The cold wind rustled the dry grass as Rey crouched near a muddy stream, smearing a new layer of wet soil across his arms and neck. He moved methodically, his thoughts elsewhere. Something had been bothering him lately — a feeling. A pressure in the air. As if something… someone… had been following him.
But he never saw anything.
That made it worse.
He packed his few items — a bone blade, a rope of monster thread, and a dried fungus he used for emergencies — and moved on. The northern sky stretched endlessly above, but he walked with practiced silence, stepping only on hardened stone and dry leaves, avoiding anything that would crack or squish.
Rey's days were no longer measured by time. There were no sunrises here. No clocks. Only the rhythm of movement and survival. He studied monster trails, noted new territories, and catalogued dangers in his mind like an unspoken journal.
But today, something shifted.
It started with a trail. Blood. Not his. A strange, thick, dark blood smeared across a ruin stone behind him — from two days ago. And that's when we leave Rey's side for a moment… and return to the ruins where he had once bled.
---
Far behind, in the ruins…
A shadow loomed over the dried blood.
A tall, humanoid figure, draped in torn robes, knelt before it. His eyes glowed faintly, not with light, but knowledge — ancient and twisted.
He touched the ground gently, letting the soil crumble between his fingers. Then he brought it to his tongue and tasted.
And his eyes widened.
"This blood… it's human."
He stood, shaking, his expression wild with revelation.
"In the Abyss, a human lives…! They said they were extinct! Legends say their blood carries power… myths, perhaps. But if I bring this to the capital… if I offer it to the Emperor…"
He laughed — a jagged, breathless sound that echoed across the ruined temple walls.
"This will change everything. The Blood of the Lost Race… it's real."
The figure vanished into the shadows, his form melting into the darkness like a ghost.
---
Back to Rey…
Unaware of what storm he had stirred, Rey continued northward. The lands were rougher here, more open. He knew he'd need to build a new shelter soon.
But that odd pressure hadn't left. The feeling that something was watching… tracking… hunting.
Still, he pressed on.
That was the only choice left.
---