I groggily opened my eyes for the second time. The first thing I saw is stalactite up in the stone cave. I tried to move my body but I feel a resistance. Moving my gaze, an old thin rope has been tied to my hand and feet. Its seem things going this way after all, huh?

I raised my head and observed my surrounding, I was in some kind of hideout. Cloths, brown paper, wooden box and all kind of miscellaneous stuff strewn across the small cave. The cave is pretty bright, and I didn’t see any of those ruffian. I observed myself, my black sweater still with my body, but my watch and phone is gone, probably taken by those people.

Where are them really? Nobody leave a person you caught alone. At least you leave someone here to stop them trying anything funny. I am a kid now, but still…

I snorted. What a bunch of careless kidnaper. A normal kid would be trembling and crying right now. Blame your shabby luck, for I am someone intelligence who is beyond your imagination. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha…..

Still kidnapped and tied like a pig ready to be roasted though.

While I have a monologue entertaining myself in my mind, my head swirled to left and right looking for something sharp, a blade would be preferred. I rolled my body to a nearby wooden box and pulled up my body to kneeling position, looked down, the wooden box is empty, next one then. I squinted my eyes, trying to find anything useful in my surrounding. Finally, I caught something in the corner of my eyes. Broken ceramic from a pot scattered beside a shabby make shift table. That will do. I rolled to the side of the broken pot, grabbed one that have a protruding sharp edge, and started my poorly thought escape plan.

My attempt at cutting the rope is longer than I wish for. After a lot of struggling, cutting and swearing, the rope tying my hand finally break off. After finished cutting the rope on my leg too, I finally regained my mobility.

A sigh of relief came out from my mouth. Then I kicked into action immediately, my feet took me to the outside, I would like to find my belonging but dawdling here any longer would be bad. Quick but steady, I carefully made it outside. Slowly popping my head out, I observe my surrounding. Its seems those people were not in the vicinity. Good.

I take my first step outside. Ready to leave this small cave. A scream full of agony entered my ear, bone crushing, flesh tearing, crunching, twisting and dying cry. Those sound melded into each other, composing a morbid symphony.

I turned my head to the left, to the source of suffering. Blood, crimson red filled my vision. A severed hand has been thrown near to the small cave. The blood dripping from the crushed limb tainted the grass beneath it, coloring it into the same red. I can barely saw a black blur, devouring his victim behind the trees just ten meter ahead of me.

There is no hesitation. The only thing I could do is ran.

I forced my short leg to the maximum capacity, even if I had boundless stamina, my speed can only taken me as far as a child could ran. My heart filled with annoyance. Whatever monster back there should be occupied enough to not noticed me.

Aagh, what with this chain of event? Did I get cursed?

After running for a while, I slowed down my pace after I felt comfortable with my distance and that damned monster. A sight of relief came out from my mouth. The monster didn’t chase me.

A stinging pain appeared on my palm. I raised my right arm and stared at the fresh wounds, together with the piece of sharp ceramic. I brought out with me from the hideout. Seems like I unconsciously gripped it a bit too hard. Drop of bloods dripped to the ground. I stopped and teared my sleeve and tied it at my shallow wound as a bandage replacement. The black cloth absorbed the blood, given it a tinge of deep red color.

After finished treating my wound, I started to move again. Better get away as far as possible. Honestly, I already fed up with this forest. Threw into this mess, without any information nor knowledge, being into life and death situation that I didn’t ask for. Did someone have a grudge with me?

Just when I was grumbling in my mind, a rustling sound made me full alert. My body tensed, I grabbed my weapon tightly and I prepare for the worst. My right palm is hissing with pain. Did the monster decided to chase me? I observed my surrounding, trees and bushes around me, but I didn’t saw anything else. Maybe I heard it wrong?

A snapped branch resounded from my behind. So I threw my body to the side with all my might.

I managed to saw a blue blur before I felt a searing pain on my left thigh. I suppressed groan of pain bubbling behind my throat, instead I stared the new threat in front of me. Dirt and filth cling to my body and clothes, I stood up, my left thigh is throbbing with pain, bleeding profusely, but I ignored it. After all, the opponent staring at me isn’t something that I can take my focus off.

A blue, one horned wolf stood magnificently in front of me, its eyes never left me, watching for any weakness I displayed, ready to pounce in at any given opportunity. The horned wolf had the same height with me, and the aura emanated befitting of that a hunter. Blood presumed to be mine, dripping from the wolf horn. I can feel its different between the creature I meet before, the black deer and the three eyed rabbit had this friendly and peaceful persona behind them. But the horned wolf in front of me is fully intending to harm me.

