Amon moved forward with calm, cautious steps. It has been hours now since he was walking.

The dark forest stretched endlessly ahead of him, the twisted black trees forming a suffocating corridor that swallowed sound and light alike.

His breathing was slow and controlled, every sense sharpened. In his right hand, his sword remained steady, angled slightly downward but ready to rise at a moment's notice.

He wasn't rushing.

After everything he had faced, he knew one thing: there were not too many strong monsters in this forest or at least in the area he was currently in.

But that might make him too lenient and lead to a fatal mistake. One small error, and he could die.

Crunch.

A faint sound echoed somewhere to his right. Amon stopped instantly.

His body froze, muscles tensing as his eyes narrowed. The sound had been subtle, too light to be a monster charging blindly, too deliberate to be the forest settling.

He felt like there was someone there. He didn't know how. But his senses had sharpened while roaming this silent forest. Even the smallest disturbance made him cautious.

"…Someone's there," he muttered silently.

His gaze shifted slowly to the side. He could feel it now, a presence. Not hostile yet, but close. Very close to him.

Amon turned his head to the left. His heart beat once. Hard.

Without wasting time, he quietly channeled mana into his sword.

Shadows gathered around his feet, wrapping tightly around his boots and ankles, swallowing all sound. It suppressed any noise that might be made by his steps.

His movements became soundless.

Amon began to move again, this time far more carefully. He stepped behind a thick tree trunk, pressing his back against the rough bark. Slowly, he peeked around it. But there's nothing.

He moved to the next tree. He hid behind it and looked farther ahead.

Then another tree.

Each step was calculated, each breath controlled. His shadow slid with him, blending perfectly into the darkness. Even the forest seemed unaware of his presence now.

As he advanced, the feeling grew stronger. They were ahead. After a few moments, Amon stopped again. His eyes narrowed. There was something… not one, but two figures ahead of him.

And then.

He saw them more clearly.

Two figures stood ahead, balanced effortlessly on the thick branch of a massive tree. Their silhouettes were tall and lean, their posture relaxed, too relaxed for humans traveling through such a dangerous place.

They were facing away from him. He could only see their backs. They were wearing black cloaks.

Amon's eyes lit up instantly.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

'People…?'

Excitement surged through him like electricity. His heart beat louder.

After days of isolation, monsters, and shadows that screamed without bodies, the sight of humanoid figures ignited hope in his chest.

How long had it been since he met another human? Weeks. Living alone. Traveling alone. No one to talk to. So much so that he had started talking to himself like a madman.

'Humans? Soldiers? Adventurers?'

Before his caution could fully rein in his instincts, Amon dashed forward.

He didn't care who they were. What mattered was that he had found someone.

His body moved fast and silently, shadows propelling him as he closed the distance in a heartbeat. His sword remained in his hand, but his grip loosened slightly. His body filled with anticipation.

What should he say to them? How should he tell them how he came here?

All these thoughts ran through his mind.

He was just about to call out to them, yell at them.

Just then, something caught his eyes.

A detail that he had missed before. A single, horrifying detail. Something that sent chills down his spine.

His body reacted before his mind fully processed it. Amon stopped dead. His breath hitched.

He instantly pulled back, pressing himself tightly against the tree trunk, hiding his presence completely.

He covered his mouth with his hand. Dread crawled up his spine.

The realization came to him the moment he saw the horn.

In this world, there were only two beings widely known for having human-like features but horns on their heads.

First dragons. But they were so rare and hardly roamed in human form. They didn't take human form most of the time.

'…No.'

And the other.

They were the most common. Widely known throughout the world. Not for being mythical like dragons, but for being notorious.

Demons.

The figures on the branch were still turned away from him.

But he had seen it.

From the angle of the torchless gloom, the faint light filtering through the grey canopy revealed it clearly now.

Horns.

Curved, sharp horns protruded from the side of one figure's head, dark and jagged like polished obsidian.

And the other.

Its tail.

Long. Thin. Moving slowly, almost lazily, behind it.

'Dragons don't have tails like that… Damn it, it's not like I've seen them. But still, I'm sure those two are demons. No doubt.'

Amon's heart began to pound violently in his chest.

