Ben lay sprawled on the ground, his body shifting restlessly as the distant howl of a beast shook him awake.
He blinked. Darkness?
He shot upright, instincts kicking in. His eyes scanned the thick, unfamiliar forest around him. The trees stood tall and gnarled, their twisted branches blocking even a hint of moonlight. He couldn't tell if it was night or day. A constant gloom blanketed the place.
"Huh? Where am I?" Ben muttered, frowning.
He moved cautiously along a withered path, weaving between ancient trees, every step slow and deliberate. The forest was silent—unnaturally so.
This is strange. I was just in a race, wasn't I?
The memory was hazy, broken into fragments: the roar of the crowd, the heat of the track beneath his feet… and then… a white light.
Ben winced as a sharp headache pulsed through his skull. He leaned against a nearby tree branch to steady himself.
"I wonder what happened," he muttered. "There was that light… and then a creak—"
Snap.
The branch beneath his hand shifted.
Ben's eyes narrowed. The wood moved again—coiling, twitching unnaturally. Then, with a sudden screeching sound, it twisted and shot toward him like a snake.
"That's not supposed to happen," Ben whispered. He reached out to touch it, curiosity overriding fear.
WHOOSH!
The branch lashed out at tremendous speed.
Ben threw himself backward just in time. The "branch" tore through the air where his face had been, leaving a deep gash in the tree trunk behind him.
That's not a branch. That's a monster.
He turned and ran.
Branches tore at his skin. Roots threatened to trip him. But he ran, his Olympic training pushing his body to the limit. The thing screeched behind him, chasing with terrifying speed, the sound of its slithering limbs too close for comfort.
He didn't stop. Couldn't.
For what felt like thirty minutes, he sprinted through the darkness. Only when the noises behind him began to fade did he finally collapse beside a moss-covered boulder, chest heaving.
"If there are any more of those things… I'm screwed," he gasped.
He slumped against another tree, letting it support his weight.
"Where even am I? First, I'm racing in the Olympics… now I'm running from killer tree branches? Ben, it's officially not your lucky day."
His spiky white hair clung to his damp forehead, and his golden eyes glowed faintly in the dark. His face, sharp and striking, would've turned heads anywhere on Earth.
Too bad monsters don't care about looks.
Just as he was beginning to catch his breath—
Snap.
A branch cracked in the distance.
Ben froze.
He looked up—and saw it.
A massive, tiger-like creature, nearly five meters tall, stood silently just ahead. Its eyes gleamed like twin moons, and its body rippled with corded muscle. Sharp fangs protruded from its maw, dripping with saliva.
It watched him.
No… it was hunting him.
Ben stared. "Let me guess… you were trying to sneak up on me?"
He paused, voice quivering slightly.
"Too bad. Poor kitty."
He blinked again. "Wait—what the hell am I saying?"
He stepped back. "Damn you, cat! You wanna eat me? You gotta catch me first!"
He stuck out his tongue and bolted.
The tiger lunged after him, crushing twigs and roots under its massive paws.
Ben sprinted with everything he had.
"Seriously?! No dramatic pause or villain monologue?!" he yelled over his shoulder.
But the tiger was fast. Very fast.
Ben ducked low and zigzagged through the trees. "Too slow for me, huh?" he taunted, trying to psych himself up. "Looks like I'm still the fastest man alive—!"
But when he risked a glance back, the tiger was even closer now. Closing the gap.
"Damn! This is not good!"
He swerved suddenly, diving between two massive trees.
The tiger didn't stop.
It roared and ripped through one of the trunks with a single swipe of its claws, continuing the chase as if nothing had slowed it.
Ben's breath caught in his throat.
It broke that tree like it was paper…
His heart pounded. Sweat poured from his body. His mind raced, trying to think of anything—anything—that might save him.
But the tiger was right behind him.
He could hear its panting, its claws scraping the earth, its guttural growl rumbling in his ears.
Then—it launched.
"SHIT! WHERE THE HELL AM I?!"