RUN

### Chapter 15: RUN

*Trill's Point of View*

The roar shook the forest to its roots. The ground trembled beneath Trill's feet as the unmistakable sound of something massive moving through the trees grew closer. The shadows that had long lingered in the periphery now converged in a terrifying rush.

Bren's breathing was ragged, her body still trembling from the hallucinogenic grip of the Truth Shroom. She looked up at him, wide-eyed, her mind reeling from the flood of painful memories she had just been forced to relive. But the look in her eyes—fear, guilt—was quickly replaced by something else.

Panic.

"Trill..." she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper. "We need to leave—NOW."

Before he could respond, a blur of dark movement caught his eye. Something large, something monstrous, was barreling toward them through the trees.

The cloaked figure.

The shadows that seemed to warp around the cloaked figure were growing more intense, twisting and shifting like living things. The once still, silent forest was now alive with an almost palpable tension, the air thick with the scent of decay.

The figure stepped out from behind the trees, tall and hooded, its form obscured by swirling shadows. But even through the darkness, its presence was suffocating. It was no longer just a threat—it was a force of nature.

"We can't fight it," Bren said, her voice low but urgent. She pulled herself to her feet, her hands trembling as she wiped her brow, trying to steady herself after the effects of the Truth Shroom.

But it was too late. The figure's shape seemed to distort further, as though the very essence of the forest was bending to its will. A terrifying, unnatural silence followed. The trees around them groaned, as if in pain.

"You're too weak to face me, mercenaries," the cloaked figure said, its voice like the rasping of a thousand whispers. "It is futile to resist."

Bren's eyes darted around, searching for an escape. She looked at Trill, her face pale, her eyes wide with realization.

"This isn't just a fight," she muttered, barely audible. "It's a trap."

"Then we need to run," Trill growled, his voice hard, his muscles coiling like a spring. "Now."

But as he turned to flee, the ground beneath them cracked, and the forest seemed to warp even further.

The shadows surged forward with unnatural speed, twisting around trees, curling through the air like serpents. Trill's heart pounded as he saw the shadowed figure move faster than he could ever imagine, its cloak swirling in a storm of darkness. There was no time for a fight. They had to escape.

"Run!" Trill shouted, his voice commanding. "Bren, we're not making it out of here unless we leave everything behind. NOW!"

Bren hesitated, her eyes locked on the figure, but she didn't argue. She grabbed Trill's arm and pulled him forward, stumbling as the ground seemed to shake and shudder beneath them. The cloaked figure wasn't far behind, the shadows continuing to twist and reach for them like a wave crashing onto the shore.

Trill pushed her ahead, his mind racing. Every instinct told him that if they stayed, they'd be consumed by the darkness that trailed in the figure's wake. The cloaked figure was not just a threat—it was a predator, a force that could erase them without hesitation.

"Keep moving!" Trill grunted, gritting his teeth.

Bren didn't need telling twice. She ran ahead, her breath ragged as she moved with the same urgency, the same desperation. Trill's eyes were locked on the path ahead, his sword ready in case they were cornered. But there was no time for a fight, no time to stop and face whatever twisted being was chasing them.

They darted through the trees, barely avoiding the tendrils of shadow that lashed out at them from all directions. The forest seemed to close in around them, the trees bending and twisting in unnatural ways, as if the very woods were alive, trying to trap them in their depths.

"Don't look back!" Trill shouted again, but his own words seemed to hang in the air like a weight. His pulse raced, and his thoughts scattered. He couldn't focus on the horrors around him, not while they were being hunted.

But it was hard not to look. The figure's presence was suffocating. With every step, the shadows seemed to grow longer, and the distance between them and their pursuer shrank. The cloak of darkness closed in tighter, and Trill could feel it, clawing at the back of his mind, threatening to overtake him.

A flicker of movement in the distance caught Trill's attention—two towering trees that formed a narrow gap, just large enough for them to slip through.

"There!" he shouted, pointing toward the gap. "Through the trees!"

Without question, Bren veered left, darting toward the narrow passage. Trill followed closely behind, his breath coming faster, his body aching from the effort. He could hear the figure gaining on them.

It was too fast.

But just as the gap drew near, a deafening roar shook the forest again—closer this time.

Trill's heart skipped a beat.

The ground beneath them cracked again, and out from the shadows emerged a monstrous shape—a hulking, deformed creature with glowing red eyes. Its body was covered in thick bark-like armor, and it carried the heavy stench of rot with it, like the very essence of decay.

A corrupted guardian, a being twisted by the same dark magic the cloaked figure wielded.

The guardian's enormous hands reached for them, and its roar was deafening. Trill's instincts screamed at him to fight, to kill the beast before it could tear them apart. But he knew that wasn't an option. There was no time.

"We're not getting through this!" Trill shouted, turning to Bren as they reached the narrow gap. "Get through the trees—now!"

But Bren was already moving, her form vanishing through the trees.

Trill hesitated for a split second, the crushing weight of their situation sinking in. The corrupted guardian loomed, its hulking figure closing the gap between them.

With no other choice, Trill made a break for it. He sprinted toward the trees, pushing himself harder than he ever had before, every breath burning his lungs. The moment he passed through the gap, he felt the breath of the guardian on his back, the beast's claws scraping at his armor.

He dove through the trees, tumbling headfirst, the thick underbrush scraping against his face and hands. He barely managed to get his feet under him before the cloaked figure was upon them.

But just as the shadows closed in, the earth trembled once more. A crack of thunder rang through the forest.

It wasn't the cloaked figure.

Something far worse was coming.

---

**To be continued...**