The forest felt alive now whispering through the leaves, watching through the branches. Auren took slow, deliberate steps, eyes scanning for any sign of the road he had just come from. But the more he searched, the more the trees seemed to shift around him, closing him in like a maze.
Then he heard it a sharp rustle behind the trees, followed by a low, growling grunt. Auren's body stiffened. Instinctively, he ducked behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree, holding his breath.
Silence.
Cautiously, he peeked out. Whatever it was, it was gone or hiding. Either way, the forest no longer felt like just a place. It felt like a trap.
He turned around again, trying to trace his steps, but the road was gone. There was no tire track, no path, no broken branches nothing but endless green. Panic began to creep in, cold and quiet.
He pulled out his phone, his fingers trembling slightly. No signal. He raised it high, walked a few steps still no bars. The messages he had sent earlier still hung undelivered, his last digital cries for help floating somewhere in limbo.
Suddenly, the silence shattered a distant gunshot echoed through the trees. Auren froze.
Then came voices rough, unfamiliar, and growing closer.
He dropped low behind a bush as the figures emerged through the foliage.
There were four of them. Wild-looking men, faces smeared with dirt and sweat, moving through the forest like predators. They carried bows and swords strapped to their backs. One of them held a long, rusted gun that looked decades old. In their arms, they dragged the limp bodies of small forest animals squirrels, rabbits, and a wild bird.
He held his breath, heart thudding in his ears, as they passed barely twenty feet from where he crouched. One of them turned his head slightly, sniffed the air, but said nothing. And then, just like that, they disappeared into the trees.
Auren waited a full minute before he dared move.
When he finally stepped out, his legs felt weak. Whatever those men were, they didn't seem like ordinary hunters. And he didn't want to find out what would've happened if they had seen him.
He chose the opposite direction they had come from, hoping it would lead him away from danger and closer to a road, a house, anything.
Hours passed. The sun moved slowly overhead, then began to dip again. Auren walked for what felt like eternity four, maybe five hours but the forest didn't change. No signs of life, no sounds of civilization. Just the hum of insects, the rustle of leaves, and his own exhausted breath.
He checked his phone again. Still no signal. Battery at 56%. The messages remained unsent.
Hunger gnawed at his stomach like a wild animal. He hadn't eaten anything before the trip his mind too clouded by frustration and sorrow. Now his body was paying the price.
He began searching for anything edible berries, fruits, even roots. But the forest was alien, and he couldn't tell what was safe. Every leaf looked suspicious. Still, he knew he couldn't go on much longer without food.
He was no longer just lost.
He was stranded alone, hungry, and surrounded by a forest that seemed to stretch forever.