Roy slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he noticed was the strange sky stretching above him, devoid of sun and stars. A sky of a dull, uniform, almost artificial color. Then, very quickly, confusion gave way to apprehension as he realized he was no longer at home.
He sat up with difficulty, leaning on his tired hands, his aching joints cracking in response to the effort. Roy was 67 years old, and each year weighed heavily on his shoulders. His graying, unkempt beard framed a weary face marked by deep wrinkles, old memories, and decades of accumulated disappointments. His blue eyes, once bright and curious, now seemed dulled by time and regret.
Roy slowly got to his feet, cautiously observing his surroundings. He was in a perfectly circular clearing, surrounded by a dense and strangely uniform forest. And he wasn't alone. All around him, dozens of people were waking up too, rising awkwardly, clearly just as disoriented as he was. Altogether, there must have been around a hundred individuals.
He tried to recall what had happened before he woke up, but his memories remained blurry. He only remembered falling asleep in his bed the night before, in his isolated house deep in the silent countryside. He had dozed off reading, just like every evening, the same novel he had been rereading for years. He used to read a lot. In his younger days, books had been his best friends. He had traveled through them before setting foot in the real world. He had seen beautiful countries, met fascinating people, lived adventures worthy of his favorite novels.
But those memories had long felt distant, like a life lived by another man. Ever since his family abandoned him—his children leaving to live their own lives far from him, and his wife gone for years—every day had become identical to the last. Time had lost all meaning, days and nights flowing one after the other without any real purpose, in a repetitive, empty, and dreary routine.
And today, that monotony had just been violently interrupted.
Roy silently observed the people around him. Young adults with panicked expressions, middle-aged men and women searching for answers, and even a few teenagers staring blankly at the horizon. No one seemed to understand what was going on, or why they were there.
Suddenly, a cry grabbed everyone's attention.
— "Where are we?! Can someone tell us what's going on?"
Roy turned his head toward the source of the voice: a man in his thirties, muscular, with a pale, anxious face. His dark eyes were wide open, frantically scanning the crowd for a familiar face, a reassuring answer. But no one replied. Everyone looked just as lost as he did.
A murmur spread uncertainly through the group. Roy noticed that a small gathering had already started to form around the man, likely drawn in by his anxious but assertive energy.
— "Hey! Calm down!" called a woman's voice from the opposite side.
A woman in her fifties, her graying hair tied in a bun, cautiously stepped forward. Her gait was steady, but her hands trembled slightly. She raised her arms to get everyone's attention.
"Listen to me! We're all lost, but if we panic, it will only make things worse. Let's try to figure out what's happening, calmly."
The muscular man stared at her for a moment, still skeptical, but visibly relieved that someone had spoken up. He nodded slowly.
— "Alright, but does anyone have any idea how we got here?" he asked, this time with less aggression.
A teenage girl with short blonde hair, sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees, timidly replied:
— "I was at home, reading a book… and then I woke up here. I don't understand..."
Several voices chimed in immediately, confirming her version of events:
— "Same here."
— "Me too. I was asleep, and suddenly I woke up in this place."
— "Same."
Roy remained silent, listening intently to the exchange. Everyone seemed to have the same story: they had all fallen asleep at home before waking up in this strange clearing.
The muscular man took a deep breath before speaking again:
— "Alright, maybe we should start by introducing ourselves. I'm David. I… well, I used to be a mechanic."
The woman with the graying bun offered a grateful smile, relieved that the atmosphere was becoming more cooperative:
— "I'm Anne. I'm a teacher."
One by one, people around them began to introduce themselves, hesitantly.
— "Marc, nurse."
— "Lisa, history student."
— "Thomas, bus driver."
Each introduction seemed to bring a bit of normality and reassurance to the group. Roy hesitated for a moment, not used to speaking to strangers. But finally, he stepped forward slightly and said in a calm but firm voice:
— "My name is Roy. I was… well, I'm retired."
Roy quietly observed the people around him as the initial panic began to fade. Everyone was doing their best to understand what had happened to them. The muscular man, David, seemed to have naturally taken on a reassuring presence, gathering a small group of anxious survivors around him.
Roy, meanwhile, remained slightly apart, accompanied by Anne, the teacher with graying hair, and Julie, the blonde teenager who had instinctively stuck close to him. He had only known these people for a few minutes, but their presence brought surprising comfort in this strange and unsettling situation.
But suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Roy's spine. He abruptly raised his head, senses alert. Something felt wrong. An unnatural silence had fallen, suffocating and oppressive, as if the forest itself had stopped breathing.
