"Do it again! Keep going! Hit the target as hard as you can! Don't fall back now! If you don't improve your skills, then you will never survive the monsters that are out there beyond this palace!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Heh, looks like you learn quickly! But do you have what it takes to defeat those monsters in that dreaded place? Come, let's test if you have what it takes."
They were currently located in the training chamber; about ten to twenty dummies were scattered in a line, forming a square. It wasn't that large, but it wasn't small to the point that you couldn't move without struggling. There were also sections where trainees could refresh themselves, eating leftover food in the meantime while being berated by Ludo. Beside the chamber, a small forest lay silent, stretching behind the area until it abruptly stopped just inches away from the Palace.
After doing what felt like hours of training, Aafeen didn't expect Ludo to suddenly call him away and lead him to a small forest. Aafeen knew what he was thinking: I want to test to see whether he's capable enough to survive out there. He needs to get stronger so that he can live without fear.
"Here we are. This place isn't like that shadowy forest you saw yesterday, though it'd probably have some creatures lying around. Don't be afraid if you see anything; after all, you have me on board! As long as you do your best, then you'll improve in no time!"
He really wants me to succeed, huh? Well, I'll try my best to impress him, so he'll have a bigger impact on me when I'm gone.
"I guess you want me to enter this place alone for the time being, until I'm in danger, right? If so, then that's fine. I'll go ahead and enter now."
Without looking back at Ludo, Aafeen stepped forward into the forest. The first step that he took, he immediately felt an overwhelming presence of death surrounding him.
This stench...it's unbearable! I can hardly breathe! One small sniff and I'm feeling lightheaded! Is this the fear Ludo was talking about? How to not be afraid if I see anything? Well, I'm glad he told me; otherwise I would probably die if a beast swooped up behind me and struck without warning if he didn't!
Wait, did I just jinx myself?
Aafeen paused, realizing the fateful mistake he'd just made, but he shrugged it off immediately after, not wanting to distract himself from running away. If he did, then Ludo would certainly punish him harshly, just like he would do to other captives in the past.
As Aafeen clutched the dagger tighter, he kept walking, hoping to spot an enemy and take them down before things got worse. But with every step he took, the smell would get gradually worse, making Aafeen sweat more. The uncomfortable feeling would eventually pass away when Aafeen stopped, his eyes widening with an emotion he was familiar with.
It was fear. Fear for what he'd just witnessed right before his eyes.
Right there before his eyes, he saw the source of the stench, and it horrified him to the core. A creature, about as tall as a grown human, was ravenously eating its meal. A normal person would have already bolted and run home if they had seen a beast eating an unknown object. But Aafeen knew better; he knew that he had to stay put and approach this monster, but the revolting air of death made Aafeen hesitate. He still hadn't looked down to see what the creature was eating, and he subconsciously looked down, not realizing the mistake he had just made.
What he saw was a human, bleeding profusely as their flesh came off bit by bit. Aafeen didn't know who it was, but he had to guess it was either a short adult in their early to mid-twenties or a teenager. Based on how the body looked, he could tell it was most likely a female, but he was uncertain because of how damaged it was. Regardless, seeing a body being mangled by the cycle of life made Aafeen hesitate more.
If I don't kill it now, then I'm definitely going to die! What do I—?
"C'mon, just kill it already! What's the hold up?!"
Aafeen looked behind him, searching for where the voice came from, but no one was there.
Ah, Ludo's voice is stuck in my head... I can't get it out...!
Alright... I'll do it! As long as I get this done quickly, then I can finally take a breath of relief...!
Aafeen gripped the dagger one last time and finally swung it towards the creature's head! It turned towards him in shock, giving a devastating howl as it charged towards Aafeen, its blood spraying onto the dagger and Aafeen's clothes. Its sharp teeth resembled a starving dog losing control; the victim's blood was still present, making Aafeen want to look away in disgust. Before he could have the chance to take a step back, the creature's teeth lunged straight for Aafeen's throat!
Shit! This isn't good!
Aafeen had no time to hesitate; he had to act fast! Aafeen quickly put up his dagger and used it as a shield, putting it into the creature's mouth, temporarily blocking its teeth from killing him instantly. He knew that it wouldn't work for long, so he tried his best to back up and get some space for himself, hoping that he'd be able to attack it again.
As Aafeen backed up, he could feel the enemy's saliva seeping into the dagger, causing an uneasy sensation in Aafeen.
This thing is getting more bloodthirsty every second! I'm losing my grip on the weapon! Any second and I'll—
Fwip! Clang!
The dagger, Aafeen's last line of defense, slipped helplessly from his grasp. In a desperate moment, it clattered uselessly to the ground, leaving him exposed. The metallic clang echoed through the tense silence, freezing Aafeen in place as terror surged through him.
Shit!
I have no other defense to use! The only thing I can use is my own arm...!
Aafeen hesitated, making sure this was really his only chance of dealing with the enemy in front of him.
He had to do it, or everything would be for nothing!
Aafeen closed his eyes and swung his left arm directly into the creature's mouth, causing his enemy to pause for a split second before beginning to crush its teeth into their victim. Aafeen grimaced as pain surged through him; he knew he had to bear the pain. If he didn't, then he would've been dead with his flesh torn away...
Aafeen slumped down onto the ground, giving his enemy the upper hand as his blood started to spew out, dropping onto the ground and staining his clothes. As the pain grew, Aafeen spotted his dagger, covered in his enemy's blood, saliva, and dirt. If he could reach it in time, he might be able to wound his enemy more...
Now's my chance to strike back!
