Chapter 47 The Blackwoods, Part One

"How long has it been since we escaped hell? An hour? Two?" I mumbled, my voice hollow and distant.

Everything I'd experienced through the day had left me numb, and the passage of time lost all meaning. My mind was consumed by the horrors I witnessed and the atrocities I committed to escape.

The adrenaline that once fueled me before had worn off, leaving me with a sinking feeling of dread and regret. Now that we were finally safe, my thoughts were free to roam, and the memories flooded back with a vengeance.

The twitching mass of flesh I left behind in the dungeon, the rotting corpses in the tunnel, and the grisly remains of those who fell to the Gray Knight's blade... They each took a turn on the stage within my mind, each playing out with grotesque vividness.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the memories, but they lingered, haunting me. These were sights no one should have to witness, yet I had seen them all, and I feared they would never leave.

The memory of the Gray Knight's brutality weighed heavily on my mind, haunting me with every step we took toward safety. I could still hear the screams of his victims ringing in my ears, and the knowledge that I was powerless to stop him filled me with a sense of despair.

As the adrenaline wore off, I was left with a sense of hopelessness that shook me to my core. This was a cruel and unforgiving world. A world where the weak were nothing more than prey for the strong.

"How funny," I mumbled to myself, then let out a mad chuckle. This was the world I had always dreamed of, a world where might was the metric of success, and the weak were trampled underfoot. But now that I was living in it, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret.

Now that I was here, I could only think about going home. So I repeated myself. "How stupid... How stupid..."

I brought my trembling hands to my face, trying to calm my shaken nerves. But the questions kept racing through my mind. 'What do I do now? How am I supposed to survive? What am I supposed to do, Yuuya?'

"H-Hey!" the lemming snapped at me, jolting me from my thoughts. "I need help watching for trouble!"

My initial reaction was to snap back at him and remind him that I didn't take orders from anyone. But as I opened my mouth to speak, I found that the words wouldn't come. It was like my brain had short-circuited, leaving me with a blank mind and a gaping mouth.

"Hey!" he shouted again. "Ple-"

His words broke through the veil of fog within my mind, once again allowing me the ability to speak. "I get it," I grumbled with a frustrated sigh, "I get it… Just shut up already…"

I straightened my spine and gazed at the dense sea of foliage stretching out before us. The vibrant greens and browns of the forest were almost overwhelming, blotting out any trace of the grassy plains or snow-capped mountains we had left behind. The sun was little more than a hazy blur, its light barely filtering through the dense canopy overhead.

'How the hell am I supposed to keep watch when it's this dark?' I ground my teeth in annoyance. I strained my eyes with a squint, trying to peer past the wall of darkness enveloping us. It was pointless, so I took a breath to calm myself and closed my eyes.

'If my sight doesn't work...' I thought, heightening my other senses.

My nostrils flared, taking in the fragrant earthiness of the dew-dipped rocks, followed by the musky aroma of mud and the crisp scent of pine emanating from the trees. Each inhalation felt like I was absorbing the very essence of the great outdoors.

As my senses heightened, I became acutely aware of the orchestra of nature surrounding me. Apart from the steady thump of my heart, I could hear the birds' distant chirps and other animals' calls echoing through the woods.

It was all so soothing, so peaceful… Or it was until I heard an uproar of birds and the splintering of wood to our left.

The lemming's voice grated on my nerves as he spoke up again, his unease evident. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I do. Now shut up so I can listen," I hushed him with an irritated tone.

My ears strained to make sense of the noise, but I picked up on the sound of heavy panting and the rustling of underbrush. It was getting closer, and fast. It wasn't just fast; it sounded to be on a dead-on collision course with us!

"It's close!" I shouted, blowing my eyes wide open. I frantically turned my head in search of the sound's source, but there was nothing to see but shadow.

Seconds later, a silhouette emerged between the trees, with two small green orbs reflecting glimmers of light. As it drew closer, the orbs were revealed to be eyes and part of a creature far larger than I expected. Spear-like needles protruded from its back, and its bushy brown fur billowed in the wind.

Carrying the beast were four bulky legs with paws capable of crushing a man's skull. Each was equipped with serrated razor claws that could bore a hole clean through anyone unlucky enough to cross its path.

The creature's identity was unmistakable, despite having notable differences from those I had seen before.

"That...is one mean fucking bear," I muttered, eyes wide with shock and my heart racing.

The bear snarled, revealing a row of sharp, pearly white fangs that could easily crush bone. Its lips tightened, and the beast let out a thunderous roar that shook the sturdy tree trunks around us.

The lemming's panicked screams echoed through the forest. "OH, GOD! Please, no, GOD NO! This isn't supposed to happen!" he shouted, frantically whipping the horses into a frenzy.

Following the lemmings' panic, the horses shrieked. Then, bolting forward, their hooves pounded the ground with a deafening force, kicking up a storm of dirt and gravel as they went.

With the horses' reckless stampede, the carriage lurched forward violently, causing us to bounce around like rag dolls. I clung to the side, struggling to maintain my balance as we careened wildly down the path.

Drowning out the approaching beast's war cries were shouts of confusion from within our carriage. Sometime between the bone-chilling roar and rampant rocking, the ones inside finally caught up to speed on the situation.

"TAKAGI! WHAT IS THAT THING?!!!" Agawa shouted. Her voice was staggered and imbued with the unmistakable sound of panic.

But there was no time to answer stupid questions. I braced myself for the inevitable impact, grabbing onto whatever sturdy pieces of the wagon I could find and squeezing past my bodily limits.

With the terrified of my heart and racing thoughts, I found myself repeating one, over and over again.

'I won't die here,' I clenched my teeth. 'I refuse to die here.'