Pain.
That was the first thing Raiyo Kureha felt. Not confusion. Not fear. Just pain.
A sharp, agonizing migraine ripped through his skull, pulsing like a drum made of bone and fire. His eyes fluttered open only to be greeted by a sky he did not recognize—neither blue, nor gray, but a suffocating blend of crimson and ash, veined with black clouds that twisted like serpents across the heavens.
His body lay sprawled on a massive tree branch, wide enough to support a car, and covered in bark that pulsed faintly—like it was breathing.
He tried to sit up, but the nausea hit him so hard it felt like the world flipped sideways. Vomit surged up his throat, but he swallowed it back, choking on bitterness and bile. His fingers clawed into the bark as the headache worsened, pounding with the rhythm of a war drum.
Then came the sounds.
First, distant—like echoes.
Then closer.
Then too close.
Howls.
Screams.
Growls.
Flesh being torn apart.
Bones shattering.
Voices crying out for mercy—and being silenced mid-sentence.
Raiyo's blood turned to ice.
He looked down through the twisted, dark foliage and saw hell.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of creatures hunted across the forest floor. Humanoids. Beasts. Things with claws and horns and eyes that glowed like cinders. It wasn't just killing. It was carnage.
A two-headed wolf, each snout snarling with hunger, tore through a group of people in seconds. It stood nearly 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder—each of its jaws biting a man in half as if they were made of paper.
An enormous bear-like creature slammed its paw down in a sweeping arc, and the heads of five screaming humans exploded like overripe fruit. Blood sprayed across the trees. Some of it even splashed upward—on him.
Raiyo's breath hitched.
A goblin-like thing leapt out from behind a twisted bush and dragged a woman away by her leg. She kicked and screamed, but her cries ended with a sickening crunch as its teeth sank into her throat.
It was a massacre.
No—a slaughterhouse.
And he was right above it.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to believe this was a dream.
But dreams didn't smell like this. They didn't reek of blood, of rotting flesh, of fear so strong it made your knees buckle.
Then somethingsnapped.
A sudden rustle.
A gust of air.
And then—
CRACK!
Pain burst through his arm as Raiyo was struck by something hard and fast. His body flipped in the air like a broken doll, and for one terrifying second, he saw the thing that hit him:
A monkey ?
No—a demon in the shape of a monkey. Its arms were too long, its face too human, and its eyes gleamed with something far worse than hunger—intelligence. It had enjoyed breaking his arm.
He screamed.
His body plummeted.
He crashed through branches, leaves, and vines before slamming onto the ground from nearly twenty meters up. His vision blacked out for a heartbeat.
Then came the silence.
But it didn't last.
Because when he opened his eyes again, they were all looking at him.
The demons. The beasts. The hybrids.
The monsters.
The massacre had ended. Every human was dead. Except for him.
Hundreds of creatures stood in a loose circle around him, silent now, like predators waiting for the right moment. Then, slowly, the snarls started again. But this time, they weren't directed at him.
They were directed at each other.
And then chaos returned.
They attacked each other, viciously, desperately, tearing at one another like wild dogs.
To reduce the competition.
A dozen of them broke away and charged straight at him.
Raiyo didn't have time to think.
His legs moved on their own.
His body was screaming.
His broken arm hung limp at his side, useless.
But he ran.
He didn't know where. He didn't know how.
All he knew was one thing—one thought, repeated again and again inside his skull like a curse:
"If I pass out, I'll never wake up again."
"If I pass out, I'll never wake up again."
"If I pass out—"
The forest was a nightmare maze, each tree twisted and unnatural, every path a trap. The creatures roared behind him, tearing through brush and branches.
His lungs burned.
His vision blurred.
His heart beat so fast it felt like it might explode.
But somehow—somehow—he ran faster.
And faster.
And faster.
He shattered every record he'd ever set at the gym. His body screamed for rest, for mercy, but his will didn't bend. Couldn't bend.
Because behind him was death.
One hour.
Two.
Four.
At six hours, Raiyo could no longer feel his legs. His feet bled. His throat was raw. His mind was gone.
Only instinct remained.
Only fear.
Only will.
The demons had long vanished behind him. Maybe they'd given up. Maybe they'd turned on each other again. Maybe they were still coming.
He didn't care.
He didn't dare look back.
And then—
A light.
Soft. Gentle. Pure.
The ground gave way beneath his feet, and he fell—one last time.
Splash.
He sank into water so clear, so pristine, it didn't belong in this world. Not here. Not in this cursed forest.
It was cold—but not cruel. It welcomed him.
His body floated.
His eyes closed.
For the first time since he had awakened, Raiyo felt peace.
Then, the darkness took him.
To be continued…