The Endless Forest
I stared at the sword in silence.
It rested calmly in my hand.
No light.
No terrifying pressure.
No voice echoed inside my mind.
It looked like an ordinary sword…
If one ignored the impossible darkness covering its blade.
“…What are you?”
The forest answered before the sword could.
ROOOOOOOAAARRR!!
The roar shook the heavens.
Leaves rained from the gigantic trees.
The ground beneath my feet trembled violently.
Every instinct screamed at me.
Run.
I didn’t hesitate.
The Black Devil disappeared into a black mist before entering a strange ring now resting on my finger.
“…What?”
I froze for only a second.
I had never noticed the ring before.
It was completely black, carved with countless tiny symbols that seemed to move whenever I looked at them for too long.
“So…”
“It can disappear?”
There wasn’t time to think.
Another roar echoed.
Closer.
Much closer.
I ran.
⸻
Hours passed.
Or perhaps only minutes.
The forest remained endless.
Now that my body had become stronger, walking was no longer impossible.
But stronger didn’t mean safe.
Every few minutes…
I witnessed creatures that completely shattered my understanding of life.
A wolf.
At least…
It resembled a wolf.
Its shoulder alone stood taller than a two-story house.
Each breath from its nostrils scattered fallen leaves like a storm.
It walked silently between the colossal trees before disappearing into the distance.
I held my breath.
Even blinking felt dangerous.
When it finally vanished…
Only then did I realize I had been shaking.
“…That’s…”
Stolen story; please report.
“…only a wolf?”
What kind of monsters lived deeper inside this forest?
I didn’t want to know.
⸻
As the day continued, I encountered even stranger sights.
Birds whose wings covered entire sections of the sky.
Monkeys that leaped from one gigantic tree to another despite each branch being hundreds of meters apart.
Flowers larger than my hostel room.
Butterflies glowing with every color imaginable.
This forest…
Was beautiful.
Beautiful enough to make someone forget they were standing inside the deadliest place imaginable.
⸻
Then…
I found water.
A small river flowed quietly between two enormous roots.
Without thinking, I threw myself toward it.
My reflection stared back.
I almost didn’t recognize myself.
My skin looked healthier.
My eyes seemed sharper.
Even the exhaustion that had haunted me on Earth appeared lighter.
I cupped my hands.
The water was crystal clear.
Cold.
Refreshing.
I drank until my stomach hurt.
Never in my life had ordinary water tasted so wonderful.
For several minutes, I simply sat beside the river.
Listening.
Thinking.
“…I’m really here.”
The words finally carried weight.
This wasn’t a dream anymore.
Earth…
Was gone.
Whether I wanted to return or not…
I had no idea how.
⸻
A strange thought crossed my mind.
What if…
No one on Earth even noticed I had disappeared?
Perhaps my roommates assumed I had gone home.
Perhaps my parents were already searching for me.
Or perhaps…
Time flowed differently.
Maybe only one second had passed.
Maybe hundreds of years.
I would probably never know.
A bitter smile appeared.
“I never even got to say goodbye.”
⸻
The river suddenly became silent.
Too silent.
The insects stopped buzzing.
The birds stopped singing.
Even the wind disappeared.
An overwhelming pressure settled over the forest.
Every hair on my body stood upright.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
I turned around.
Standing on the opposite side of the river…
Was a creature unlike anything I had ever imagined.
It resembled a deer.
If a mountain could become a deer.
Its antlers stretched like ancient trees, glowing faintly with silver light.
Its white fur shimmered beneath the forest canopy.
Each breath carried tiny particles of light into the air.
Its eyes…
Golden.
Ancient.
Wise.
It simply watched me.
Neither moving…
Nor attacking.
For what felt like an eternity…
Neither of us blinked.
Then…
Its gaze shifted.
Not toward me.
Toward my left hand.
Toward the black ring.
The creature lowered its head.
Not in fear.
Not in submission.
Almost…
In respect.
Then, without a sound, it turned around and disappeared into the endless forest.
“…”
I remained frozen.
What…
Had just happened?
⸻
The sun—or whatever served as the sun in this world—began to fade.
Darkness slowly swallowed the forest.
I searched desperately for somewhere safe.
Finally, beneath the gigantic roots of one of the ancient trees, I discovered a narrow hollow.
It wasn’t comfortable.
But it was hidden.
That was enough.
As I leaned against the rough bark, countless thoughts filled my mind.
The old life I hated…
Was gone.
The new life I had imagined…
Didn’t exist.
This world wasn’t waiting for a hero.
It didn’t care whether I lived or died.
I looked at the black ring on my finger.
For the first time…
I realized something.
The sword had never promised me power.
It had only allowed me to survive.
And surviving…
Were two completely different things.
Outside my shelter…
Countless unfamiliar cries echoed through the night.
Some sounded mournful.
Others sounded hungry.
One roar shook the entire forest so violently that dust fell from the roots above me.
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow…
I would continue searching for civilization.
But somewhere deep inside…
A feeling I couldn’t explain slowly grew stronger.
It felt as though…
Something had begun following me.
Not with footsteps.
Not with sound.
But with its gaze.
A gaze that had watched me since the moment I picked up the Black Devil.
And it had no intention…
Of looking away.
End of Chapter 5