"Are you okay?"
The raven-haired girl sat frozen, her phone still clutched in her trembling hands, live-streaming everything to thousands of strangers. His voice finally broke through the haze, pulling her back to reality.
She looked up. The young man's hand was extended toward her, the same hand that, only moments ago, had ruthlessly beaten two thugs unconscious. Instinct made her flinch before she caught herself, shaking her head at her own reaction.
"T… thank you." The words barely escaped her lips, no louder than a whisper.
Her silver eyes, still glimmering with shock and raw emotion, met his piercing green ones. Then her knees buckled. She toppled backward, the pavement rushing up to meet her, but before she could strike the ground, strong arms wrapped around her and steadied her.
William held her close, her weight trembling against him as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. They rolled over her heart-shaped face, soaking into his shirt until his shoulder was heavy with them. He didn't mind. He simply let her cry.
For a moment, he thought about what to say, but nothing seemed right. Instead, he just offered his silence, his steady presence.
Finally, with one hand still supporting her, he reached for his phone, a device he rarely touched except to call family, and dialed 911. His voice was calm, steady, as he gave the dispatcher their location and explained what had happened.
When the call ended, he tucked the phone away and simply cradled the girl while she shook against him, letting her grief and fear burn themselves out.
Sirens rose in the distance, a sharp wail cutting through the night. The glow of red and blue lights flickered into the alley, growing brighter with every passing second. That was what finally stirred her.
The girl lifted her head, her flushed face streaked with tears, silver eyes unfocused but searching. For the first time since the fight, she seemed present again.
The patrol cars screeched to a halt at the mouth of the alley, red and blue lights bathing the brick walls in an almost surreal glow. Two officers stepped out, hands resting near their holstered weapons as their eyes darted between William, the crying girl in his arms, and the groaning bodies sprawled across the pavement.
"Step back from her, sir," one of them ordered, his voice clipped but cautious.
William complied, easing the girl onto her feet. She swayed but steadied herself, brushing her sleeve across her tear-streaked face.
"They tried to grab me," she said, her voice fragile but clear enough to carry. "He… he stopped them."
The officer's gaze flicked to William. "Is that true?"
William nodded once. "They were roughing her up. I stepped in." His tone was calm, even, but his eyes never left the two men groaning on the ground.
Another squad car pulled up, and soon more officers were swarming the scene, checking the alley, cuffing the two thugs, and pulling them to their feet. Both men winced and hissed in pain as they were dragged toward the cruisers, their earlier bravado gone, replaced by the miserable grunts of the defeated.
One officer scribbled on a notepad. "Name?"
"William Black," he said simply.
"And you?" the first officer asked the girl.
She hesitated, clutching her phone tighter, its screen still glowing with the stream that hadn't yet ended. After a beat, she swallowed. "Serena."
The officer nodded, taking down her statement while another confirmed the recording on her phone had captured everything. Between her testimony and the video evidence, there was little doubt about what had happened.
When the formalities were done, William found himself standing at the edge of the alley with Serena, the sirens still painting the night in restless color.
"You'll be safe now," he said, his voice low but certain.
Serena studied him quietly, her silver eyes catching the flashing lights like molten glass. For a moment, the world around them seemed to fade, and only the two of them existed in that narrow slice of city night.
"Thank you," she whispered again, softer this time, though the weight behind it was far heavier.
William gave her a brief nod before turning away, his silhouette retreating into the fractured glow of the city lights.
Serena watched him go, her fingers tightening around her phone. In her silver eyes, behind the shimmer of tears, burned a strange gleam, something unreadable, but sharp, as though a spark had been lit that was not there previously.
William dragged himself home after a draining and mentally exhausting day, each step heavy and deliberate as he crossed the threshold.
"Hey kiddo, how was your day?" his mom called warmly from the couch, her voice as soothing as a gentle spring breeze. She held a steaming cup in her hands, immersed in her favorite show, but her focus shifted to him the moment he entered.
He recounted the details of his shopping trip, conveniently leaving out the part where, in less than half an hour, he had taken down two grown men. "She doesn't need to worry about that; she's already got enough on her plate," he reasoned, giving himself a small nod of approval as he made his way upstairs. Throwing himself face-first onto his bed, he had no idea that his heroic act was already making waves online, viewed by millions.
As William drifted into sleep, his soul slipped into another world, the same place where goblins had once torn him apart. In the eerie woods, on the same blood-soaked ground, a new version of his body began to form, lying motionless in a deep slumber. The silence was broken only by the faint flutter of his eyelids and the steady rhythm of his breathing.