David also froze, cutting off his conversation with the others:
— "Wait… do you hear that?"
A faint rustling sound came from the woods surrounding the clearing. A subtle and unsettling movement stirred between the dark trees, and soon, the threat became horrifyingly real.
Without warning, several monstrous creatures burst from the forest, their emaciated limbs stretching forward. Their terrifying bodies, covered in sickly, torn gray skin, looked almost supernatural. But the most horrifying feature was their faces: no visible eyes, just a gaping mouth lined with jagged teeth, ready to shred their prey.
Panic gripped the group instantly.
— "Run!" screamed David, unable to contain his fear, forgetting his role as a leader in an instant.
People scattered in every direction, screaming, pushing each other, desperately trying to escape the creatures already charging at them with terrifying speed.
Roy immediately grabbed Julie's arm—she was frozen in fear:
— "Julie, come with me! We have to go now!"
Anne had also moved closer, her pale face reflecting her terror, but she quickly nodded, ready to follow. David, lost in the chaos, stumbled toward them, desperately trying to avoid the monsters that were already viciously tearing apart those who hadn't managed to escape in time.
Roy quickly led their small group away from the epicenter of the clearing, toward the opposite edge from where the creatures had emerged. Behind them, screams echoed horrifically, mixed with the growls of the beasts. Roy's heart pounded furiously against his ribs, but his mind remained strangely clear. He knew they had to use the chaos to slip away—without looking back.
— "Don't look behind you, just keep running!" Roy shouted, in a voice he hardly recognized as his own.
They plunged into the dark woods. Branches clawed at their faces, clothes tore against the dense vegetation, but they kept running, driven by a primal fear that overpowered everything else.
Behind them, the cries of agony gradually faded, replaced by a sinister silence. Roy threw a quick glance over his shoulder—just long enough to catch a glimpse of the nightmarish creatures crouched over the lifeless bodies of the other survivors. He quickly looked away, his heart heavy with sorrow and guilt.
After what felt like an eternity of blind running, the small group finally slowed, panting and trembling. Roy was the first to stop, placing a hand on the trunk of a tree to steady himself. Julie collapsed to the ground immediately, gasping and sobbing. Anne leaned over to comfort her softly.
David, shaking from fear and exhaustion, leaned against a nearby tree, wracked by uncontrollable spasms:
— "Oh God… What just happened...? Are they all dead…?"
Roy clenched his jaw, unable to find the right words to respond to such horror.
— "There was nothing we could've done," he finally murmured, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"They were too fast… too strong."
Anne lifted her head toward Roy, tears in her eyes:
— "What do we do now? They could still find us, right?"
— "They seemed occupied... attacking the ones who stayed behind. They didn't chase us right away—that's a good sign. For now, let's keep moving, slowly and quietly. We need to find a safe place to hide."
Julie, still on the ground, slowly looked up at Roy:
— "But where could we go? We don't even know where we are..."
Roy nodded slowly, fully aware of how dire their situation was. He knew that surviving in this hostile environment would depend entirely on their ability to stay united and cautious.
— "For now, we put as much distance as we can between us and that clearing. Once we find shelter, we'll figure out what's next."
David stood up with difficulty, visibly trying to regain some composure:
— "Roy's right. We need to keep moving—at least for now."
Anne slowly stood as well, helping Julie to her feet. The small group resumed walking, putting more and more distance between themselves and the scene of horror they had just escaped.
Roy moved slowly through the trees, his heart racing. He held Julie's hand tightly; she trembled slightly with every step. Anne and David walked just behind them, their anxious eyes scanning the forest's silent shadows. No one had spoken in several minutes—each lost in thought, haunted by the massacre they had narrowly escaped.
Suddenly, Roy stopped, holding out his arm to halt the others. Ahead of them, a tree bore a strange mark: a series of clean scratches on the bark, clearly made on purpose. Roy's heart began to race faster. Someone had been here before.
David approached slowly, his voice barely audible:
— "What is that? An animal?"
Roy shook his head gently:
— "No, these marks are too regular to be from an animal... This was done by a person."
Anne looked around nervously, instinctively pulling Julie closer to her.
— "If it's human... that means we're not alone. But... is that a good thing?"
Roy didn't have time to answer. A faint crack echoed behind them—barely audible, but perfectly distinct in the dead silence. The group froze instantly, muscles tensing with fear.
Roy slowly turned, peering into the shadows. Nothing. Only still trees and that same suffocating atmosphere.
He whispered quietly:
— "Stay very still..."
Julie clung to Anne, terrified, when suddenly, another soft crack came from the darkness.
