Kael's boots crunched against the damp earth as he made his way deeper into the left path of the forest. The silence here was unnatural. Even the insects dared not sing, and the whisper of leaves in the wind felt too heavy, as though the forest itself were holding its breath.
Kael adjusted his sword at his side, muttering under his breath.
"This place… it feels wrong. Maverick was right, something is roaming here."
He tried to calm his racing heart, but the stillness only fed his nerves. Then it came—heavy, thunderous steps shaking the ground. Kael froze, hiding behind a thick tree trunk. His breaths became shallow, his chest tightening as he forced himself to stay silent.
Through the gaps in the leaves, he saw it.
A hulking figure emerged, towering nearly twice the height of a man. Its body was furred like a mountain yeti, but its face… its face was shattered, as though its skull had cracked open. Dark fissures ran across its features, glowing faintly with an eerie light. Its hollow eyes burned with a sickly white glow, like death itself staring back at him.
Kael's throat went dry. His hands trembled against his sword hilt.
"What… what is that thing?" he whispered. "If it sees me… I'm dead."
But the beast's head turned. Its cracked face lifted toward the air, sniffing. Then its glowing eyes locked onto Kael's hiding spot.
A guttural roar shook the forest.
Kael's heart lurched. It saw me!
The creature lunged. Trees shattered as its massive arm swung through Kael's cover. Kael rolled out just in time, dirt spraying across his face. He bolted downhill, the monstrous yeti crashing after him, each step cracking the ground like thunder.
The river roared faintly in the distance, but the beast was faster. Its clawed hand slammed down where Kael had been, shaking the earth. Kael stumbled, barely catching his footing.
"Each blow shakes the ground… If even one hits me, I'm finished!"
Desperation took over. He yanked the flare from his pack and fired it into the sky. A streak of red light blazed through the canopy.
Far away, Maverick's crimson eyes caught the flare's glow. He stiffened, then hissed under his breath.
"Oh no… Kael!"
Without hesitation,He darted forward, leaping from tree to tree with inhuman speed, rushing toward the signal.
Back on the ground, Kael's strength was fading. His breath grew ragged as he dodged and weaved, but the beast's relentless swings cut him down piece by piece. One massive swipe grazed his side, tearing through his clothes and spilling blood. Kael winced, stumbling backward.
He raised his sword, but the weight of his injury slowed him. The creature roared again and struck, its claws raking across his cheek. Pain exploded through Kael's face, blood dripping down as a burning scar carved itself into his skin.
"Gh—!" He coughed blood, knees buckling. His vision swam, the world tilting around him.
The peak ended just a step behind him. The river churned below, wild and unforgiving. In front of him, the beast loomed, its cracked face grinning with death's hollow smile.
Kael staggered, blade slipping from his hands.
This is it… I can't hold on anymore.
The creature lunged for the killing blow.
But just then, Maverick burst from the trees, landing between Kael and the monster. His eyes widened in horror.
"What… what is this thing doing here?! Impossible!"
He barely had time to react before Kael, battered and broken, swayed where he stood. Blood dripped from his scarred face as his knees gave out.
"Kael!" Maverick shouted, reaching toward him.
Kael's body fell backward off the cliff. The river's roar swallowed his scream.
Without hesitation, Maverick leapt after him, his voice echoing in the night.
"KAEL!"
The two vanished into the raging waters, leaving the death-creature roaring atop the peak, its hollow eyes watching them vanish into the river's depths.
The morning sun shone gently over the village, spreading warmth over the small houses and fields. Smoke drifted lazily from chimneys, and the sound of daily life carried across the river that ran beside the settlement. Women stood at the riverbank, washing clothes in wooden tubs, the water glinting under the sun. Children laughed and ran along the paths, chasing each other in playful games.
Everything seemed peaceful and ordinary, until a girl at the riverbank froze. Something in her hand was wet, sticky, and red.
"What… is this?" she murmured, looking down.
Her eyes widened as she looked into the water. There, floating gently but unnervingly, was a boy. His body was battered, covered in cuts and bruises, blood staining the water around him, making the river look red. On top of him, a small black cat lay motionless, its fur matted and damp. The girl's heart skipped a beat.
"Hey! Come here! There's something in the river!" she shouted, her voice carrying across the banks.
Instantly, women and children alike turned toward her. Several of the women ran to the edge of the river, bending down to see what had happened. One of the older women waded carefully into the shallow part, reaching out to pull the boy and the cat to safety.
Carefully, they lifted the boy from the water. He was unconscious, his chest rising and falling weakly. The black cat clung to him, still unmoving. The villagers gasped as they saw the state of his injuries.
"Oh my… look at him!" one of the women whispered, holding back tears. "Who could do this to a child?"
"He… he must have fought something," said another, shaking her head. "Even the largest beasts I know wouldn't leave a boy this hurt."
The girl's eyes were wide. "The cat… it's not moving either!"
The women and a few of the men carefully carried the boy toward the village. The black cat remained draped over him, its small body wet and limp.
When they reached the center of the village, they went straight to the home of the village elder, a respected figure who usually spent mornings tending the gardens and giving advice.
"Elder!" the girl called, breathless. "You have to see this. There's a boy in the river, badly injured. And this black cat was with him!"
The elder appeared at the door, his eyes narrowing as he followed the girl to the river's edge. When he saw the boy, his expression softened.
"Who is he?" he asked quietly, his voice calm but firm.
"I… I don't know," the girl replied, her voice shaky. "We found him in the river. He looked unconscious and… hurt. Very badly hurt. And the cat, it was lying on top of him. I don't think it's awake yet either."
The elder nodded slowly. "Alright. Bring him inside. We'll take care of him."
Carefully, the villagers carried the boy into the elder's home. The room they placed him in was clean, with soft mats and blankets laid on the floor.
"Start his treatment," the elder instructed. "Bring ointments, clean water, bandages. Every wound must be treated carefully."
The villagers moved quickly, fetching herbs and ointments. They washed away the dried blood from the boy's face and body, treating each cut and bruise with care. The black cat stirred slightly as the smell of the herbs filled the room but did not move from its place on the boy.
The elder worked alongside them, applying techniques he had learned over decades—herbs to clean the wounds, salves to help the cuts close, and bandages to hold everything in place.
"He's very badly hurt," the elder said, carefully tying a bandage around the boy's arm. "But he is alive, and that is what matters now. If we treat him well, he will recover."
The villagers nodded, continuing their work. They bandaged the boy from head to toe, taking special care with his face. Every scrape, bruise, and deep cut was treated with meticulous attention. Finally, after several hours, the elder stepped back and sighed.
"It is done," he said. "We have done all we can. Now… we wait until he wakes up."
A few of the villagers looked at the black cat, still lying across the boy's chest. One of them asked, "What about the cat? Is it alright?"
The elder smiled faintly. "Do not worry. The cat is fine. It has been through a lot, but it will regain consciousness in time. Leave it be for now."
The elder shook his head, quietly observing Kael and the cat. "He has survived great danger," he said softly. "And that black cat… it has stayed with him through it all. That is unusual. Very unusual."
The villagers nodded, realizing that this boy and the cat were no ordinary pair.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, the village returned to its quiet morning pace. Children went back to playing, and women resumed washing clothes by the river, though many kept glancing toward the elder's house, where the boy and the black cat rested.
For now, the boy and the cat were safe. And the villagers silently hoped that when Kael woke