Chapter 40: Countdown
Dune steadied his breathing, allowing the healing to take effect. But before he could fully regain control, a sudden wave of dizziness overtook him, and everything went black.
When he finally woke up, he felt... different. His body, though still aching, had begun to heal. His Neba had continued its work even while he was unconscious. The pain lingered, deep and persistent, but he paid it no mind. For now, that didn't matter.
[ Zetens 92/100 ]
"Damn it..." Dune muttered, tightening his grip on his blade. "Eight Zetens died from the fall alone? This is insane." He exhaled sharply, his mind racing...Atlas, Ned, I hope you're both alive."
He pushed forward, stepping cautiously into the eerie forest.
The forest loomed in shades of black, gray, and white, its twisted trees stretching like skeletal fingers toward a sky choked with swirling mist.
The ground was slick with shadows, broken only by the occasional smear of deep crimson, whether fallen leaves or something else, Dune couldn't tell. A cold, unnatural silence clung to the air as he walked, each step swallowed by the void-like stillness.
[ Zetens 85/100 ]
"They're dying too fast..." he murmured.
The silence was oppressive. Every sound Dune made seemed swallowed by the unnatural stillness. Then, suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled.
A guy burst out, sprinting like his life depended on it.