Then Roy stopped dead, raising his hand in a signal for silence. Something in the air had shifted. He instinctively sensed a presence, somewhere nearby. He slowly turned his head, raising his eyes toward the thick branches above.
Up there, a silhouette stood out discreetly against the dark bark of a tree. A man, crouched comfortably on a high branch, holding a metal spear firmly in his right hand, resting it on his shoulder. He watched them silently, his cold, methodical eyes examining them one by one with a mix of cautious curiosity and deep suspicion.
Roy, chilled by the sight, whispered:
— "Look up..."
David, Anne, and Julie immediately looked up toward the figure perched in the trees, frozen with surprise and fear. Julie whispered, trembling:
— "Is... is that a human?"
David replied softly, eyes fixed on the stranger:
— "Looks like it..."
Meanwhile, Aaron was carefully studying the small group that had just arrived.His face was marked by thirty days of isolation, his body lean but powerful—a clear sign of the constant trials he had endured. His left arm was severed above the elbow, a permanent reminder of the deadly danger he faced daily.
In his mind, a calm but ruthless inner voice spoke softly:
"They're weak. You could easily avoid them, let them die on their own. Or guide them—just enough so they don't become a threat to your survival. Be careful, Aaron."
Aaron tilted his head slightly, as if listening to that voice. It had started speaking to him a few days ago. It had stopped him from going insane from the loneliness.
Roy slowly raised his hand in a gesture of peace, his voice as calm and respectful as possible:
— "We mean no harm. We just arrived... We're completely lost..."
Aaron remained silent for a few more seconds, then finally, his voice rang out—calm, detached, but clear—from high up in the tree:
— "I know. I heard the massacre. You're the first to survive since I got here."
Anne reacted immediately, intrigued:
— "Since you got here...? Have you been here long?"
Aaron tilted his head slightly, clearly hesitant to reveal too much. But the voice returned, cold and pragmatic:
"You can speak to them. They know nothing. If you want to avoid them becoming a burden, tell them exactly what they need—nothing more."
Aaron finally responded, still perched above them:
— "Thirty days. Thirty days alone. Thirty days of constant fighting."
Roy immediately felt a strange mix of admiration and compassion. He watched how the man held his spear with firm confidence, despite his missing arm—complete control and composure. A question burned on his lips:
— "How did you survive alone for so long?"
Aaron slightly tilted his head, replying with chilling precision:
— "By making the right decisions."
Julie looked up at him timidly, hesitant but curious:
— "Could you... maybe help us?"
Aaron stared at Julie for a long moment, almost surprised by the innocent request. Then the voice returned, calm and analytical:
"They won't survive on their own for long. But if you help them, they can draw the creatures away from you. They might be useful."
Aaron seemed to consider the advice, then slowly nodded:
— "I can give you some advice. But not here. This place isn't safe."
He leapt gracefully to another branch, despite his missing arm, with impressive ease.Roy felt involuntary admiration for such agility and composure. David, meanwhile, leaned toward Roy and whispered anxiously:
— "Can we really trust him?"
Roy responded cautiously, but honestly:
— "I don't know. But do we have a choice?"
Aaron, now several meters ahead of them, still in the trees, signaled them with a simple nod of the head:
— "This way. Stay very quiet."
They followed him slowly, moving through the forest. Aaron moved with fluidity and precision—every gesture controlled, every step calculated. Roy observed his strange silhouette, wondering what kind of profession could have led him to become so eerily efficient.
Eventually, they reached a massive tree with wide, sturdy branches. Aaron stopped there, pointing his spear toward a small hidden shelter at the base of the trunk, camouflaged with carefully arranged leaves.
A small cabin made of broken branches and foliage. Barely large enough to hold the four of them.
— "You can spend the night here."
David examined the shelter cautiously before asking:
— "And you? Where do you sleep?"
Aaron simply pointed to the upper branches, replying calmly:
— "Up there."
Roy nodded in gratitude, then asked with slight hesitation:
— "So you agree to help us?"
Aaron remained silent for a moment, seemingly listening once more to the cold and lucid voice within:
"Help them just enough so they don't become a problem for you. But don't get attached. They'll die soon. Use them while they're still here."
Finally, Aaron answered with a neutral tone:
— "I'll guide you a little. I'll teach you how to avoid stupid mistakes. But don't count on me too much. Here, everyone survives on their own."
Anne nodded softly:
— "That's already more than enough. Thank you."
Aaron seemed uncomfortable with such sincere gratitude, no longer used to human interaction. He stepped back and quickly climbed back into the tree with a swift, silent motion.
