Village

the boy frantically ran in the forest, ignoring the mysterious gazes piercing in his directions. he could not afford to stop for a moment, The forest closed in around him, its ancient trees casting eerie shadows that seemed to whisper secrets. The boy darted through the labyrinth of trunks and branches, ignoring the mysterious gazes that seemed to pierce through him. He couldn't afford to be distracted. He could feel the monster nearing up to him as he ran through the endless trees that seemed to ensnare him. He finally found a light further outside, he could feel his body giving up yet he exerted much force ignoring the pleas from to stop, the sense of urgency to escape propelled him forward.

As he emerged on the other side, the world transformed before his eyes. unveiling a scene of unimaginable horror and devastation. In front of him stood a colossal tower that reached high into the sky, its dark silhouette a menacing presence against the backdrop of chaos.

Surrounding the tower were human corpses piled upon each other in a grotesque display. The stench of death hung heavy in the air, mingling with the sounds of monstrous creatures feasting upon the lifeless bodies. These abominations, larger and more fearsome than the creature he had encountered before, ravaged the land with insatiable hunger, their monstrous forms omitting sounds as if they were in chorus of joy, a symphony of gore

A mix of terror and disbelief washed over the boy as he took in the macabre scene. Losing all hope his senses became blurry as if the world went upside down, he was going to puke and then all of a sudden a hand grabbed on to his feet. He turned to see a person in bloodied armor which seemed to have witnessed countless battles due to it's appearance. tears welled up from the boy, he could not see the person clearly. he saw the person muffling words he could not hear and then the monster chasing him finally caught on as it screamed, every monster looked at his direction and started moving towards him. the last thing he heard before losing his consciousness where the words "FIND IT".

The boy suddenly woke up, his chest heaved as he desperately tried to catch his breath, his body drenched in a cold sweat, a warm towel on is forehead. He found himself surrounded by unfamiliar people with curious expressions looking at him. He found himself confined to a bed, the room dimly lit by a hanging lamp above. the lady beside him sitting in a chair was the one who had been tending to him. She had a kind face eyes lined with both relief and concern.

"Call the village elder," she instructed the others in the room, her voice firm yet filled with compassion. "Tell him the boy is awake."

as the room cleared, the middle aged lady spoke to the boy in a soft tone "A herdsman found you outside the outskirts of Forsythe unconscious with scratches and bruises in your body " she said. "what were you doing there? what happened to you?" she asked.

the boy took a moment to collect himself, his mind still reeling from the horrors he had witnessed. He struggled to find the right words to explain his ordeal, his voice trembling as he recounted the events that led him to this room deliberately omitting the nightmarish dream, fearing the disbelief it might provoke

as he finished talking he saw the shocked expression of the woman beside him. just as she was about to say a word, a sudden barge came from the door and entered an old man wearing loose robes that reached over his ankle and a worn leather belt dangling from his waist. He had the same eye wide expression as the woman. the sudden entry made the woman jolt from surprise "Ah! Elder Patel" , momentarily shaken by the unexpected entrance.

"Pardon me for the sudden intrusion Miss Helen" he said in a deep voice which seemed to carry a sense of weight and authority. He turned to look at the boy confined in the bed, with eyes that seem to read him "No ordinary person has ever returned from the forest let alone a boy like you" he said.

"Who are you?" he asked. He thought for a moment before a sudden realization hit him, he does not remember who he is and what happened before he woke up in the forest