Chapter 16: Different Paths
Runa was fast. Inhumanly Fast.
Ryu could feel nothing but wind and chaos.
His eyes, tilted toward her back, caught a crimson glow pulsing from above. The enormous being had unleashed a wave of red energy from its eyes. The light wasn’t just chasing them. It was flooding the entire forest, targeting every living creature in its path.
"Don’t look back, Yuki! Close your eyes!"
Her urgent voice snapped him out of his daze as she reached up and turned his head forward, shielding him from the sight behind them.
The forest behind them was silent no more. Screams, roars, and crashing trees echoed from every direction as the crimson tide advanced.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
With his eyes shut, Ryu could only hear the deafening roars and growls of beasts. They were growing louder, more savage. It appeared as if the creatures had completely lost their minds.
Unable to resist, Ryu peeked from his right side and was met with a terrifying sight. The area touched by the crimson wave had changed. The once-lush greenery had withered and dried, as if their life essence had been drained away.
And the magical creatures... they were still alive.
But their eyes became hollow, soulless. They were alive, yet something clearly had taken control of them. Their bodies moved, but their wills were gone, replaced by madness and an insatiable hunger.