Not corrupted beasts. Not illusions. They were real demons beings who would kill him for no reason.

Honestly, in this world, if humans feared anyone the most, then it would be demons and then vampires.

At least vampires had a reason to drink blood. But these demons… they were just sadistic.

Maybe not all of them… but most were. Cold sweat formed on his palms.

His earlier excitement shattered instantly, replaced by a suffocating sense of danger.

These weren't monsters that charged blindly. They stood calmly, balanced high above the ground, as if the forest itself was beneath them.

Predators.

Amon slowly leaned back, pressing his shoulder harder against the tree, willing his presence to disappear entirely.

'Why… are demons here?'

His mind raced.

He remembered the map. The mountains. The coastline, the sea somewhere beyond. The dark forest acting as a barrier.

And now. Demons were moving through it.

Unaware that just meters away, a lone human stood hidden in the shadows, his fate suddenly hanging on a razor's edge.

Amon swallowed slowly. He didn't move. Didn't breathe too loudly. Didn't even blink. Because he knew.

If they turned around… this encounter would not end easily. Amon remained there. He Completely still.

Not a single muscle moved as he pressed himself against the tree, shadows clinging to his body like a second skin.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears, but he forced it down, slowing his breathing until it was barely more than a whisper.

Then.

The two demons suddenly turned around. Amon's blood ran cold.

One of them, the taller one with sharper horns, narrowed his eyes and scanned the forest behind them. His gaze swept across the trees, branches, and shadows. His eyes darted everywhere. But found nothing suspicious.

"Was there anyone behind us?" Vikara said slowly. "I sense someone."

Amon's grip tightened around the tree bark.

His entire body screamed at him to move, to run. But he didn't. He couldn't. Even the slightest motion would give him away.

Beside him, Aziz snorted lightly.

"You're overthinking it," he said, glancing around with far less concern. "I didn't feel anything."

Vikara didn't reply immediately. His eyes lingered on the darkness for a moment longer, as if trying to pierce through it.

Amon held his breath. Seconds felt like hours.

Then Aziz spoke again, his tone impatient. "You must have misunderstood. Our senses are on edge because we're being pursued. That's all."

Vikara frowned, then slowly nodded.

"…Yeah. I might be mistaken," he said. "Given the situation, it's natural."

Amon felt a small crack form in the pressure crushing his chest, but he didn't relax yet.

The two demons exchanged a few quiet words, their voices low and tense. They spoke about moving faster, about not stopping again, about not giving their pursuers any chance to catch up.

Then Vikara turned forward.

"Let's go," she said.

In the next instant. They moved.

With a sudden burst of speed, both demons dashed forward. Straight toward the direction where Amon was hiding.

Amon's heart nearly stopped.

'No–'

He pressed himself harder against the tree, shadows tightening around him. His hands trembled slightly as he clasped them together, silently praying.

'Please… don't see me. Please… just pass by.' He prayed to not get caught.

The sound of heavy footsteps thundered closer.

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

They were fast. Too fast.

A blur of dark figures shot past him, the air shifting violently as the demons leapt from tree to tree.

Amon felt the rush of wind brush past his face, so close that he could almost feel their presence tearing through the space beside him.

But.

They didn't stop. They didn't turn. They didn't look. They continue to run forward.

In mere seconds, the two demons vanished deeper into the forest, their presence fading until only silence remained.

Amon stayed frozen. Five seconds passed.

Ten.

Only when he was absolutely sure they were gone did he slowly lift his hand away from his mouth.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

"Haaah…"

His lungs burned as he exhaled deeply, relief crashing over him like a wave. His legs felt weak, his back damp with cold sweat.

"That was… close," he whispered.

He leaned his forehead against the tree for a moment, steadying himself.

One mistake. One wrong move. And he would have been dead. Slowly, Amon straightened, his eyes turning in the direction the demons had gone.

His expression hardened. Whatever was happening in this forest. It was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

'I need to run away from here. I can't remaine close to them.'

Amon decided to move away from here. As fast as possible.

---

[A/N: Sorry guys for only one chapter. I was outside whole day. Tomorrow as well I will be going to watch a movie and spend weekend with my friends. But I will try to post 2 chapters tomorrow.]

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