The cold touch of stone against my back was the first thing I felt.
Then came the sound of leaves, the scent of damp earth… and silence.
My eyes slowly opened. A clear, blue sky stretched above me. The wind carried something... wild.
I sat up instantly, glancing around, confused, trying to understand.
A forest, Vast ,Untamed and Hostile.
I was sitting atop a large rock formation, with a clear view of the area. I scanned the horizon. Forest... as far as the eye could see. A sea of green, dense and endless.
Two roads caught my attention — one heading east and another cutting through the south. Where they led? No idea.
Beside me lay a sword. Plain. No decorations. A worn steel blade, but sharp enough. The only thing left for me.
I grabbed it, feeling its weight in my hands.
"So this... is how it starts?" — I muttered. — "Thrown here... to survive."
I stood up, glancing around one more time... then climbed down the rock.
I walked cautiously, but didn't need to go far. Just a few meters into the forest, and I noticed... tracks. No, more like **gouges** in the earth. Trees broken, deep marks carved into the ground, like something heavy had passed through.
I followed the trail for a moment... then I heard it.
— "Ssshhh... Ssshhh..."
A dry sound. Something dragging.
I turned to the right...
And there it was.
A colossal serpent.
Black as night. Its scales shimmered under the sunlight. Its eyes... golden, cold, locked onto me without blinking.
It didn't strike immediately. It just watched, circling slowly, as if deciding whether I was prey... or a threat.
Sweat ran down my face.
My fingers clenched the sword handle so tightly that they nearly went numb.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would explode from my chest.
And then... it happened again.
That warmth. That pressure. Just like before.
My muscles tightened. My vision sharpened. Even the sounds became clearer.
The Mantra... again. On its own. Just like last time.
I swallowed hard.
The serpent coiled, preparing to strike.
And I... gripped the sword with both hands.
It lunged.