Rey had never considered himself smart—just desperate.
And desperation, over the last two years, had taught him more than books or teachers ever could.
Tonight, that desperation was being carved into every bone splinter, every strand of monster silk, and every trap he buried into the soil of this cursed land.
The air was still, as if the Abyss itself was holding its breath.
He crouched low beneath the twisted roots of a tree with thick black leaves. Before him, the trap was set: a baited pile of rotting meat taken from a fallen beast, its scent masked with nearby foliage to lure the cautious. Thin silk threads were stretched across in an intricate web, invisible unless light hit them just right.
Each string led to something—some triggered spikes from above, others loosed swinging bones tied to tension lines. And one... one was special.
It was tied to a hollow log Rey had filled with a powdery blend he'd created by crushing a certain glowing mushroom and mixing it with soot and spider venom.
He called it: "Blind Death."
If anything disturbed the wrong string, the log would burst, releasing a blinding flash and paralyzing dust.
Rey didn't know if it would kill whatever came.
But it would give him time. A few seconds. Enough to strike.
---
He waited in silence. Hours passed. The moonlight—or what passed for it in the Abyss—barely reached the forest floor.
Then, movement.
A crunch.
Something heavy.
Rey gripped his spear, coated now with hardened resin and sharpened bone. His eyes locked on the bait.
A creature entered the clearing—a horned beast, low to the ground, with hunched shoulders and claws that clicked with each step. It sniffed, circling the bait pile.
> "Good," Rey thought. "Come closer..."
It leaned forward. Just one more step.
But then it stopped.
Its head snapped in Rey's direction.
> "Did it… sense me?"
The creature turned away from the bait and slowly stalked toward Rey's hiding spot.
Something was wrong.
And then, without warning—
The forest went silent.
Not quiet. Silent.
No wind. No distant growls. Even the buzz of insects ceased.
Then came the scream.
From above.
From the sky.
The same screech as before. Deafening, maddening.
Rey clutched his ears.
The creature froze mid-step—shaking, its body lowering as if submitting.
Suddenly, it turned and bolted into the darkness.
Rey didn't move.
His body trembled.
He looked up.
There it was again—the floating shadow.
Same shape.
Same overwhelming presence.
Only this time… it descended.
---
But not near Rey.
Farther off—perhaps a hundred meters away—into the valley below.
He couldn't see clearly, but he heard it.
Chains.
Chains dragging across the stone.
The scream faded.
Then came a faint voice. Male. Inhuman.
> "Still alive… The human is still alive…"
Rey's blood turned cold.
They were looking for him.
And they knew what he was.
---
He stayed hidden until dawn.
When the sky returned to its usual dim grey and the forest sounds returned, he finally moved.
He examined the area, disassembled his trap, and buried any signs of his presence.
Then, he moved again. North.
But this time, not just to survive.
Now, he needed answers.
---