Stage 0 [5]

The forest was a cacophony of chaos and despair.

Survivors stumbled over roots, their faces pale with terror. Some clutched their heads, groaning as the echoes of the Endwalkers' whispers still rang in their minds. Others screamed for help, their voices raw and desperate."H-Help me!" a man cried, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead. He reached out, fingers trembling, but the crowd surged past him, ignoring his pleas.A woman collapsed to her knees, sobbing as she clutched her leg, which hung at an unnatural angle."Please… someone… I can't move…!"No one stopped.The Jonkeys' screeches cut through the air, followed by the deadly whistle of their projectiles. Sharp stones rained down, striking trees, earth, and flesh. Each hit elicited a sickening crunch or a blood-curdling scream.Harry stumbled as he ran, his chest heaving. His wide eyes darted across the carnage unfolding around him. His stomach churned violently as he saw a teenage boy collapse, clutching his side where a jagged stone protruded. The boy's eyes met Harry's, pleading silently, but Harry froze.Bile rose in his throat. He turned away, gagging, barely stopping himself from vomiting."Get it together!" Jess's voice snapped him out of his daze. Her firm grip steadied him, sharp eyes locking onto his. "You can't save everyone. If you stop, you'll die too."Harry nodded shakily, his mind a blur.Darrow, running beside them, cursed under his breath. "Grimlings… those vermin have joined the fray."Harry's heart sank as he glanced upward. The trees rustled unnaturally, and the sound of leathery wings filled the air. Dark shapes flitted above them—small but quick, their glowing yellow eyes scanning for targets."Perfect," Harry muttered, voice dripping with dark sarcasm. "Flying goblins and murder monkeys. What's next? Killer squirrels?""Focus!" Jess barked.Harry bit back a retort, gripping his kitchen knife tighter as they pushed forward.The group had splintered into small clusters. Some ran mindlessly, driven by sheer panic. Others fell behind, their strength waning until the monsters overtook them. The horrifying sounds of their deaths lingered in the air—a grim reminder of what awaited anyone who stopped."Keep moving!" Jess shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.Harry's lungs burned, his legs felt like lead, and if he had a stamina bar, it was probably scraping rock bottom. Yet, he kept running. They all did. The will to live was a powerful force, driving them forward even as their bodies screamed for rest.Darrow swore again. "We're losing people too fast."Jess glanced back, jaw clenched. "Then we focus on those who can keep up."Harry looked over his shoulder. His gaze lingered on a man sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. The man's lips moved silently, as if praying."We can't just—" Harry started, but Jess cut him off."We can." Her tone was cold but resolute. "They're gone, boy. Focus on the ones who can still run."Harry clenched his fists but didn't argue.Deep down, he knew she was right.Yet… still…Please forgive me.After what felt like an eternity, the dense forest began to thin. The oppressive canopy of branches gave way to open sky. The survivors, now significantly fewer, stumbled out into a vast clearing.For a moment, no one moved. They collapsed onto the earth, trembling with exhaustion under the sunlight.A woman fell to her knees, tears streaking down her face. "We… we made it!"A man let out a shaky laugh, his voice tinged with hysteria. "We're alive!"The clearing filled with laughter, sobs, and cries of relief. People clung to each other, their faces alight with joy despite their battered and bloodied appearances.Harry dropped to his knees, chest heaving as he stared back at the forest. Shadows lingered at the treeline—the shapes of Jonkeys and Grimlings—but they didn't advance.It seemed the creatures wouldn't follow them into the open."We did it," Tim gasped, collapsing beside Harry. "We actually made it."Harry nodded numbly, too drained to speak.The celebration was short-lived.A collective gasp rippled through the group as someone pointed toward the horizon."There!"Harry followed their gaze, his breath catching. In the distance, silhouetted against the setting sun, stood a massive fortress-like structure. Its dark stone walls loomed high, topped with sharp spires that seemed to pierce the sky."What… is that?" Tim asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Jess stepped forward, eyes narrowing as she studied the structure. "Shelter," she said simply.Darrow's expression remained grim. "Or a trap."Harry let out a tired but hopeful chuckle. "Only one way to find out."The group stared at the fortress, their momentary relief giving way to a mix of hope and unease. Whatever awaited them there, it was better than the horrors they had just escaped.The clearing became eerily quiet, save for the ragged breathing of survivors and the occasional sob or murmured prayer.Harry slumped against Tim, trembling hands clutching his knees. Behind them, the forest loomed like a living nightmare, shadows shifting as if the Jonkeys and Grimlings were still watching.But for now, they didn't follow."F-Finally… a break," Tim whispered, body trembling nonstop.Others murmured in agreement, sagging with exhaustion.Just as Harry started to relax, an unsettling sound reached his ears."Laughing?" he muttered, lifting his head.Kyle, the burly man who had led the charge out of the forest, was already on his feet. His laughter rang out—loud, manic—cutting through the tense atmosphere like a blade."HAHAHA! I did it! I'm safe!" Kyle shouted, voice cracking. Without warning, he took off at a sprint toward the fortress, his bulky frame moving with surprising speed despite his earlier exhaustion."Hey!" Jess called, tone sharp. "Stop!"But Kyle didn't listen.He ran like a man possessed, his laughter echoing across the clearing. "The fortress! I made it! Nothing can touch me! Hahaha!"Harry's grip tightened on his knife."Is this guy serious?" he muttered.Tim swallowed hard. "H-He must've lost it."Harry almost made a snarky comment—something about Kyle's bravado only showing up now—but the gruesome images from the forest flashed through his mind. His jaw clenched, and he held his tongue.Then, it happened."!"The ground beneath Kyle shifted. The grass rippled unnaturally.Before anyone could react, a massive, spiked tendril shot out of the earth with terrifying speed."SWOOSH!"The appendage wrapped around Kyle's torso in an instant, jagged spikes digging deep into his flesh. His laughter turned into a strangled gasp as he was yanked upward, feet leaving the ground."H-Help—!" His scream cut off as the tendril pulled him down.Blood sprayed across the grass.Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the tendril vanished, leaving no trace of Kyle behind."…!"Silence.Harry's eyes widened, his heart hammering. His breath caught as he stared at the empty space where Kyle had stood just moments ago."N-No way…"