✧*̥˚ {𝔊𝔢𝔫𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔫 ℑ𝔪𝔭𝔞𝔠𝔱 𝔒𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔰 & ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔬𝔫𝔰} *̥˚✧

𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕬𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖞

I had never been out of Sumeru before—had never left its forestry expanse. One would think that after spending one's whole life in Sumeru, one would know everything about the place—including how to recognise, avoid and deal with the most devastating of circumstances.

But unfortunately, as I had just found out, that sentiment was wrong.

My breathing was ragged, non-stop coughing filling the air. It would've done me good to stop and rest myself—if I were in a normal part of the forest. But I was not. I could not stop. Even though running depleted my body of its life, I could not stop. I had to at least try—try to get out of where I was.

This part of the forest was cursed. By what, I did not know. I hated that—hated not knowing what to do. I had always known what to do before today, but now, when I really needed that wisdom and knowledge, it failed to come to me. I'd heard of this phenomenon occurring all across Sumeru's forests, but not once did I believe I would be caught up in one.

What was it called again? Oh, right.

A Withering Zone.

I stumbled, my feet tripping over each other as I struggled across the uneven ground. I could not stop. Do not stop. Cannot stop.

My vision had begun to blur a few minutes ago, inhibiting my escape. But now... I could barely see at all. I staggered forward, my body slamming against a wall of rock. I knew that I should have kept running. I knew that I could not afford to take a break but... my body was in such dizzying agony.

I took heavy uneven breaths as I leaned against the rock, trying to regain my stamina. Even though I could barely see, even though I could barely breathe, I would get out. I had to.

A violent cough left my mouth and I lurched forward, instinctively covering my face with my hand. And as I lowered it... I winced. I did not need to be able to see to know what the warm substance was that coated my hand. Blood.

I coughed again—and this time, it didn't stop. I found myself lowering to the ground as the coughing fit continued, blood, phlegm, bile and whatever else being hurled out of my mouth. I couldn't stop the tears that flowed down my cheeks, the sobs that accompanied my sporadic breaths.

I hit the ground. No doubt I was lying in my own waste. But I was in too much pain to move. I must've been going insane because little creatures that looked like cabbages appeared in the gloom at the edges of my fraying vision, whispers drifting in the air between us.

It is Marana. We must help.

"Please," I sobbed, throat tight and parched. "Please..." The words were barely above a high-pitched whisper. I didn't know who I was begging for help or what I expected to happen. Perhaps I only wanted release from my suffering.

Rescue. Quickly. Hurry. We must take her to Nara.

Even if it meant the sweet release of death.

⁜※⁜

I had felt the throbbing pain even as I fell unconscious. It was the only thing that reminded me I was still alive, even as the rest of the world became intangible to my being. Only darkness remained. I could not feel, could not think, could not see, could not hear—nothing. There was only nothing, save for the aching that resounded through my body, the only thing able to pierce the darkness.

I had wondered how much longer it would last—how much longer I would last. Did I even want to? For if I were to awaken, the wave of pain would come crashing down on me with all its might—torturing me, tormenting me. Until there was nothing left to eat away at. Until all that remained were the dying embers of my will to live—and the despair I would feel when I realised my story had come to a close.