I warned you

"Did the Vocra find him?

Ethan retreated slowly, his eyes searching around for what was watching him, but he saw nothing. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling the fallen leaves and sending shivers down Ethan's spine.

Ethan knew he had to leave; whatever it was, it didn't seem like it came to exchange pleasantries. He turned to run, but he was too late. Standing in front of him was the Vocra that had been chasing him.

Ethan's heart pounded against his chest as he slowly retreated backward.

"Please, I don't know who you are, but I did not offend you in any way. Please let me go."

The Vocra still stared at him with those eyes from earlier, as though it had seen something strange.

Ethan stretched both hands forward, as though pleading with the Vocra, as if that could do anything.

He needed to think fast, but his head was not offering any solutions. It seemed this Stefan was a little dumb. How could he not think of anything even in this dire situation?

"Please let me go, I don't know what they did to you, but I'm not with them. I promise."

As though the Vocra had not heard a word he said, in a flash, he was up against a tree, his legs dangling in the air.

"Please! Don't kill me! I'll do anything! Somebody help!"

Ethan pleaded, but the Vocra was not listening. Instead, it tightened its grip around Ethan's neck, blood dripping down his shirt; in the next second, he had punched Ethan across the face.

Ethan's ears rang as blood spluttered from his mouth. He tried to open his eyes, but he was seeing double.

"Please… I'm begging you."

Ethan pleaded as he struggled to breathe, his face turning pale. In the next second, the Vocra lifted him up and punched him in his gut, sending Ethan flying in the air and landing on the ground.

Ethan coughed painfully, as all of his body quaked from pain; he heard footsteps approaching, and in the next second, he was up against a tree again, this time the Vocra raised his other hand and made for Ethan's heart.

Suddenly, as though overtaken by something, Ethan shut his eyes;

"I warned you…" he voiced, and in the next second, he felt a surge of strength course through his veins, and he snapped the Vocra's neck with a sickening crack. In the same second, his right hand reached for the Vocra's head, and he ripped out something from its head, letting the body fall to the ground.

Ethan stood trembling in fear; on his right hand was a round object that glowed with dark red energy. Ethan stared at the object, and then he crushed it within his hands. Immediately he did that, the body of the Vocra dried up like a thousand-year-old mummy.

What just happened?

Ethan gasped for breath as his body trembled from fear.

Did he just kill a Vocra? Did Stefan regain his powers at some point? And what was that surge of power he felt just now?

Ethan had a thousand questions, but none had any answers as his memories were still very vague.

He looked at his hands and body, and he was back to normal. The surge of energy had disappeared almost immediately as it came.

Ethan was not sure how, but he knew he had to get to the School of Chaos. But first, he needed to leave this forest.

Looking down at his hand, which was covered in bloody matter and remains of the core he had just smashed, Ethan picked up some leaves and cleaned his hands with them, and then he started walking out of the forest.

Ethan was not sure how long he had walked, but after a long while, he could finally see the entrance to the forest. Ethan quickened his steps; the sun was setting, and if he wanted a chance at survival, he needed to be in the School of Chaos before dawn.

As Ethan hurried out through the path, he saw an old thatched house, constructed from moss-covered stones and twisted gnarled vines. Its roof, made of woven thatch, appeared to be part of the landscape and camouflaged the house into the verdant surroundings.

The house didn't seem like someone lived in it, but Ethan went to try his luck. It would be better to find someone who could direct him straight to the School of Chaos than to walk around aimlessly till nightfall.

With that thought, he headed straight to the little cottage. A small garden bloomed in front of the cottage, with a variety of flowers and herbs growing in neat rows. A stone pathway led from the garden to the front door.

The house was eerily quiet. Ethan would have thought it was an abandoned house if not for everything being arranged and clean. There were no cobwebs or dust, so he was sure someone lived there. Ethan walked up to the wooden front door, which looked like it had been carved from one of the trees in the forest he had just come out from.

The door looked old but very durable, with a few markings that seemed like sigils on it. Ethan wondered if they were meant to keep the Vocra away.

Raising his hand, he knocked on the door, but the door creaked open on its own accord.

How could someone leave their house unlocked in such a monster-filled place? Ethan wondered as he watched the door open wide.

His eyes looked into the cottage. A little center table. A roll of silk and a little chair made of soft wood. On the wall, there was a carcass of a wild animal hanging above the fireplace just beside a shelf of scrolls.

Below the scrolls were crystals and potions, and something that looked like wild roots; Ethan was not very sure.

Ethan had not seen crystals or potions before, but one look at them, and he knew what they were. It seemed Stefan's memories would return as time went on.

Ethan stood outside the house, contemplating whether to walk in or to just wait for the house owner to come back. He peeked at the sky and noticed it was almost dawn. He did not have such time. He would go in and see if anyone was inside, then he would be on his way.

Ethan walked into the house and looked around. There was an adjoining door, and Ethan walked to it. A little push, and it opened wide as the front door. Ethan shook his head, wondering how careless someone could be in this dangerous world.

He was about to take a step into the room when his eyes caught a reflection of something, and he froze.

There was a tarnished, old round mirror on the wall, and Ethan could see his reflection, or whatever that was.

He jumped in fright and looked behind him, but there was nothing there. His face drained of all color as he looked back at the mirror, walking slowly toward it.

Ethan raised his hand slowly and touched his face; his veins were clearly visible and pulsated with a glowing black substance. His eyes were dark, much like those of the Vocra he had just killed.

Ethan fell back in fright.

"What is this?"

Looking at his hands, there was nothing unusual, but when he gazed into the mirror, he saw the pulsating dark matter flowing in his veins.

"What was going on? Why were his eyes like those of the Vocras? Was he a Vocra?"

The thought made Ethan almost shudder in fright.

No, it's not possible. There was no way he was that thing! He was not out here killing people. Maybe it was the mirror. Something was wrong with the mirror.

Ethan stood up immediately and walked closer to the mirror. He hesitated for a second and then leaned in.

The mirror pulsated with a strong energy, and Ethan wondered what it was.

Raising his hand, he stretched it toward the mirror, but as soon as his fingers made contact with the mirror, he disappeared inside of it.