Ch1.The Hunted

The Hunted

The forest closed in around her, gnarled trees twisting like claws under the pale moonlight. Artemia’s breath came in ragged gasps, her chest burning as she forced her legs to keep moving. Branches tore at her clothes, roots threatened to trip her at every step—but she didn’t dare slow down.

Behind her, something followed.

Low. Heavy. Hungry.

She had laughed at the stories once. Rolled her eyes at the old women whispering by the fire, spinning tales meant to scare children.

She wasn’t laughing now.

Whatever that thing is… it’s dangerous.

A bitter thought followed, sharp even through her fear.

And probably ugly as hell, too.

A branch snagged her sleeve, jerking her backward. She ripped free with a curse and stumbled forward again, barely catching herself.

This was insane.

Every decision she’d made, every stubborn refusal to listen, now felt like part of some cruel joke.

And she was the punchline.

“This is all your fault,” she muttered under her breath, though she wasn’t sure if she meant herself—or the thing chasing her.

“You’re not even supposed to be real!”

The creature answered with a deep, guttural snarl.

Closer now.

Too close.

Its footsteps thundered behind her, claws cracking against wood, splintering branches like they were nothing. The sound echoed through the forest, relentless, making sure her adrenaline never had the chance to fade.

A howl tore through the night.

It froze her blood.

Yeah, she thought grimly, I bet you’re even worse up close.

If she survived this, she swore she would never come back here again. Never set foot near these woods. Never go anywhere near that cursed castle.

She’d even apologize to the elderly in the village that warned her.

If she survived.

Branches lashed at her face as she pushed deeper into the forest, lungs screaming for air. The darkness pressed in from all sides, thick and suffocating. The only constant was the sound behind her—

Relentless.

Ravenous.

In the distance, the silhouette of Felonia Castle rose above the trees, dark and ancient against the night sky. A silent witness to whatever horrors lived in these woods.

How did it come to this?

The memory hit her in flashes—

Sunlight filtering through leaves.

The quiet rustle of the forest in the afternoon.

A simple day. A normal day.

She had gone out to gather herbs and mushrooms, trying to ignore the weight of her loneliness. Trying to fill the silence with something—anything.

But the villagers’ whispers had followed her.

Stories of strange sounds.

Of shadows moving where nothing should move.

Of something living deep in the forest.

She should have turned back.

Instead, she had kept going.

Curiosity pulled her forward, stronger than common sense. Stronger than fear.

The deeper she went, the heavier the air became, thick and suffocating, like the forest itself was warning her to leave.

Then she heard it.

A growl.

Low. Distant.

Wrong.

That should have been enough.

It wasn’t.

Because she had thought—foolishly—that nothing could be worse than being alone.

Now she knew better.

I was so wrong.

A breathless, almost hysterical laugh bubbled up in her chest as she ran.

Of course this is happening, she thought. Of course my life turns into a nightmare the moment I try to do something different.

Every bad choice. Every wrong turn.

All of it led here.

“The universe really hates me,” she muttered.

Her only chance now was the village.

People meant safety. Light. Noise.

Monsters didn’t go where people gathered.

At least… she hoped they didn’t.

Please let that be true.

She pushed herself harder, ignoring the burning in her legs, the sharp ache in her chest.

If I survive this, she swore, I’m leaving. I’m done with this place. No more curiosity. No more stupid risks. Just a quiet life somewhere far, far away.

The beast roared behind her.

Closer.

Always closer.

Run.

Her thoughts broke apart.

Run run run run—RUN!

Her foot caught on something—

She fell.

Hard.

Pain exploded through her body as she slammed into the ground, rocks biting into her skin. The air was knocked from her lungs in a sharp, choking gasp.

“Fuck—!”

She tried to move.

A sharp, searing pain shot through her ankle.

Twisted.

Useless.

She couldn’t run.

The forest went silent.

No footsteps.

No growl.

Nothing.

Her breath trembled as she lay there, frozen, afraid to even lift her head.

Why is it quiet?

A cold realization crept in.

I’m still alive…

Then it came again.

The creaking of branches.

Arthemia’s breath caught.

There was something moving through the trees.

It’s coming.

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

This is it.

She had always imagined death would feel different.

