The forest had always been there, a dark green wall at the edge of town. People drove past it every day without thinking much about it, except in autumn when the maples caught fire with color. But to Ethan Cole, it was more than trees. It was an escape he didn't know he needed—until life left him with no choice.
Ethan wasn't a man built for the wild, at least not at first glance. He had grown up in the steel and concrete of the city, his hands more familiar with computer keys than an axe handle. At thirty-four, he was a man who had lived enough to be tired but not enough to be wise. He had a job in construction management, a small apartment, and a fiancée who had just walked out of his life with another man.
The day everything broke, it wasn't just about the betrayal. It was the weight of years—debts piling up, a father who never thought he was good enough, a company that treated him like a cog. He came home early from work, found the engagement ring tossed on the kitchen counter, and realized the world he had built was crumbling faster than he could patch it.
That night, he drank. And for the first time, he drove out of the city without knowing where he was going. The highway blurred into country roads, the streetlights faded, and soon he found himself on the edge of Blackthorn Woods, a place locals whispered about but rarely entered.
He parked his truck near an abandoned ranger station and sat there in the dark, staring at the line of trees. Something inside him stirred—a mix of anger and desperation. Without much thought, he grabbed the backpack he sometimes used for weekend hikes. Inside it were only the basics: a half-empty water bottle, a flashlight, a hunting knife his father once gave him, and a packet of jerky. No real gear for what lay ahead.
But Ethan didn't care. He locked the truck, slung the bag over his shoulder, and stepped into the woods.
The silence swallowed him instantly. The forest had its own voice—branches creaking, leaves whispering, an owl calling far away. Every step on the dry ground echoed louder than he expected. He walked deeper, letting the anger guide him, until the glow of the truck's headlights disappeared behind him.
For hours, he kept moving, though he had no destination. His mind replayed everything—the fight with his boss that morning, the cruel smile on his fiancée's face when she told him she was leaving, the laughter of the man she left with. His chest tightened, but the cool night air kept him moving.
By dawn, exhaustion hit him. He had no tent, no sleeping bag, no plan. Just the woods. The forest looked different in daylight—less forgiving, more alive. He realized, with a strange clarity, that he couldn't just turn back. He didn't want to.
Because going back meant facing the life that had already broken him.
Here, at least, there was nothing left to lose.
And so it began—Ethan Cole's life in the woods.