As Kris and Carlie plunged deeper into the forest, their footsteps echoed through the trees like a death knell, the sound reverberating through the stillness. Kris's eyes burned with determination, his gaze fixed intently on the path ahead. "Hey Carlie, do you think we can take down an Ascendant-rank monster?" he asked, his voice low and husky, laced with a mix of excitement and anticipation that sent a shiver down Carlie's spine.
Carlie's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed in thought as he weighed the risks. "Well, we are soul awakened, so it's theoretically possible to take one down... but don't you think we're biting off more than we can chew?" he replied, his tone measured, his words dripping with caution. The flickering sunlight danced across his face, casting eerie shadows that seemed to underscore his concerns.
But Kris was undeterred, his voice firm and resolute. "Let's go. We've come this far, and I'm not about to turn back now." Carlie nodded, though a flicker of doubt danced in his eyes like a candle flame in the wind. The two of them quickened their pace, their movements swift and purposeful, their footsteps pounding out a rhythm on the forest floor.
Meanwhile, Kael's mind was a maelstrom of fear and incredulity. "Damn bastards, they think they can take down an Ascendant beast?" he thought to himself, his heart racing with anxiety. "This is suicidal. They've got to be out of their minds." He watched as Kris and Carlie moved further away, his anxiety growing with each passing moment. "Go and die, I don't want to die," he thought, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum.
When Kris and Carlie noticed Kael wasn't following, they turned back to him, their faces etched with concern. "Hey Kael, move fast!" Kris called out, his voice laced with a hint of urgency. But Kael didn't budge, his expression a mixture of fear and warning. "You're going to get yourselves killed at this rate, don't you think?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper, the words tumbling out like a prayer. "I mean, seriously, an Ascendant-rank monster? You're not even close to being ready for that."
Kris's countenance contorted with indignation as he hurled the words at Kael, his voice dripping with disdain. "You mere guard, what do you know about our power?" The query hung in the air, a challenge to Kael's limited understanding, and Kris's eyes blazed with an intensity that seemed to pierce through Kael's very soul. Yet, despite the turmoil brewing within him, kael's exterior remained resolute, his voice unwavering as he declared, "Your choice."
Carlie's voice intervened, his tone as cold as the winter wind that swept through the barren landscapes. "Hey boy, come with us," he said, his words laced with a sinister intent. "If you die, you die. But if you don't come, we'll kill you first, and then your brother." The words seemed to crawl under Kael's skin, igniting a fire of rage that threatened to consume him whole. His hands clenched into fists, the nails digging deep into his palms, and for an instant, it seemed as though he would launch himself at the pair with a ferocity that would know no bounds.
However, Kael took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs, and forced himself to calm down, his anger simmering just below the surface. A cold determination crystallized in his eyes, a resolve that seemed to steel him for the trials that lay ahead. As he thought to himself, "Let's go. If I die, these bastards are also dying," a grim smile spread across his face, a smile that spoke of a resolve to see this through to the bitter end.
The air was heavy with tension as the three of them stood there, the outcome hanging precariously in the balance. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the distant calls of birds and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. It was as though the very forest itself was holding its breath, waiting to see what would transpire next.
The forest seemed to writhe and twist around them, its branches like skeletal fingers reaching out to snare the three companions. Kris's thoughts were consumed by a seething hatred for Kael, his mind festering with malevolent intent. "If regional rules weren't so strict, we'd slaughter this insignificant guard and leave his carcass to rot," he thought, his animosity boiling over like a cauldron of venom.
The wind howled through the trees, its mournful cries echoing through the darkness like the wails of the damned. The air was heavy with an unholy presence, as if the forest itself was a living, breathing entity that watched them with cold, calculating eyes. The trees loomed over them, their branches like grasping fingers, and the underbrush seemed to writhe and twist like a living thing.
As they navigated through the dense thicket, they stumbled upon awakened beasts that stirred in the darkness, their eyes glowing like embers from the underworld. The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the distant beating of drums and the rustling of leaves. Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of footsteps, and the aura of a predator sensing its prey enveloped the three of them like a shroud.
Kael's breath caught in his throat as fear threatened to overwhelm him. He felt like he was going to collapse, his knees buckling beneath him, but he forced himself to stand, drawing on every last ounce of strength. Before the monster even came into view, the three of them felt its oppressive presence, a sense of foreboding that seemed to pierce their very souls like a cold, dark spear.
Kris and Carlie let out a simultaneous cry, their voices echoing through the forest like the wails of the damned. The three of them fell to their knees, their bodies trembling with fear as the monster emerged from the shadows. Its massive form towered over them, its face twisted into a devilish visage, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intelligence.
The creature's skin was a deep, mottled brown, like the rough bark of ancient trees, and its short arms ended in razor-sharp claws. As it moved closer, the ground seemed to shake beneath their feet, and the air grew thick with the stench of death and decay. The monster's claw swiped through the air, unleashing a devastating blow that struck all three of them with unrelenting force.
Kris and Carlie were torn apart by the claw, their bodies ripped open like rag dolls. Kael, already weakened by fear, was struck with even greater ferocity. The monster's claw pierced his stomach, and he felt himself being hurled backward, his body crashing into a tree before slumping to the ground. As he lay there, his intestines spilled out of his stomach, and his breathing slowed, Kael's vision began to blur.
The monster's face loomed over him, its eyes burning with an unholy hunger. Kael's screams were drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat, pounding in his ears like a death knell. In his final moments, Kael realized that he was nothing more than prey, a mere mortal facing an unrelendless terror that would consume him whole. The monster's hot breath washed over him, and Kael's world went dark, consumed by an eternal silence.