𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫

Chapter Six: Final Selection

     You exited the clearing, the remnants of the demon drifting away.

     Resuming your running pace, you began noticing the incline of the ground.

     Good, I've started traveling upwards.

     As the night went on, you avoided the areas that appeared too quiet. Never again did you hear a scream like you did at the start. Just as your pace started to slow, the sky began to lighten.

     You slowed down, thoroughly exhausted from running. You glanced around, looking for any traces of demons. Standing still, your ears didn't hear anything out of the ordinary.

     "That's good." You exhaled. "I should be safe here."

     A nearby tree had a branch sturdy enough to support your weight. You climbed up, testing the resilience of it.

     "It's wide enough for me to lay down and not fall off... and the branch isn't wobbly or anything. Well, looks like (Y/n) is concluding her first night in the Final Selection."

     You settled down on the branch, looking up at the swaying fronds above you. The leaves blurred, and your vision slowly faded out.

ʚ~♡~ɞ

     You woke up about an hour before dusk. Hopping down from the tree, you stretched, getting ready for the journey at night.

     A growling noise emitted from your stomach, a reminder that you hadn't eaten anything since you first started.

     "Well, what could I even eat around here?" You said aloud.

     As for experience with the wilderness, you had some, but that was mostly camping. There, food was bought and provided for.

     Sighing, you started walking. I guess eating will just have to wait.

     Lucky for you, you didn't have to wait long. You stumbled across a patch of blueberries, and after close inspection, you deemed them safe to eat. A nearby stream provided a safe drinking source, not that you had much choice anyway.

     After eating, you started out again. The sun began dipping below the horizon, and your pace picked up.

     "Hopefully I won't run into any more demons." You muttered to yourself.

     Hours passed, and there was no noise except for the pounding of your feet on the ground.

     Another set of footsteps caught your attention, and you turned your head slightly. To your left, there was another trainee running. He didn't seem to notice you. In fact... it looked like he was running from something.

     He made eye contact with you, and then something yanked him into the air. He vanished into the treetops, and you skidded to a stop.

     A scream pierced your ears, and was abruptly cut off with a gruesome crunch.

     You shivered, tingles running down your spine and through your body.

     He's gone then.

     A foul odor drifted across your nose, carried by a breeze.

     Oh f*ck, what is that??  You wrinkled your nose, eyes watering a bit. Smells like a rotting corpse..

     A disturbance in the wind reached your ears, and you jumped to the side. A tendril of something stabbed the spot where you were moments earlier.