Aafeen moved his body towards the dagger, stretching out his arm in hopes of reaching it. When his fingers reached the tip of his weapon, he moved once more and finally managed to hold onto it. Aafeen wasted no time and swung his weapon towards his enemy, plunging it into its neck. The enemy seemed to have no knowledge of what Aafeen had just done and continued to bite down on Aafeen's arm, not realizing that he was starting to bleed as well.
This distasteful beast doesn't even realize what's happening; it didn't even react to my attack! This is pointless...why did I even—
Swoosh!
Aafeen paused, turning his head toward the sound he heard. The trees swayed violently as a gust of wind covered Aafeen's field of vision.
Don't tell me there's more of them coming my way...!
As Aafeen looked around trying to figure out what was happening, he could feel his body becoming lighter, like an enemy suddenly running away in fright after dealing a heavy blow in battle. He could feel as if something soft had landed on him, causing him to look down.
It was ashes. It looked as though it resembled the tragic end of an unfortunate soul. Aafeen was shocked; he couldn't believe what just happened!
No way... There's no way it could have just died like that! One second it was alive, and then... No, I couldn't have killed it; that's impossible! Someone else must've come and saved me, but who...? Ludo...?
As Aafeen's field of vision became clearer, he could make out a crouched figure—their shoulders were slumped, and their face was shadowed in sorrow. The stranger's gaze lingered on the deceased body, not noticing that Aafeen was lying there, his arm still bleeding as chunks of flesh seeped into the ground.
Who... Who is that...?
As Aafeen tried to get a better look at who this person was, the figure suddenly turned his head around, looking directly at Aafeen. Their gaze made Aafeen freeze for a moment before Aafeen began to close his eyes, immediately feeling an unwelcoming presence touch his arm.
When he opened them, he saw the figure examining his arm. Concern surrounded the unknown man as Aafeen made out his facial features.
The figure was a man of slim stature, being around 5"8', and having a feminine air surrounding him. His medium, wavy blond hair was uncommon among civilized mortals, making him the target for ridicule. It covered up the left side of his face, hiding behind a dark secret that only he knows. A strand of hair could be seen beginning at the middle of his face and ending inches after the right corner of his eye. His back hair ended just above the midway point of his abdomen. His eyes reeked of companionship, radiating the scent of dahlias.
The man's attire resembled that of a crooked thief. A dark, tattered cloak covered his head, with numerous decayed scarves covering his neck. He had on a simple dark bluish-grey collared shirt with long sleeves that reached his upper arms. Grey gloves covered his hands, hiding behind his old scars. He had no belt, with his black trousers slumped to one side and his bruised black boots. He was someone you couldn't trust, yet somehow someone who would help the weak in a heartbeat.
As Aafeen scanned him thoroughly, the man slowly opened his mouth, speaking to him in a gentle yet terrified voice.
"Your... Your arm."
Aafeen didn't move; he simply couldn't. This encounter felt so awkward that he didn't know whether to reply to this mysterious person or continue looking at him. Whatever the case, it wouldn't really matter at all.
After a couple of seconds of awkward silence, Aafeen decided to open his mouth, hoping to ask some questions that he had in mind.
"What—"
"Aafeen...!"
There was a sudden loud shout coming from behind Aafeen, and he quickly whipped his head around. Someone was coming his way, looking concerned for his safety.
It was Ludo. He must've heard the commotion going on surrounding Aafeen, so he tried his best to get to Aafeen as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, Ludo was too late to save Aafeen from getting injured...
Aafeen saw Ludo's silhouette, but he didn't stare at it for long and turned his head back around to face the man.
But when he looked back, the man was suddenly gone, and a bandage covering Aafeen's left arm was now present. Aafeen looked at his arm in confusion, wondering how it could've gotten there so fast.
That man...how did he manage to bandage me up so fast? No ordinary person would be able to do that. Maybe he's experienced in these sorts of things...
"Aafeen! Are you alright?!"
Ludo finally caught up to Aafeen and was now trying to help him get up. Aafeen didn't reply; he was still looking at the bandage, lost in thought.
"Aafeen, my dear friend, let me help you up. We need to go report this back at the palace immediately! I—"
"There's no need to tell people what happened. If you informed them about this incident, then—"
Then what? This world's timeline collapsing and ceasing to exist? Everyone disappearing without a trace?
"Huh? What were you about to say?"
...
"It's nothing... Nothing at all... If anyone asks about this, just say that you accidentally injured me during practice, so that way it won't complicate things. I'm sure that your family will listen to you, considering that they know you well."
Ludo looked at Aafeen with uncertainty; he was unsure of this plan. He didn't know if it would work out as planned...
"But... Surely my family will let you stay longer than they requested, won't that complicate things? Are you sure that plan will actually work?"
Yes, it would. It might even destroy humanity itself... But we won't know if we try!
"Ahh... Actually, n—never mind, let's just go back to the palace and rest up; hopefully my wound will heal these last two days."
"A—Alright..."
Ludo supported Aafeen all the way through the forest to the palace. It didn't take long before Aafeen settled down and tried to rest that he started to think about the events that happened today.
Everything happened so fast all of a sudden... One second I'm fighting a creature, and the next I'm lying in this bedroom, resting until I leave to continue my journey... It's strange; maybe this world moves faster than where I'm from. If that's the case, then I need to prepare for what's coming next.
But who was that man? He appeared out of nowhere and vanished without a trace... I wonder if I'll ever see him again someday, but that's very unlikely, considering I have no recollection of him in the main story at all...
It's fine, just rest; everything will move ahead as normal, you don't need to worry, Augustine... It'll be fine... Just sleep, sleep is all you need right now...
Aafeen slowly closed his eyes, leaving behind his last remaining thoughts as he slipped into a deep slumber. His mind relaxed, finally feeling peace as his mind wanders elsewhere...