Perhaps there would be some great realization. Some final thought worth remembering. Maybe her life would flash before her eyes, all the little moments she had once believed mattered.

Instead, there was only the cold.

And the sound of something slowly making its way toward her.

It had been one damn life.

One miserable, exhausting life.

She supposed she couldn’t complain about the ending.

All she could hope for was that it wouldn’t hurt.

Arthemia squeezed her eyes shut.

“Just do it,” she whispered.

Her voice trembled.

“Please.”

The branches creaked again.

Closer.

She held her breath.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Nothing happened.

Arthemia waited.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Still nothing.

Slowly, she opened one eye.

Then the other.

The forest stood exactly as it had before.

Dark trees.

Twisted branches.

A thin layer of mist crawling over the ground.

Nothing else.

No monster.

No movement.

No death.

Arthemia stared.

“...What?”

She looked around.

Perhaps she had imagined it.

That had to be it.

She had been walking for hours. She was exhausted, freezing, and terrified. Her mind was probably finally giving up on her.

Wonderful.

First the strange noises.

Then the monster.

Soon she’d probably start seeing dead people too.

She almost laughed.

Almost.

Instead, she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

Her knees nearly gave out.

“I’m losing my mind.”

The words sounded ridiculous when spoken aloud.

She rubbed her face and took a shaky breath.

“I’m actually losing my mind.”

Of course.

That made much more sense than a monster stalking her through the forest.

She had finally gone mad.

Perhaps she should be grateful.

At least hallucinations couldn’t actually kill her.

...Probably.

Arthemia looked toward the trees again.

Something was wrong.

She frowned.

One of the branches was moving.

Slowly.

Back and forth.

But there was no wind.

Her stomach tightened.

“Okay.”

She swallowed.

“Maybe hallucinations can kill me.”

A sound came from somewhere behind her.

A footstep.

Arthemia froze.

Another.

She didn’t turn around.

She couldn’t.

It’s not real.

Another step.

It’s not real.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

I’m imagining this.

A man’s voice spoke from behind her.

“Are you planning on standing there all night?”

Arthemia’s eyes flew open.

She turned so quickly that she nearly fell.

A man stood several feet away.

Tall.

Dark-haired.

Dressed in black.

He looked completely out of place in the forest, almost as though the darkness had simply decided to take human form.

Arthemia stared at him.

He stared back.

Neither spoke.

Then Arthemia whispered,

“I’m hallucinating you.”

The man’s eyebrow lifted.

“That’s unfortunate.”

She blinked.

He looked completely serious.

“You’re not real.”

“That’s rather insulting.”

“You’re not real,” she repeated, more firmly this time.

The stranger glanced down at himself.

He inspected one of his hands, turning it over as though checking whether it was still there.

“Hm.”

He looked back at her.

“I seem real enough.”

Arthemia took a step backward.

“This isn’t happening.”

“I’m beginning to feel the same way.”

“What?”

“I’ve been searching this forest for three hours.”

His eyes wandered past her.

“Apparently I’ve been searching in the wrong direction.”

Arthemia stared at him.

There was something deeply unsettling about how calm he was.

He wasn’t afraid.

He wasn’t confused.

He wasn’t even particularly interested in her.

He looked annoyed.

As though she had interrupted him while he was doing something important.

Then—

A growl rolled through the trees.

Low.

Deep.

Close.

Arthemia’s blood turned cold.

The stranger finally looked past her.

His expression changed.

Not fear.

Recognition.

“Oh.”

He sighed.

“There you are.”

Arthemia slowly turned her head.

Something moved between the trees.

Too large.

Too tall.

Too wrong.

Her mind refused to understand what her eyes were seeing.

The creature stepped into the moonlight.

Its body twisted beneath its skin as though something inside it was trying to escape. Long limbs dragged against the ground, and its mouth opened far wider than anything human—or animal—should have been capable of.

Arthemia couldn’t breathe.

This is real.

The thought struck her with terrifying clarity.

This is real.

She stumbled backward.

The stranger, meanwhile, simply looked at the creature.

Then at the blade hanging at his side.

Then back at the creature.

“You’ve been causing quite a lot of trouble.”

The monster snarled.

He sighed.

“Don’t take it personally. I was already in a bad mood.”