The Devourer’s Instinct

The forest had never been so silent.

Where once the calls of birds and rustling of small creatures filled the air, now there was only an oppressive stillness. Even the wind dared not move through the trees, as if the very land itself feared what had awakened.

The Devourer moved through the shadows, its massive form blending unnaturally well with the darkness. Its steps were calculated, no longer the mindless stumbling of a beast acting on instinct alone. Something within it had shifted—a growing awareness, a fragment of memory resurfacing from the void.

It did not know what it was.

But it knew what it must do.

It must feed. It must grow.

And it must reclaim what was lost.

---

The Village's Fear

"The earth cracked open?" Elder Garon's voice was a mixture of disbelief and concern. The old man, draped in a thick fur cloak, leaned forward, his weathered hands gripping the wooden table before him. "And you say something… came out?"

Kara nodded stiffly, her face pale. "Not just something… a monster. Unlike anything we've ever seen. It killed Rellen, Hark, and the others in seconds. It—" She swallowed hard. "It let me live."

The gathered warriors of the village exchanged uneasy glances. It was one thing to hear of a beast rampaging through the wilderness, but a creature that chose not to kill? That was unnatural.

"We have to send word to the capital," someone murmured.

"The capital won't care," another scoffed. "They only send hunters for monsters with a bounty. If this thing stays in the wild, they'll ignore it."

"Then we kill it ourselves," a burly man declared, gripping his axe. "We are warriors, not cowards."

Kara shook her head violently. "You don't understand. This isn't some rogue beast or stray nightcrawler. It… it felt wrong. Like something from the old legends. Something ancient."

Elder Garon's face darkened. He had lived through enough winters to know that fear had a taste—and Kara's fear was real.

Still, the village could not afford to panic.

"Double the watch," he ordered. "No one ventures beyond the outskirts without a group. If this monster shows itself again, we fight."

It was a decision that would cost them dearly.

---

The First Hunt

The scent of fear was thick in the air.

The Devourer prowled along the edge of the human settlement, its crimson eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. It had followed the survivor—curious as to why it had spared her, intrigued by the strange flickers of memory her presence had triggered.

But now, its hunger overpowered all else.

It would feed.

With unnatural silence, it slipped past the outermost watchmen, weaving through the shadows of wooden structures. It could hear the slow, steady breathing of the humans inside, their warmth calling to it.

Too weak. Not worth it.

No, it needed stronger prey.

Then, movement.

A group of warriors, four of them, patrolling near the village center. Armed, alert. They would do.

The Devourer struck like a phantom, bursting from the darkness with terrifying speed. Clawed limbs slammed into the nearest warrior, ripping through his chest before he could scream.

The others reacted quickly, blades flashing in the moonlight. A spear jabbed forward, piercing the creature's side, but it barely flinched. With a vicious snarl, it lashed out, its massive tail sweeping through the air and sending two of them flying.

The last warrior tried to run.

The Devourer lunged, its jaws clamping down over the man's head. A sickening crunch echoed through the night.

Then silence.

Blood pooled across the dirt as the creature stood amidst the carnage, feeling the rush of stolen life surging through its veins.

But something was different this time.

A warmth spread through its body, tingling beneath its obsidian scales. It felt… stronger. Faster. Its wounds, though shallow, were already closing.

It had taken more than just flesh.

It had absorbed something.

And it craved more.

---

A Memory Resurfaces

As the Devourer consumed its prey, flashes of imagery burned through its mind—visions that were not its own.

A battlefield, drenched in blood. Armored figures clashing, their weapons crackling with unnatural energy. A monstrous entity towering above them, its form shifting and writhing like liquid shadow.

You… are the end.

The voice echoed from the past, distant yet terrifyingly clear.

Then, a flash of blinding light.

Agony.

The memories shattered, and the Devourer staggered, a deep growl rumbling from its throat.

It did not understand.

It was more than just a beast. More than just hunger.

But what was it?

It did not know.

Yet, one thing was clear.

It was only beginning to remember.

And soon, the world would remember as well.