The Crazy Beast still remained firmly in the same spot, its erratic movements and nonsensical babbling continuing unabated, like a chaotic dance of madness.
Due to the considerable distance between the creature and Aziel's concealed hiding place, he felt a flicker of hope that the Crazy Beast couldn't hear his whispered questions, muffled by the surrounding chaos.
This sense of security emboldened him, allowing him to gather his thoughts and formulate his questions.
Therefore, Aziel mustered his courage and decided to ask Blackie more probing questions about the Abyss. "Where did the Abyss come from? Why did it suddenly appear?"
"No one knows for sure," Blackie replied, its synthesized voice calm and devoid of emotion. "The earth simply split open, randomly, and this chasm appeared. Like a gaping wound on the surface of the world."
"A wound?" Aziel mused, the image settling uncomfortably in his mind.
He pictured the Abyss as a deep, dark gash, a festering sore on the planet's skin, perhaps never to heal.
"Yes, a wound," Blackie affirmed. "Some say it's a harbinger of the apocalypse. Others claim it's divine punishment, wrath from the gods themselves. And of course, there's no shortage of wild theories. But one thing's for sure—the Abyss is pure danger. Crazy Beasts crawl out of its depths, and who knows what other nightmares are lurking down there?"
It continued, in its calm informational tone, "The Abyss comes in all sizes. Some are small, no bigger than a deep well. Others? Massive — stretching for kilometers. Now, imagine one of those opening up right in the middle of a city. The panic, the destruction… it'd be absolute chaos."
Aziel nodded slowly, letting Blackie's sudden lecture sink in.
The chilling implications weighed on him.
He pictured the unthinkable — a city swallowed whole by a gaping Abyss — its people vanishing into the void, the ensuing chaos a waking nightmare.
The sheer scale of destruction, the countless lives lost, and the devastation left in its wake painted a grim picture that only deepened his unease.
"So, all these Crazy Beasts come from those holes?"
"Yes, from the Abyss," Blackie confirmed. "They emerge unpredictably, sometimes in large numbers and sometimes none at all. No one knows how many there are or when they will stop coming out."
While Blackie spoke, Aziel couldn't take his eyes off the Crazy Beast.
The creature continued to wail, "Papa!! Don't leave me all alone!"
Suddenly, the roar shifted into a heartbreaking cry. Tears began to flow from the creature's eyes, wetting its hideous cheeks.
Although the cry sounded pitiful, Aziel felt not an ounce of pity. It only added to his fear.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the creature's pitiful wails twisted into a ferocious roar, its entire demeanor shifting from despair to unrestrained fury.
The Crazy Beast went berserk, its colossal arms thrashing wildly, reducing the surrounding trees to splinters with each bone-jarring strike.
The sharp cracks of shattering wood and the thunderous crash of falling trees ripped through the forest's silence.
The creature didn't discriminate — towering oaks, fragile saplings, anything in its path was obliterated with terrifying ferocity.
The very air crackled with raw, chaotic energy radiating from it as it rampaged through the forest, leaving behind a trail of devastation — splintered trunks, uprooted earth, and utter ruin.
Its strength was beyond comprehension.
Aziel swallowed again. He wasn't even sure what would happen if that creature punched him.
He would undoubtedly be crushed to pieces.
Suddenly, the Crazy Beast stopped its rampage.
It stood still, its head tilting back to the sky, sniffing the air as if trying to catch some scent. Then, it began to move.
Its direction... was toward here?
Aziel's heart raced even faster.
The Crazy Beast walked with large, swift strides, the bushes and branches cracking under its feet.
It was getting closer, closer.
Aziel held his breath. He sat still in the hole beneath the big tree, trying his best not to move or make any noise. The dust and forest soil pressed heavily in his nose, but he didn't care.
The sound of the Crazy Beast's footsteps grew louder, filling Aziel's ears. He could feel the ground vibrating beneath him. The creature was very close.
Then, the sound stopped right outside the tree where Aziel was hiding.
Aziel froze.
He could sense the presence of that large creature just behind the trunk of the tree, only inches from his body.
He dared not breathe, dared not move.
He hoped the Crazy Beast couldn't smell him and would just go play far away.
The moments passed like eternity.
Aziel tried to slow his heartbeat, trying to calm his breath. He focused on his hearing, trying to catch any small sound.
Though the Crazy Beast had stopped its rambling, Aziel could still hear its heavy breathing, a ragged, rasping sound that filled the air, and the sound of its massive feet crunching the dry leaves scattered around the giant tree.
After what felt like an eternity, punctuated only by the frantic beats of his own heart, Aziel heard movement again.
This time, a subtle shift in the soundscape; the heavy breathing lessened, the crunching of leaves receded, replaced by a quieter, more deliberate series of steps.
It was moving away from the tree.
Slowly, the footsteps and heavy breathing faded, growing more distant until only the wind rustling through the canopy remained—a fragile counterpoint to the lingering silence.
Aziel stayed frozen, every muscle coiled tight, waiting. He held his breath, listening. Stillness stretched around him, broken only by the ragged whisper of his own breathing.
But he refused to move. Not yet.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. He strained his ears, searching for the faintest sound of movement.
Silence.
Only the wind, gentle and unbothered. Distant birdsong. Nothing else.
Slowly, Aziel began to peek out from the gaps of the tree roots. He was cautious, watching his surroundings.
There were no signs of the Crazy Beast. The forest before him looked calm, as if nothing had happened.
Carefully, Aziel started to crawl out from his hiding spot.
One step, two steps.
He fully emerged from the hole, standing tall in front of the large tree that had concealed him. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Safe. I was safe.
But just as he was about to step away, his eyes caught something behind the big tree.
Something... that shouldn't have been there.
Slowly, Aziel turned his head back.
His heart raced again.
Behind the big tree, and right behind him, stood the Crazy Beast.
It was looking at him, its bulging, tearful eyes staring at him with a smile that was... absolutely terrifying.
The smile was clearly insincere, more like a mocking grin that sent chills down Aziel's spine.
"Finally found you, Papa..." the Crazy Beast said with a strange, hoarse voice, its grin growing wider.