That was the first thing that choked the woods. It wasn't normal mist; it was a thick, clinging gray soup that smelled like wet earth and rotting leaves.
The trees here grew twisted, their black branches clawing upward like crooked fingers trying to block out what little sunlight managed to pierce through the heavy canopy. It was dark, cold, and entirely silent.
Until the screaming started.
??? (screaming): "Oh my gosh! Get away from me, you literal freaks! Help! Somebody help me!"
The voice belonged to a floating, purple cloud-like entity.
Her body was completely round and lumpy, bouncing clumsily through the air as she tried to flee.
At the center of her forehead sat a single, glowing yellow star, but right now, her face was twisted in absolute terror.
Rushing right behind her were three massive shapes.
They looked like they were made out of pure, living storm clouds, shadowy, roiling masses of black vapor that constantly shifted and morphed, forming heavy, jagged fists meant to crush anything in their path.
They hissed like hot steam, closing the distance fast.
The purple cloud bounced off a tree trunk, losing her balance and dropping low to the forest floor, her hands gripping her lumps.
??? (crying): "I'm too young and gorgeous to be wiped out in a creepy ditch! Help me!"
One of the dark cloud monsters reared back, its vaporous fist expanding to the size of a boulder, preparing to smash her into the dirt.
SWOOSH.
A sudden, violent gust of wind ripped through the fog.
A blur of bright blue and stark white cut across the dark woods, moving so fast it left a physical trail in the mist.
SLICE!
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The sound was clean, sharp, and instantaneous.
In a fraction of a second, the first cloud monster didn't just get hit, it was completely filleted into multiple floating pieces. The black vapor hissed violently before dissolving into nothingness.
Standing right where the monster had been was a young man. He was a teenager, built lean but packed with dense, functional muscle.
He wore a simple, faded blue shirt and blue shorts, a heavy green backpack strapped tightly over his shoulders.
His head was covered by a familiar, white hood with two distinct bear ears poking out from the top, though a few stray strands of bright blonde hair escaped from the front.
In his right hand, he held a long, gleaming silver sword. The blade caught the dim forest light, perfectly steady.
The remaining two cloud monsters halted, their smoky bodies pulsing with rage as their featureless faces turned toward the intruder.