Roy looked up at him one last time before he disappeared into the canopy:
— "By the way, what's your name?"
Aaron paused briefly, hesitating, then replied simply:
— "Aaron."
Then he vanished into the thick branches, leaving behind a haunting silence.
Roy, Anne, David, and Julie exchanged a long, silent look, fully aware that this encounter would deeply affect their chances of survival in this place.
Silence settled around the small shelter. Roy stepped in first, cautiously examining the interior of the makeshift hut built from branches and thick leaves. It was simple, precarious, but sturdy enough to offer some temporary protection.
Julie settled into a corner, her knees pulled tightly against her chest, her gaze lost in the void. Anne sat beside her, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. David stood for a moment near the entrance, eyes fixed on the branches above them—where Aaron had disappeared without a sound.
Roy took a deep breath before turning to the others:
— "Try to get some rest. He's right—we need calm if we want to think clearly about what comes next."
David hesitated, still watching the tree with suspicion:
— "That man, Aaron... do you really think we can trust him? He seems to know exactly what he's doing. That could be dangerous."
Roy frowned slightly, thinking over David's words before answering calmly:
— "I don't believe he's a direct threat to us. He could've attacked us easily, but he didn't. He must have his reasons for keeping his distance. Maybe thirty days alone in this place… changes a man deeply."
Julie timidly raised her head, her voice trembling with concern:
— "He seemed… so cold. Like he didn't feel anything anymore. Do you think that will happen to us too?"
Anne gently squeezed the girl's shoulder, answering in a reassuring voice:
— "No, Julie. As long as we stay together, support one another, that won't happen to us. We're not alone like he was."
Meanwhile, perched on a thick branch about ten meters above them, Aaron was watching the small group with a distant, analytical gaze, devoid of visible emotion. Within him, the cold voice—born from long days of isolation and survival—whispered one last time before he drifted into light sleep:
"The old man won't last long. He's wise, but his body is weak—an easy target. The other man is too suspicious. If he refuses to cooperate, he'll quickly become a problem; you may have to get rid of him first. The blonde girl... she has no chance. She probably won't last even as long as the old man. As for the woman, she seems the most mentally stable. She'll last longer than the others... but likely not enough. A weak group."
Aaron slowly turned his eyes away from their makeshift shelter, reflecting on this ruthless assessment. He knew better than anyone how dangerous this world was.Here, survival required more than physical strength or combat skills.It demanded cold clarity and an almost complete absence of emotion.
A luxury he doubted these newcomers could afford.
But who knows... maybe one of them would surprise him.
Below, in the improvised shelter, Roy watched as David and Anne spoke quietly, trying to piece together small plans for the hours ahead. He felt the heavy responsibility of protecting this group—he, who hadn't cared for another living soul in so many years. He didn't know if he'd be able to face what awaited them here.
His gaze rose to the branches above, to where Aaron had vanished. He now understood they were largely dependent on this strange solitary survivor—this broken but incredibly capable man.
— "Tomorrow, we need to learn as much as we can from Aaron. I doubt he'll tolerate our presence for long. We must be cautious, watch him carefully, and listen to every piece of advice he gives. That might be our only chance."
Anne nodded slowly, fully grasping the weight of Roy's words. David, less convinced, replied with caution:
— "I'll follow your lead. But let's not forget—we know nothing about him. He's survived thirty days here with no human contact. We have no idea what's going on in his head. If he decides we've become a liability..."
Roy raised his hand gently to cut him off:
— "Let's not think about that right now. Let's just try to get some sleep."
He then turned to Julie, who had curled up into a ball in a corner of the shelter. He walked over slowly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder:
— "Try to get some rest, Julie. Tomorrow will be hard. But as long as we stick together, we still have a chance."
Julie nodded softly, her eyes slowly giving in to exhaustion.
Roy stood back up, casting one last glance toward the silent forest—toward the spot where Aaron was perched, invisible but watchful. He felt a sudden admiration for this strange man, who had survived alone for so long.
Then he lay down as well, staring at the ceiling of branches and leaves above them, trying in vain to push the bloody memories of the clearing from his mind.He knew this night would likely be the first of many trials ahead.
But deep inside him, one thought slowly emerged—a small, stubborn comfort:They were still alive. They had survived.And tomorrow, maybe… they'd learn to survive a little longer.
Up in the branches above, Aaron remained motionless, listening to the steady breathing of the survivors below.In his mind, the cold voice whispered one last time before he too slipped into light sleep:
"Don't make mistakes. Stay strong. Your survival depends only on you. But watch them closely. They may still be useful."