At his full speed, Alfred had no time to analyze his situation. With neither direction nor plan, he kept running.
Despite his intense focus, a sound reached his ears, making his heart skip a beat.
The heavy breath and thudding paws of the massive critter drew closer.
The monstrous rat was near. He knew his full sprint was not enough to escape its maw, but he had hoped some miracle would save him.
There was nothing he could do.
Hope was fading as his heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out everything else.
He was tired, exhausted even.
"What did I do to deserve this nightmare?" He involuntarily muttered.
As soon as he finished his words, a protruding root tripped him, sending him rolling a few steps away.
His chest heaved as he lay there, exhausted. His blurry eyes centered on the approaching yellow eyes.
Was he going to die here? The question echoed in his mind.
The light in his eyes dimmed, as even though he wanted to live, his body failed even to lift a finger.
Still, he watched the beast slow down, sauntering towards him as if it was savoring its successful hunt.
He didn't know if he was in his right mind, but he just could not care anymore. If he could decide, he would like it if the beast would end him as swiftly as possible. Maybe in his next life, he would achieve his dream.
Alfred slowly closed his eyes, accepting his inevitable fate.
Then a sharp pain from his right foot snapped him from his delirium.
He abruptly opened his eyes and stared at the ripping feeling he was experiencing. There, he saw the saw-like maw of the rat, tearing his right foot.
"AHHH!" Alfred's scream reverberated through the silent forest.
As the pain engulfed his brain, he realized he was not ready to die, or at least die from an agonizing death!
Energy swelled inside him, giving him enough to sit up and barrage the beast with punches.
His hands bounced against the black fur of the monstrous rat as it absorbed his attacks like they were nothing! Regardless, he kept raining it with his fist, hoping it would stop from devouring his foot right before him.
His knuckles bled, his breathing was chaotic, and his gritted teeth tightened as time went by.
Still, no matter how much he assaulted the monstrous rat, its relentless bite never halted.
A few seconds passed, and Alfred's throat grew hoarse from his undaunting scream. Yet, the sound of his flesh being ripped apart was the only thing that entered his ears.
Soon, his face turned pale, his head started spinning, and his vision gradually blurred. His body immediately fell backward after exerting all the energy he had gained.
It was enough; there was no way he would survive this.
Alfred could not help but wonder. Did he live his life to the fullest?
Perhaps.
However, if he could have another chance, he wanted to make friends, experience the joy of playing like a mindless teenager, and probably join a crafting club.
He had always wanted to join one but never found the courage to do so. Creating tools had always fascinated him; therefore, he dreamt of becoming a crafter one day.
"I don't want to die…" he said with difficulty in his heavy breathing.
No matter how much he desired to live, the weight of his eyelids was too excessive for his current state. Thus, with much struggle, his eyes steadily narrowed.
But before he could truly lose consciousness, he heard the sound of something flying.
*Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*
He had no idea what it was and no strength left to investigate.
Then everything went dark.