Survival of the Fittest

The first night after the safety of the cabin expired, Aether felt the shift in the air. The unnatural stillness that had once protected him was gone, replaced by the lurking presence of unseen predators. The trial had truly begun.

He remained seated by the fire, sharpening his sword with slow, deliberate movements. He had expected this. Prepared for it. Yet no amount of mental readiness could match the raw reality of what was to come.

The first attack came just past midnight. Aether had barely closed his eyes when the sound of snapping branches jolted him awake. His hand went instinctively to his sword as he rose from his makeshift bedding near the fire. From the shadows of the tree line, a massive boar charged forward, its beady eyes glinting with bloodlust.

Aether barely had time to move, rolling to the side as the beast trampled over where he had been lying. The ground trembled beneath its weight. Wielding his sword in a reverse grip, he turned to face the creature as it prepared to charge again.

This time, he was ready.

The moment it lunged, Aether sidestepped, his blade flashing downward. The steel cut deep into the boar's flank, sending it screeching in pain as it stumbled. Aether wasted no time, adjusting his stance before driving his blade into the base of its skull. The beast went limp instantly, collapsing in a heap beside the dying fire.

He exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow. The real trial had begun.

The second attack came just as exhaustion threatened to set in. He had begun butchering the boar for meat when the low growl reached his ears.

A wolf.

Aether turned slowly, locking eyes with the beast as it stalked into the clearing. It was smaller than the one he had previously killed, but there was something more cunning about its movements. It was testing him, searching for an opening.

Aether didn't give it one.

He shifted his stance, keeping his sword between himself and the predator. The wolf circled, muscles coiled tight, waiting. The fire behind Aether cast long shadows, twisting the trees into eerie figures as tension thickened the air.

Then the wolf lunged.

Aether met its charge head-on, twisting his body as he brought his sword in a brutal arc. The beast yelped as steel cut across its ribs, but its momentum carried it forward, knocking Aether onto his back. Snarling, the wolf snapped its jaws inches from his throat, but Aether jammed his forearm against its neck, holding it back with sheer force.

With a grunt of effort, he wrenched his blade free and drove it deep into the wolf's side. The animal let out one last pained cry before going still.

Aether shoved the carcass aside, chest heaving. The night was far from over.

The third and final attack came just before dawn. This time, it wasn't a beast.

Aether had barely caught his breath from the wolf attack when movement at the treeline made him tense. A low chatter of guttural voices confirmed what he had feared. Goblins.

Three of them emerged from the underbrush, their small, twisted forms illuminated by the dying embers of his fire. They carried crude weapons—one with a rusted dagger, another with a jagged spear, and the third wielding a club wrapped in barbed wire. Their yellow eyes gleamed hungrily as they spread out, surrounding him.

Aether tightened his grip on his sword. He had never fought multiple enemies at once. But there was no choice.

The first goblin struck without warning, lunging with its spear. Aether sidestepped, knocking the weapon away before driving his boot into the creature's chest. It staggered back, but the second goblin was already upon him, swinging its club wildly. He barely managed to dodge, but the third took advantage of the opening, slashing a dagger across his upper arm.

Pain flared, hot and sharp.

Gritting his teeth, Aether retaliated with a brutal slash, catching the dagger-wielding goblin across the chest. It shrieked, stumbling backward as dark blood gushed from the wound. The other two hesitated.

Aether didn't.

With a burst of speed, he closed the distance, skewering the club-wielding goblin through the gut. It let out a wet gurgle before collapsing. The last one turned to flee, but Aether wasn't about to let it escape. He hurled his sword with precision, the blade embedding itself into the goblin's back. It fell with a final, strangled cry.

Silence.

The clearing was a battlefield of blood and bodies. Aether stood amidst the carnage, breathless, his wounded arm pulsing with pain. He reached down, tearing a strip from his tunic before wrapping the wound as best he could. It wasn't deep, but it would slow him down if left unattended.

The sky had begun to lighten, the first hints of dawn creeping over the horizon. Aether exhaled, exhaustion weighing down on him.

This place was no longer safe.

Morning would bring more predators, more threats. He could not afford to sit idly and wait for death to find him.

If he wanted to survive, he had to move.

With one final glance at the bodies littering his former sanctuary, Aether turned toward the wilderness. It was time to become the hunter instead of the hunted.