The wood was cracked. The tip was dulled. The two spears looked pitiful in the hands of Kenzo and old William, but that no longer mattered. They held them tightly, as if those worn tools were their last link to life. Their gazes met briefly, then turned toward the horizon.
Around them, a sea of green grass stretched to the edges of the plain. But this peaceful scenery was nothing but a trap ; a natural stage surrounded by the threatening shadows of the forest. Over there, beneath dense foliage and twisted branches, silent predators were hiding. The Void Creatures were waiting. They had to move. Fast.
Other prisoners suddenly burst forward, cutting through the air in chaotic disorder. Some screamed, others were already panting. A handful had managed to grab makeshift weapons, but most charged headlong, unarmed, guided only by survival instinct. Everyone ran toward the forest, but in different directions. Fear made them irrational. A few small groups hastily formed , two, four people at most. A suicidal scattering, faced with the things lurking in the shadows.
– « Maybe we should try to recruit a few people… You never know if we run into one of the eight Void Creatures in the forest. »
William sighed, his gaze slowly dropping to Kenzo.
– « Kid… we'd better stick to just the two of us. I told you: aside from you, they're all criminals. Do you really think they'd hesitate to stab us in the back if it gave them a chance to get out? If one of us gets eaten, the others gain time to escape. It's that simple. »
The harshness of his words echoed in Kenzo's Heart. He refused to believe that fear erased all solidarity. That brushing against despair was enough to make betrayal a reflex. The warden had said it before the hunt began: sixty-four united, they had a chance against the Void Creatures.
But Kenzo didn't yet understand the power of the dream of freedom. For him, it had only been three days since he became a prisoner. The others had had months—sometimes years—to fantasize about this moment. Their eyes reflected a hunger different from his own.
He looked at William with a crooked smile.
– « You able to run, old man? »
William gave him an amused grin.
– « I might look old, but believe me… I've got the energy of my real age. »
– « We'll see about that. Come on , run! »
They took off.
The plain vanished behind them as they sprinted at full speed, grass whipping against their emaciated legs. The wind tore through their tattered clothes, howling in their ears as if warning them of the imminent danger. Their bodies, weakened by days of captivity, protested with every step, but adrenaline pushed them onward. It felt strange to Kenzo, running with this skeletal body. He hadn't expected to be able to go so fast. Yet fear gave wings.
They finally reached the forest.
There, everything changed.
A wall of gigantic trees swallowed them within seconds. The sunlight, bright on the plain, became filtered here—patchy, unstable beams. The ground was uneven, littered with thick roots and dead leaves. The trees climbed toward the sky, their knotted trunks like silent sentinels. Dense ferns sometimes blocked their path, and every crack beneath their feet seemed to scream in the silence.
Every breath rang loudly. Every step was a risk.
Spears in hand, they forced their way through the foliage, dodging obstacles, stepping over roots, sometimes slipping on damp moss. Breath short, muscles taut, they pushed deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest, where sunlight no longer dared to pierce. Shadows grew thicker. Sounds more unsettling.
A rustle. A branch snapping.
But nothing emerged. So they kept going.
Eventually, panting, Kenzo slowed.
– « I think that's enough… we could maybe stop for a bit. »
They finally halted, dropping to one knee, spear resting against a tree trunk.
– « I didn't expect you to be so fast, » Kenzo said, throwing William a surprised glance.
Kenzo was exhausted. And suddenly, a thought struck him: all that energy spent… and they had nothing to recover it with. No water. No food.
– « Damn it, we don't have any water… Why did we run so fast? We should've paced ourselves… »
William burst into a hoarse laugh.
– « Haha! I figured this would happen. Don't worry, kid. I'm used to finding my way in nature. And I told you I'd handle our supplies when we were making the plan. Do you really think I ran without observing the environment? »
The plan. Right.
The night before, in the dungeons, William had laid out a simple strategy. He intended to use the day to cover ground while searching for resources,water, fruit, anything that could extend their survival. Then, once night fell, they would run. Run without stopping until exhaustion, to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Nightmare Viper.
In his eyes, the warden was less dangerous than that monster. And with sixty-four prisoners, he believed the warden would have a much harder time tracking everyone… but not the viper. It didn't hunt. It stalked.
Back in the present, William tapped the tree beside him.
– « I paid close attention to the forest, its trees, its soil… I guided us toward a place where we can find water. »
And he was right.
They followed a slight dip in the ground, descending into a natural hollow between roots. Something had caught William's eye: the moss on the trees had grown denser and wetter—a valuable sign in the wild. On top of that, insects like dragonflies were flying low, another indication of nearby water.
A few more steps, and a clear stream revealed itself between the bushes.
The water flowed gently, forming a small pool surrounded by flat stones. Nearby, bushes bore dark berries. Unidentified, but familiar to William, who, thanks to his experience, quickly recognized which were edible.
They drank eagerly, plunging their hands into the cool water. Then they carefully ate the berries. Their taste was tart, but pleasant. Life slowly returned to their muscles.
They knew they couldn't carry the water. No containers, nothing. So they did what they could: they tore a piece of already-damaged fabric from their clothes and wrapped a few berries in it. It wasn't much, but it might make a difference,at least for a few hours.
Zenith arrived.
The sun, high in the sky, cast sharp shadows on the ground. That was the signal. The moment the warden entered the forest, becoming the true predator of this hunt.
It was time to move again. This time, they would walk fast, without running. William, ever vigilant, kept his eyes open, analyzing every sound, every corner. He would stop if necessary. Caution replaced panic.
The hunt usually lasted two to three days. And that was when there were fewer than a dozen prisoners. This time, there were sixty-four.
It would take longer.
So far, neither Kenzo nor William had encountered a single Void Creature.
They hoped it would stay that way.
But as far as the warden was concerned, it was only a matter of luck.