A Path without a Destination

Darius walked. No goal, no clear plan.

Everything around him looked the same—charred black trees, as if remnants of a forest burned centuries ago; jagged rocks, seemingly carved from another world; and a thick fog that choked the air, swallowing the horizon. The stench was suffocating—a mix of heavy dampness and the decayed scent of something long dead, as if the place itself was gasping for air.

He had no idea where he was going. He only knew that turning back was impossible.

"You're carrying something that will kill you before it kills these creatures."

That voice—Lutfi's voice—still echoed in his mind, as if etched into his skull.

His grip tightened. The monster's heart… Was that the reason? Would he end up as one of those things?

He stopped, took a deep breath. Thinking wouldn't help now. He had to focus on getting out of here.

He kept walking, his footsteps breaking the oppressive silence. The sound of crushed rocks beneath his boots was the only thing cutting through the eerie stillness. But then, he felt it—something was wrong.

The air... had become heavier.

This wasn't just paranoia—there was something in this place. Something watching him.

Then, he saw it.

In the distance, something moved within the mist. Something massive.

Darius froze, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

A giant beast… A bear, but not an ordinary one. Its massive frame was covered in dark fur, its eyes glowing like embers. With each step, the ground beneath it trembled, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

"Shit..."

He took a step back, but before he could retreat any further, he felt something behind him.

A smooth rustling sound… A faint whisper…

He turned quickly—and saw a long shadow sliding between the rocks.

A massive snake, its dark scales shimmering faintly through the mist, its eyes watching him in absolute silence, calculating.

Dry throat. Tensed muscles.

Darius was trapped between two monsters, and the only way out had become a wall of terror.

His mind worked fast, scanning for an escape route. Then he spotted it—a small crevice in the side of a nearby rock, barely wide enough for his body.

Without thinking, he lunged for it, held his breath, and squeezed through the narrow gap. His heart nearly leapt from his chest as he forced himself in, just before he saw the snake slithering silently to where he had stood moments ago.

He stayed still, barely daring to breathe.

Then, realization hit him—

The monsters weren't looking for him.

They were heading toward each other.

And then… Hell broke loose.

---

Chapter: "Instinct for Survival"

A tense moment of silence. Then, violence erupted.

The bear roared, its voice shaking the forest. It lunged forward with massive claws, but the snake dodged, its long body coiling around the beast with terrifying speed. The ground beneath them trembled, dead leaves scattering from the sheer force of their struggle.

Darius watched, his hand gripping his dagger, but he had no intention of joining the fight. He wasn't foolish enough to get involved in a battle between creatures of this scale.

The bear was even bigger than he expected—a moving mountain of muscle and dark fur, its glowing eyes like lanterns in the dark. When it roared, Darius could feel the air tremble around him.

The snake, however, was the opposite—silent, cold, its movements fluid and precise. Its fangs dripped with venom, glistening like liquid death.

Then, the explosion happened.

The bear struck first, its claws tearing through the air like axes. The snake dodged again, slipping between the rocks, then lunged forward—its fangs sinking deep into the bear's leg.

The bear let out a furious snarl, trying to rip the serpent away, but the snake had already begun to coil tighter, squeezing, choking. Darius could see bones bulging beneath the thick skin. The fight looked as if it had already been decided.

But… something changed.

The bear's fur started to glow, strange dark sparks crackling around its body. Its eyes, which had merely shone before, were now burning with an unnatural fire.

Then—

With a single strike, it tore the snake's body in half.

Darius didn't understand what he had just seen, but he knew one thing—the bear was no longer just a bear. Something inside it had awakened.

The front half of the snake kept moving, even though its lower body was now severed. Then, in one last desperate attack, it lunged forward and sank its fangs into the bear's neck.

A brief silence.

Then… together, the monsters fell.

The bear's body crumpled from the inside, its blackened blood pooling onto the ground, its once-burning eyes finally dimming. The snake stopped moving entirely, its jaws still locked onto the bear's flesh, as if refusing to die alone.

Darius didn't move at first. He stared at the scene before him, then muttered under his breath:

"Well… That wasn't normal."

But there was no time to dwell on it. The scent of blood would attract more creatures. He had to move—now.

Darius remained still for a moment, his body stiff from shock. Then, swiftly, he stepped out of his hiding place, his movements cautious but determined.

He approached the snake first, watching it carefully, then plunged his dagger into its head. No movement.

Taking a deep breath, he got to work.

The venom gland… It should be here…

He sliced beneath its fangs, pried open its massive jaw, and saw a swollen sac, faintly pulsing, as if still alive.

"There it is."

Carefully, he cut it out, wrapped it in cloth, then turned toward the bear. Despite its death, heat still radiated from its body, and the core of energy within its chest still pulsed.

He hesitated for a moment—then plunged his hand into the wound. The warmth of the flesh made his skin crawl, but he didn't stop. He pushed deeper until he felt something solid, burning like a piece of ember.

He pulled it out.

A black gemstone, its pulse slow but powerful.

He took it, then quickly began gathering whatever else could be useful—

The bear's heavy bones—valuable in trade.

Its thick hide—could be used to craft armor.

The snake's flesh—not the best option, but still edible.

And finally… something unexpected.

A yellow flower.

It had grown between the two corpses, its core glowing with a faint orange light, as if holding a fire within.

He looked at the monsters, then back at the flower.

"So… this is what they were fighting over."

Carefully, he plucked it, then stood up.

It was time to leave.

---

Some time later…

When Darius returned to Lutfi, he found him lying on the ground, absentmindedly tossing a rock in the air and catching it.

Lutfi glanced up when he saw Darius, then noticed the filled bag.

"Either you killed someone, or you were in the right place at the right time."

Darius didn't reply. He simply tossed the bag in front of him and sat down, exhausted.

Lutfi opened it, and the moment his eyes landed on the flower, they widened.

"…Shit, Darius. Where did you find this?"

"Two monsters were fighting over it. I… took it."

Lutfi shut the bag immediately.

"We need to leave."

Darius raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Lutfi stood up and gestured for him to do the same.

"If this plant is what I think it is… then it seems your fate is not yet decided."