Abruptly, William jolted awake with a gasp, as though he'd been suffocating and finally managed to gulp down precious air.
Taking a deep breath to steady his thoughts, William shot up like a bullet, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a predator searching for signs of life or threats from those loathsome goblins.
After confirming there were no goblins nearby, William searched for his equipment, only to realize with a dark scowl that everything he had relied on had either been taken by the goblins or smashed beyond use.
"TSK!"
Clicking his tongue, he began moving in the direction he remembered Aria fleeing in, using a few landmarks such as the nearby river to find his place from where they had split up.
Thankfully, the goblins had retreated to their camp across the river, allowing William to continue his journey without trouble. He walked along the riverbank, hoping to find a road or perhaps stumble upon a nearby town as he moved ahead.
His pace soon quickened until he was barely more than a blur, racing alongside the river with such speed that his feet left deep grooves in the uneven ground.
After about an hour and a half of travel, William's stomach growled loudly, echoing like a wild beast awakening from slumber. Realizing he needed to eat, he muttered, "I should eat something, maybe some fish?" Scanning the river, he noticed a cluster of fish gathering near the tall grasses at the water's edge.
With his spear lost among his other equipment, William ventured into the forest to find a suitable replacement. After roughly fifteen minutes of searching, he found a straight branch that would serve his purpose.
Using a stone, William carefully sharpened one end of the branch into a pointed spear tip. Once ready, he moved toward the water's edge with slow, deliberate steps, ensuring he didn't disturb the fish.
With a precise thrust of his makeshift spear, William felt the resistance of a catch and carefully pulled it from the rushing water.
A large bass-like fish flailed violently, trying to free itself from the spear piercing through its body. Within moments of being removed from the river, the fish's struggles slowed, its energy fading as blood loss and the lack of air took their toll. Finally, it stopped moving, its lifeless eyes glazed over.
William, holding his spear with the fresh kill, moved to a flatter area to set up a temporary camp. He lit a small fire and used it to cook the fish after carefully descaling it and removing the internal organs. Once he had eaten his fill, a prompt appeared, causing his eyes to sharpen with interest.
[Endurance: 60 (+1)]
"Eating can increase stats?" William's mind raced with the realization. Determined to take advantage of this discovery, he resumed fishing for the bass-like creatures, ending his efforts with a total of four large fish. He removed their organs, descaled them, and tore them into small strips before placing them into his item space, where they promptly vanished from his hands.
While not expected, the extra skill gained put a smile on William's face as he put out the fire with a mixture of dirt and water and once more proceeded on his way along the river.
As William continued his journey, in a distant castle nestled within a grand and impregnable fortress city, a man adorned with a heavy golden crown sat upon a throne forged from fantastical materials exuding an enigmatic, pervasive energy. This energy filled the vast hall, casting deep and foreboding shadows over the assembled dignitaries and soldiers.
At the center of the hall stood a young woman who, in stark contrast to the others, appeared completely unaffected by the relentless pulse of energy. Her platinum blonde hair swayed as though stirred by an invisible breeze, and her attire, a striking blend of dress and armor, radiated a luminous glow. The fantastical materials of her garments resonated with the potent power of numerous enchantments.
"Hmmm, if what you say is true, then these goblins must be eradicated before they pose a threat to the smaller settlements. You have my authorization to lead a contingent of soldiers into the Forest of Death to eliminate the goblin threat!"
The king's brow furrowed deeply. "Furthermore, if you can recover the body of the boy who saved you, I will ensure he is interred in the family crypt, an honor befitting his sacrifice in protecting a member of the royal family."
Hearing this, Princess Aria's eyes shimmered, and tears threatened to fall. However, maintaining her royal composure before the dignitaries was imperative. Summoning all her willpower, she forced back the tears and nodded with resolute determination toward her father.
The king acknowledged her gesture with a nod and a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips, signaling her to proceed. As she departed, the massive doors of the chamber closed behind her under the watchful eyes of the guards stationed on either side.
Moments later, another figure stepped forward, bowing respectfully before speaking. "Your Highness, we would like to..."
Amid the throng of dignitaries and sycophants clamoring for the king's attention with their endless petitions and demands, Aria strode with unwavering determination toward the barracks.
As she pushed open the weighty wooden doors, a torrent of sensations overwhelmed her, a discordant symphony of raucous music, the biting sting of alcohol, uproarious laughter, and the acrid musk of sweat thick in the air.
