Chapter 4: The Forest

Jack walked through the dense forest. He had slipped past the mysterious group as the fog thickened, and now he found himself surrounded by towering trees.

Jack clutched the white cloth he had thrown from the train to break the window. His vision blurred, and he gripped it tightly in his left hand. His right arm and left leg were shattered, sending waves of pain through his body with every step. Blood seeped from his wounds, congealing into dark patches, each clot a cruel reminder of his fading strength. Yet, he pushed forward, driven by a desperate will to survive.

The forest echoed with the cries of birds, their voices piercing the thick air. Towering trees stretched high above, their dense canopy blocking the sunlight, casting everything below into an eerie darkness.

His brother, Jade, was still unconscious after their daring jump from the moving train. Thankfully, the cloth binding them together had kept him from being thrown off by the impact. Jack clung to a single purpose—he had to keep Jade safe, no matter the cost.

Jack trudged through the dense forest, his vision swimming in a hazy blur. The air was thick and damp, carrying an unsettling silence—until it wasn't. A shuffling sound echoed from the shadows, deliberate and slow, as if something unseen was matching his pace. Low, guttural growls slithered through the air, blending with the rustling of unseen creatures. The darkness pressed in around him, and for the first time, he felt like he wasn't walking alone.

Despite the terror creeping into his bones, Jack walked with only one thought in his mind—to save his brother. His own life no longer mattered. Gritting his teeth against the pain coursing through his shattered body, he whispered through ragged breaths,

"I have to survive... to save my brother." His face, twisted with agony, held nothing but raw determination."

Halfway through, his foot caught on a rock. He stumbled forward, instinctively throwing out his right hand to shield Jade from the fall. A sharp jolt of pain exploded through his broken arm as he hit the ground.

"Aaaah!" he screamed in agony.

The piercing cry stirred Jade from his unconscious state. He jolted awake, panic flickering in his eyes. "Aaah, Jack! What was that?!"

Jack forced a weak smile, turning his face slightly so his brother wouldn't see the pain written all over it. "Ah, nothing... just a simple ant bite."

Jade frowned, concern etching deep into his features. "Are you alright, brother? You look like you're crying."

Jack swallowed the pain, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Yeah, I'm alright. No worries."

A moment of silence passed before Jack asked, "What about you, Jade? How are you feeling?"

But when he turned back and saw his brother had fallen asleep again, a faint smile crossed his face. At least for now, Jade was at peace.

"You little Jade... you will live. I promise, I will save you and kill our fathe—"

Jack abruptly stopped, the words choking in his throat. No—this wasn't the time for vengeance. His first priority was saving his brother. That was the only thought running through his mind now.

With that, Jack pushed himself up, ignoring the searing pain, and continued walking—determined to keep moving forward, no matter what nightmares lurked in the depths of the forest.

As the evening deepened, stretching long shadows across the land, a sudden, sharp crack split the silence—a twig snapping under unseen weight. Jack's breath hitched, his pulse hammering against his ribs. His eyes darted toward a towering tree ahead, its bark swallowed in darkness. Then, from behind its massive trunk, two piercing eyes flared to life—cold, glowing embers set deep into the void of a monstrous black wolf.

A guttural, bone-chilling growl rumbled through the air, curling into Jack's chest like icy fingers. The beast moved, its form peeling away from the shadows as if it had been a part of them. Its sleek fur absorbed the dim light, making it appear almost spectral—an entity of the dusk itself.

Jack's breath came in shallow gasps. His blurred vision twisted the trees into lurking horrors, but through it all, he could see the wolf's gaze. Unwavering. Calculating. Hungry. Fear threatened to swallow him whole, whispering that he was nothing but prey. Yet, despite the shaking in his limbs, despite the overwhelming dread clawing at his mind, he refused to kneel. He couldn't. Not when his brother lay helpless behind him.

With a sharp inhale, Jack forced himself upright, the pain in his battered body a distant echo. The wolf, now fully revealed beneath the dim glow filtering through the treetops, stared him down, its deadly elegance radiating an unspoken challenge.

A standoff. A battle of wills. The forest held its breath, watching, waiting—to see who would fall first.

The wolf's body was a grotesque tapestry of wounds. Something—or someone—had attacked it mercilessly. Blood streamed down its battered head, matting its dark fur, while one of its eyes was gruesomely damaged, a sickly white jelly oozing from the socket. Deep gashes marred its back, each cut a cruel testament to the pain it had endured. Blood seeped from its mangled flesh, dripping onto the ground. Its front left leg hung limply, shattered beyond use.

Despite its suffering, the wolf's gaze remained locked onto Jack, a desperate hunger burning in its lone functioning eye. It had only one hope left—to survive. And for that, it needed to eat. Even the smallest prey would be enough.

Jack held his walking stick tightly, ready to run or fight if the time came. "Shh... come on, you beast," he muttered under his breath."

The wolf began to move, dragging its broken body forward with slow, agonizing steps. Jack, his own body wracked with pain, started moving as well, his pace sluggish yet determined. The beast mirrored his speed, its relentless hunger driving it forward.

Then, Jack's eyes caught sight of a thick tree up ahead. He forced himself toward it, using every ounce of strength to maintain his footing. The wolf followed, its lone functioning eye locked onto him. As Jack reached the tree, he swiftly maneuvered behind its broad trunk, his breath ragged and heavy.

The wolf sniffed the air, circling cautiously, but Jack had already vanished—or so it seemed.

Then, its gaze locked onto something—the blood trail smeared along the bark. Realization dawned too late. As the beast turned sharply, Jack sprang from the shadows, launching himself forward with the aid of his walking stick. With every ounce of his remaining strength, he kicked the wolf square in the face, his body fueled by pure survival instinct.

Jack's kick landed hard on the wolf's face, sending it staggering backward. A sharp yelp escaped its throat as pain surged through its wounded body. The impact forced it to take another step back, its balance faltering.

But in that moment of weakness, disaster struck. The wolf unknowingly stepped too far, its hind leg slipping off the edge of a cliff. Jack had noticed the drop earlier when making his way through the area, but the beast had no such awareness.

The wolf scrambled desperately, its claws scraping against the rocky surface. It barely managed to cling to the edge with its two front legs. However, with one leg already broken, an unbearable jolt of pain surged through its body. It struggled for a fleeting moment before its grip failed entirely. With a final, desperate growl, the wolf slipped and plummeted down the two-story-high cliff, disappearing into the shadows below.

Jack winced as he pushed himself up, pain surging through his battered body. Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, peering over the cliff's edge to see where the wolf had fallen.

But as evening deepened into dusk, the fading light obscured Jack's vision, making it impossible to see below.

"I hope whatever it was is dead by now," he muttered.