Far behind the group—
deep within the ruined camp—
one of the bandits crouched down.
The ground was still stained.
Fresh.
Dark.
Blood.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a cloth.
Slowly pressing it into the dirt.
Soaking it.
The scent was still strong.
Warm.
Alive.
The bandit stood up quickly.
His movements rushed.
Urgent.
Without saying anything else—
he turned and ran.
Branches snapped beneath his feet as he sprinted through the forest.
The sound of his breathing grew heavier with every step.
He didn't stop.
Not even once.
When he reached the camp—
he shouted immediately.
„Bandit: Release the golems!"
The other bandits reacted without question.
They moved quickly toward large iron cages.
Heavy locks were broken open.
Chains dropped to the ground with loud metallic echoes.
Then—
something inside began to move.
Five massive figures stepped out.
Golems.
Their bodies were covered in rough stone—
but what made them different—
what made them unnatural—
was the red paint.
Thick.
Uneven.
Almost like it had been smeared on violently.
The bandit stepped closer.
Holding out the blood-soaked cloth.
One by one—
he showed it to them.
The moment the scent reached them—
their bodies reacted.
Slow at first—
then suddenly—
they moved.
All five turned in the same direction.
Then—
without hesitation—
they started running.
The ground shook beneath their weight.
Trees trembled.
And they ran—
straight toward the group.
Meanwhile—
deep in the forest—
the group kept moving.
Step after step.
Their bodies were tired.
Their breathing heavy.
But no one said it out loud.
They just kept going.
The forest slowly grew darker.
The light fading.
Shadows stretched between the trees.
Growing longer.
Deeper.
Then—
Johann finally broke the silence.
„Johann: Where are we even going right now…?"
His voice carried clear annoyance.
Noah didn't look back.
„Noah: The valley."
Anna quietly walked closer to him.
Her eyes soft—but worried.
„Anna: Are you okay…?"
Noah looked down at his arm.
Still stiff.
Still wrong.
„Noah: No… not really."
A pause.
„Noah: I don't even know how I'm supposed to fight like this."
Silence followed.
They kept walking.
Hours passed.
The forest swallowed the last bit of daylight.
Night had arrived completely.
The darkness was thick.
Almost unnatural.
Even the air felt colder.
Karoschi stopped for a moment.
Looking around.
Listening.
„Karoschi: It's getting dark."
A pause.
„Karoschi: We should rest."
Noah shook his head immediately.
„Noah: No."
His voice was calm—but firm.
„Noah: We keep going."
„Noah: If we move through the night, we'll reach the valley faster."
Karoschi looked at him.
Still calm.
But more serious now.
„Karoschi: Just sleep."
Heinrich frowned slightly.
„Heinrich: Why?"
Noah looked at him too.
„Noah: Yeah… why do you always say that every night?"
Karoschi stayed silent for a moment.
Then—
he answered.
„Karoschi: Because you don't know what walks around here at night."
The wind shifted slightly.
„Johann: Like what?"
His voice slightly irritated—but curious.
Karoschi's gaze moved into the darkness.
„Karoschi: You remember the Night Crawler."
A pause.
„Karoschi: That was just one of them."
Silence.
„Karoschi: There are worse things."
The forest suddenly felt heavier.
Noah looked forward again.
„Noah: We keep going."
A short pause.
„Noah: We'll be fine."
Karoschi didn't argue anymore.
„Karoschi: …Fine."
A quiet warning followed.
„Karoschi: But if something happens—don't say I didn't warn you."
They continued walking.
The darkness wrapped around them completely now.
The forest no longer looked like a forest.
It looked like something else.
Something alive.
After a while—
Johann slowed down.
„Johann: Can we PLEASE take a break…"
He exhaled heavily.
„Johann: My legs are killing me…"
Noah finally stopped.
„Noah: …Fine."
The group paused.
For the first time in hours—
they stood still.
The silence returned.
Then—
a sound.
A small crack.
From somewhere in the forest.
Noah's head turned instantly.
„Noah: Did you hear that?"
Anna looked around.
„Anna: No… what?"
Noah narrowed his eyes.
„Noah: …Never mind."
But then—
he saw it.
A figure.
Moving between the trees.
Slow.
Silent.
Just for a second.
Then gone.
Noah stepped forward slightly.
„Noah: Wait here."
„Heinrich: Where are you going?"
„Noah: Just checking something."
Before anyone could stop him—
he walked into the forest.
The darkness swallowed him almost instantly.
Step by step—
he followed where the figure had been.
But then—
he lost it.
„Noah: What the… where did it go?"
Silence.
Then—
he turned around.
And froze.
Right in front of him—
stood the figure.
The same one.
The mysterious presence.
Watching him.
Unmoving.
„Noah: What do you want from me?!"
Suddenly—
the figure moved.
Faster than expected.
Its hands grabbed Noah's shoulders tightly.
Cold.
Unnaturally cold.
Then—
it spoke.
Its voice wasn't normal.
It sounded layered.
Distorted.
Like multiple voices speaking at once—
slightly out of sync.
„Traveler: DO NOT FORGET WHAT I SHOWED YOU…"
A pause.
The grip tightened.
„Traveler: YOU MUST KILL HIM."
Before Noah could react—
A strange device appeared.
A flash—
And light shot directly into his eyes.
Blinding.
The world disappeared.
Visions returned.
Fragments.
Memories.
Things that hadn't happened yet.
Then—
darkness.
When Noah opened his eyes again—
The forest was empty.
The figure was gone.
Like it had never been there.
No sound.
No presence.
Only him.
Breathing heavily.
Then—
he noticed something.
His arm.
He looked down.
It was… normal.
Completely fixed.
No pain.
No bend.
„Noah: …How…?"
His mind flooded with questions.
But there was no answer.
Only silence.
After a moment—
he turned back.
And walked toward the group.
„Noah: I'm back."
Johann immediately looked at him.
„Johann: Where were you?!"
Noah stayed calm.
„Noah: Just checking something."
Heinrich shook his head.
„Heinrich: "Checking something"?"
„Heinrich: You were gone for ten minutes."
Noah was about to answer—
Then—
Something changed.
The ground.
It started shaking.
Heavy.
Rhythmic.
Something big.
Very big.
Running.
Straight toward them.
The sound grew louder.
Closer.
Closer.
Branches snapped.
Trees trembled.
And whatever it was—
it was coming fast.