl loud and clear, but something stood out amidst the echo of that sound.
Wolves? No, that sound echoed from the maw of only one wolf. The wolf stood strong on its four legs. On the other hand, not even a whimper could be heard from the other wolf that was lying down on its side.
Its eyes were closed, as if it were sleeping, and would wake up soon. Though, the blood scenery that accompanied the sleeping wolf made it clear that it would never wake up again.
Yohan: Hah... Hah...
Yohan, on the other hand, was wide awake. So it was clear he wasn't dreaming at all. This was real. This unfortunate situation was actually happening.
There was a singular howl.
Wait, there shouldn't have been one in the first place.
Yohan: Hah... hah...
His plan had unfortunately failed.
*****
THUD
That sound of something hitting the ground wasn't all that hard, but with all that blood it landed on, it was quite audible from close.
That was the sound of Yohans knees hitting the floor. His legs had been trembling all this time, and they finally gave out.
Yohan: Hah... hah...
But his mind was clearly on something else.
Grrrrh
As he looked at the wolf, it locked eyes with him in return. This wasn't supposed to happen. That wolf was supposed to be dead. It was supposed to join the other wolf on its way to hell. No, it soul couldn't have gone to hell. After all, they already were in hell.
Yohan: Hah... hah...
This wasn't supposed to happen. That wolf was supposed to lose, but in the end, it had triumphed over its close comrade and had stared straight into Yohans soul.
Burlt he wished this wasn't happening, but he was wide awake, so he knew it was real.
Yohan: Hah... hah... hell...
In the middle of his continued laughter, he said uttered something different for once. Something he didn't want to face earlier but was forced to in the end.
He was in hell.
The one place he had spent his whole life trying to avoid. He must've been the unluckiest person in the world to end up there.
Yohan: Hah... hah... hah...
And yet, he still laughed.
Was he laughing at his own misfortune? Was he laughing at the stupid wolf that lost all its comrades? Was he laughing at this obscure place that was out to kill him at every moment? Was he laughing at the ridiculousness of this moment? Was he laughing because he was slowly losing his sanity along with his consciousness?
What in the hell could Yohan have been laughing at?
Yohan: Hah... hah... hah.....
Thud
Just like that, he lost his balance. Following that, he wobbled back and forth involuntarily until he finally fell down on his front, leaving his back exposed.
As if by reflex, he closed his eyes shut right before the impact. His view of the forest had abruptly interrupted for a split second. And when he opened his eyes, his scenery had changed. Not completely, but nonetheless, it still changed.
He caught sight of the pool of blood he fell into, but he did naught but look at it, continuing to laugh hideously. From the position his face was lying in, what laid in his perspective was his left arm... or at least what was left of it. Judging from the huge bloody wound, he would've assumed that he was lying in a pool of his own blood if he didn't know any better.
How ironic.
This bloody scene. It was sprayed with the death of the wolves, yet it painted a completely different picture.
From an outside perspective, one would assume that the wolf and Yohan fought to the death, and that fight. A brutal and arduously long one, finally ending with the wolf's victory after it chewed off his arm.
It looked as if he'd lost.
Yohan: Hah... hah... hah...
However, such an idea wasn't farfetched.
All this work he had done seemed to have been for naught. After all, he still hadn't been rid of the presence of these monsters. But then again, would that have ever happened?
He was stuck in hell, a place that seemed to be filled with monsters. He wouldn't know that sure considering there were only a few he'd seen, but considering the consistency at which these monsters put his life at risk, it was likely that there were many more monsters that lied ahead.
So even if he survived this, there would be more to come.
At every moment in the future, something would try to kill him. That was hell.
Yohan: Hah.... hah... hah....
Alas, his laughter began to tire out. He could feel his vision begin to blur as he couldn't help but close his eyes slowly.
He had sustained a lot of injuries. He had pissed himself. He had lost his arm and bled out a lot. And to make matters worse, hus consciousness was slipping away.
He was dying.
He thought he was dying
Wait, was he dying?
CHOMP
Eh, he would never know.
*****
That was hell. A place that Yohan always tried to avoid by never falling. It was quite unlucky that he fell down was the moment that brought him there.
He wasn't the only one who had ended up here. His father, the very man who advised him to never fall down, had also ended up there. However, he had managed to return, having survive in hell for god knows how long.
Mike Lorenski was a triumphant adventurer, who had engaged in many dangerous adventures and took pride in it. So surviving in this hell and making it out was worthy of pride and glee, however, it had the opposite effect. His mind had been shattered, along with his sanity.
And Yohan Lorenski, his son, went through the exact same thing, having lost his mind from the trauma of almost dying at every minute. However, he had still remained in hell.
Yohan knew not of how his fathers time was there, but considering his rather... unfortunate welcome, he could tell it was beyond terrible.
Yohan hadn't really gotten a moment to think about all that, considering that his life was in danger from the very second he arrived there.
Until now that was. When his sights were void and his hearing was dull. He couldn't feel or sense anything at this moment. He had only his thoughts with him.
As stressful as that might seem, it was rather pleasant. For once, he wasn't listening to the howling of the wolves or the roar of that white furred monster. For once, he wasn't looking at blood, or the corpse of one of these monster.
For once, he didn't feel any pain, either from the brutal scratches he received from the wolves, the sore in his teeth from the impact of him hitting the ground during his daring escape, nor the huge wound sticking out of his left arm, where nothing but his shoulder remained.
He wasn't doing anything for once.
He was at peace for once.
It was quite farfetched to think so considering he was still in hell. And the fact that he'd still remain in hell for quite some time.
However, even cold water feels warm when you're freezing.
So alas, in this hellish hour, there was tranquility in him finally getting his timeout.
But that timeout would soon come to a halt.
*****
ARC 1 END