Momentarily pinching her nose against the oppressive assault, she stepped forward resolutely, undaunted by the chaos within.
Her presence commanded an immediate shift. The music ceased abruptly, and with precision forged through years of discipline, two hundred soldiers swiftly assembled into ranks, marching from the barracks in synchronized pairs.
The rhythmic thud of boots striking stone echoed like the beat of a war drum as Aria led the column. Under the silvery sheen of moonlight spilling over the fortress walls, the armored soldiers advanced in flawless formation, their orderly conduct a stark contrast to the unruly disarray left behind in the barracks.
The princess's platinum hair glistened under the moonlight, complementing her silver-blue armor as her voice rang out, authoritative and unyielding.
"Tonight, we march into the Forest of Death. You know its reputation, monsters thrive where mortals dare not tread. But let there be no doubt: this is no mere purge. The goblins have grown audacious, striking near our borders, even daring to challenge me. That ends now."
A wave of grim resolve swept through the ranks. Some whispered prayers, while others tightened their grips on their weapons.
Her hand clenched around the hilt of her sword. And if Father's words are true, then somewhere in that accursed forest lies the boy who once saved me… or what remains of him.
The thought burned in her chest, but she maintained her composure, her voice steady and unyielding.
"Form up. Keep tight formations once we reach the treeline. Scouts, advance in pairs, no one ventures alone. If the goblins have amassed in numbers, they will attempt to overwhelm us."
The company's captain, a scarred veteran named Kaelen, barked a sharp command, and the soldiers swiftly shifted into a spearhead formation, shields gleaming under the flickering torchlight.
Together, they traversed the final stretch of cobblestone road, the city walls receding behind them. Ahead loomed the jagged silhouette of the Forest of Death, where shadows twisted unnaturally and a foul mist crept across the undergrowth like the breath of a slumbering beast.
The torches flickered as they approached, the oppressive aura of the forest extinguishing any sense of warmth, and even the most battle-hardened soldiers felt their resolve waver.
But Aria did not falter.
"Advance!" she commanded, her voice slicing through the oppressive dread like a blade.
The soldiers moved forward, their ranks swallowed by the encroaching darkness.
Hours slipped by under the cloak of night, the moon obscured by clouds drifting like spectral figures across the heavens.
The disciplined march of Aria's company had disintegrated into chaos as the Forest of Death unveiled its sinister nature.
Crude yet bone-chilling war horns shrieked through the trees as goblins poured forth from the shadows, their ranks swelling into the hundreds. Twisted forms brandishing jagged blades and splintered shields advanced in relentless waves, their yellow eyes glowing with murderous intent.
"Shields! Lock shields!" Kaelen's commanding voice thundered above the cacophony, rallying the front line as steel clashed against steel. The goblins struck with ferocious force, the collision reverberating like a storm, drowning the forest in the deafening roar of battle.
At the heart of the fray stood Aria, her sword a gleaming arc of moonlight, each stroke carving through goblin flesh and bone. She moved with the regal elegance of her birthright, tempered by the ruthless precision of a veteran warrior. Her enchanted armor shimmered with protective wards, shielding her from the onslaught.
Yet for every goblin felled, three more emerged from the mist, shrieking and snarling as they hurled themselves at the soldiers. The ground became a slick morass of blood, and the air was heavy with the metallic tang of iron.
"Hold the line!" she cried, her voice resolute and unyielding. "For the crown! For the kingdom!"
The soldiers roared in defiance, their battle cries swallowed by the unrelenting clash of steel and the guttural howls of their foes. The fight raged on, every heartbeat teetering between life and death.
Far away, the war was nothing more than a faint murmur, lost in the distance.
William trudged along the riverbank, his boots sinking into the damp soil with each step. His legs burned with exhaustion, but his determination never faltered. The river murmured beside him, its steady flow a soothing companion as he followed its meandering course.
Finally, the trees began to thin.
Through the gaps in the forest, faint lights appeared, soft, golden glows hanging from lanterns strung along wooden posts. The silhouette of walls came into view, weathered and strong, standing as a testament to hope and safety.
A town.
William paused, drawing in a deep breath as relief washed over him. After everything, the bloodshed, the gnawing hunger, the endless journey, he had finally reached the edges of civilization.
His gaze lingered on the lights ahead, his expression hardening slightly. I made it.
Yet deep within, a nagging thought lingered: this wasn't the end of his struggles; it was only the beginning.