Within this standstill, we stared at each other. This continue for a while, before the wolf lost his patience, made the first move. Using its powerful hind leg, the wolf sprang upon me, aiming for my throat. Once more, I evade it, this time more prepared. I shifted my body in the nick of time, the wolf rough fur brushed against my face, an animal stench floating in the air. The wolf turned its body after landing, missed his target, he relentlessly charged again. This time, I raised my only weapon to eye level, my right leg in the front, my eyes focused on the wolf each move. Now! I put my weight in my right leg, using it as a pivot, I turned my body to the side, as if time had been slowed, the wolf head passed me, we both made an eye contact with each other.

Then I slashed.

My weapon managed to cut the wolf in its body. The wolf yelped and glared at me, anger gleamed in its eyes and growled viciously.

“ Grrrah..!!”

Tch, not good enough

The blue wolf still standing using its four leg, its back hunched, ready to pounce at me any time. The wound that I produced barely hurt the wolf, in fact, its only angered the beast, no blood trickled down from the 4 cm wide cut. My poor weapon didn’t even pierced its flesh.

Right now I’m in disadvantage, the blood trickling from my left thigh since our fight began never stopped, and it’s going to be bad if I didn’t end this now. The distance between the beast and myself is approximately 2 meter. I managed to distanced myself when the wolf is distracted with its new wound.

The wolf started its short run, I tensed and prepared my self. I moved my body to the left when the wolf look just about to pounce me. And that is where I made my first mistake. A fatal one that can kill me.

The wolf didn’t pounce me. It’s was a false alarm, and I pay dearly with it. I forgot the wolf is a creature capable of learning from its experience, not just a robot executing its script.

I put both of my hands in front of me, as a last defense from the rows of sharp teeth incoming to devour me. The wolf bitten my left arm, the teeth tearing my flesh and reaching my bone. The wolf weight and momentum pushed me to the ground. I gritted my teeth from the pain. Not missing any opportunity, I stabbed the weakness every creature had. The eyes.

My weapon pierced deep on its left eye without any resistance, a sickening squelching sound could be heard. Before I could do any more damage, the wolf howled in pain and released its grip on my arm. The now one eyed wolf staggered backward, the pieces of glass still stuck deep in its eye socket.

I didn’t fare any better. I lost my only weapon to protect myself and the new wound worsening the situation. The wolf inching closer to my position, snarling with saliva dripping from its jaw. I pulled myself up, my current appearance must be looking pretty messed up now. I had been cornered to a tight spot. The wolf keep inching closer, like a death reaper reaping its meal. With this near death situation, my mind had been constrained to the limit.

I… don’t want to die, not in a place like this..

I want to live.. I… still have my promise…

The wolf stopped moving, its eyed warily, sensing the abnormal aura enclosing its supposed weakened prey.

Live.. I will live…

A pale golden aura appeared on Hiiro. His body slowly transformed. A primal instinct overtaken him. His human ear gone, replaced with a pair of fox ear resting on top of his head, a tail appeared behind his back. Black tattoo emerged, snaking into each part of his limbs and torso. Hiiro in his semi conscious state didn’t realize the transformation happened to his body. He stared at the enemy in front of him, his gaze excluded power and authority. The wolf whimpered, terrified of the unknown force.

I WILL NOT DIE!!

He rushed forward, meeting the wolf head on. Its pupil widened, surprised by Hiiro speed. Unbeknown of him, he shortened the distance within a second, the difference from before is apparent, raw power surging within him. He raised his arm just before colliding with the terrified wolf. With blurring speed, his tiny fist punched the wolf head.

And its exploded like a firework.

The skull cracked inward, shattered into thousand pieces, the brain tissues crushed and exploded, together with pieces of flesh into everywhere. The force behind that punch blown away the leaves and branch around them with a booming sound. After that, silent permeated the air. Then, a resounding thud could be heard.

The headless wolf fell down to the ground. And the last one standing is, Hiiro.

Blood splattered all over his face, bits of flesh cling into his cheek. His clothes ripped and smeared with dirt. Still, he is alive.

“…need to get out of here..”

With blood all over the place, this place bound to attract troublesome creature. And with my condition, an instant death is possible. I moved my leg, taking the first step, then two, before my leg wobbled. I fall to my knee, then the rest of my body follows. Shit.

My vision is blurry, I can barely maintain my consciousness. A hazy silhouette appeared, standing in front of me. Then its leaving. As a last resort, I whimpered.

“….he..lp..”

The silhouette stopped, as if hesitating. My eyelid slowly closed, and I drift into the dream world.