not all deer are prey

A Dagger in the shadow

Darius watched the dagger in Lotfi's hand. A short, black blade, unadorned, yet sharp—too sharp, as if meant to end something in an instant.

Lotfi twirled it between his fingers, then extended it toward Darius.

"This is not a weapon for attack."

Darius frowned. "Then what is it for?"

"It's for decisive moments."

Lotfi placed the dagger in Darius's hand, pressing his fingers around the hilt, his gaze unwavering.

"If you ever find yourself unable to lift your sword… use this. It's sharp enough to finish what needs to be finished."

Darius said nothing. He simply turned the dagger between his fingers, feeling its light weight… yet something about it felt heavy—as if it carried another meaning entirely.

---

2 - The First Lesson… Not All Deer Are Prey

The air was slightly cold, the forest filled with the damp scent of grass, and the sounds of birds fading with every step Darius took behind Lotfi. The ground was covered in fallen leaves, making a soft rustling beneath his boots.

Lotfi suddenly stopped, raising a hand for Darius to halt as well. Then, he pointed forward.

Darius narrowed his eyes… Two deer were bounding through the trees, their bodies sleek, their eyes alert, their fur gleaming faintly under the moonlight.

"An excellent dinner," Lotfi remarked with a smirk before nudging Darius forward.

"You're hunting tonight."

Darius sighed. How was hunting deer supposed to be training? But he didn't argue. He gripped his broken sword and moved forward cautiously, keeping his steps as light as Lotfi had taught him. His breathing was steady, his grip relaxed yet ready to strike at any moment.

He crept closer… then steadied himself, freezing in place as he calculated the perfect moment to pounce.

Then—he lunged!

But the deer sensed him at the last moment, leaping back with astonishing agility, while Darius barely managed to stop himself from face-planting into the dirt.

"Damn it!" he muttered through clenched teeth.

A soft chuckle came from behind him.

"You do know you're chasing a deer, not a rock, right?"

Darius shot Lotfi a sharp glare before tightening his grip on his sword. This time, he didn't act recklessly. He inhaled slowly, setting his sights on the second deer—it seemed less alert than the first.

Carefully… he took a step forward… then another… and when he was close enough—

He lunged again!

But this time, something was different.

This deer wasn't like the first. As Darius struck, it didn't flee as expected… Instead, it turned toward him with eerie speed, its eyes reflecting something strange under the moonlight.

It was an "Iron-Tier" deer.

Its claws were longer than normal, its movement far more aggressive than any ordinary deer.

"This isn't a normal deer!" Darius shouted, quickly retreating before shooting a glare at Lotfi.

"You could've told me that beforehand, you bastard!"

But Lotfi only smirked—as if this was exactly what he intended.

"This is your chance… Don't waste it."

Darius had no choice. The iron deer was already charging at him!

He raised his sword to block the attack—

Then, pain exploded in his chest.

It was as if something inside him was trying to expand, spreading through every cell in his body.

His pulse… was no longer beating with him… but against him.

Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, his vision blurred… The world around him fell into complete silence.

The iron deer lunged, its hooves crushing the grass beneath it, its sharp antlers gleaming under the moonlight.

For a brief moment, he froze—a strange sensation washing over him. It felt as if his heart had stopped… then began to beat violently, as if trying to break free from his chest.

His vision flickered for a split second, then—

The deer was upon him, its antlers aiming straight for his flesh!

His body moved—no, something else moved him.

He stepped back with unnatural grace, his feet adjusting as if they knew exactly where to go. He should have stumbled, should have been struck—but no. He dodged the attack perfectly, his body suddenly lighter, faster, more precise.

But the pain in his chest didn't subside. It only grew stronger.

Darius staggered slightly, his breath unsteady, but there was no time to think. The deer charged again, faster than expected!

He raised his sword to block, but the pain in his chest surged—as if something inside him was tearing apart!

Then, he felt it.

… Something strange was happening.

Without thought.

Without awareness.

Without even his own will…

His body moved.

A fluid motion. Light. Sharp. Unnaturally precise.

His hand lifted the broken sword—but it wasn't him lifting it.

A flash of steel—

Silence.

The deer froze.

For a moment, time itself seemed to pause.

Then—its head rolled off its body, tumbling onto the grass…

Its lifeless form collapsed a second later, blood soaking into the earth.

Darius stared at his trembling hand.

He had no idea how he had moved so perfectly. How he had severed its neck so effortlessly… so easily.

As if someone else had done it.

His eyes were still tinged with black, faint shadows lingering at their edges—as if something inside him had looked through them for just a moment.

---

3 - Silence… Then a Warning

Lotfi didn't move. He didn't interfere. He simply watched.

After a moment, he whispered, his tone colder than ever before:

"I saw that."

Darius lifted his head, his breath unsteady.

Lotfi repeated, slowly, his voice quiet yet heavy enough to press down on the air itself:

"I. Saw. That."

Darius didn't respond. He couldn't find the right words.

Finally, Lotfi broke the silence, his tone lighter—but carrying the weight of a warning:

"If you don't understand what's happening to you yet… then understand this—"

"Either you control it… or it will destroy you