The flames were raging everywhere, burning everything down in their path. The houses, the crops, the animals, and even the people. All of them. They were all getting turned to ash right in front of her eyes. She had no hope, she could not change it. In a matter of minutes, she had lost the majority of what she'd ever had. Now, all that remained were the rotten carcasses of the people she knew along with all of the horrendous monstrosities that were crawling all about, ripping and tearing through the already small remains spread around.

It was a hopeless sight for her, and considering her nature, she wanted to stay and fight, to protect them as best as she could've. However, no matter how much she yearned to fight back, she knew she had to go. To save the few that were left was suicide, and as so, because of that fact, she had to escape, just like how she was being instructed to do by the few remaining survivors.

"Just go! There's no point!"

"Please! Just leave!"

"We're not worth it! You are! Just go! Please! Just go!"

Their burned and bloodied faces made it difficult for her to turn away, but with the only bit of discipline she had within herself left, she turned and ran, wielding her exhausted bow in hand and an almost empty quiver on her back, preparing to fight for her life against the monsters that plagued her world around as she'd seek a new place that she could call 'home'.

Even though her plan was as simple as escaping, it was not an easy one to accomplish. Everywhere she turned, she would face a group of monsters that were ready to kill, either wandering about or attacking anything that wasn't already dead in their sights. She could turn and run all she wanted, but it was nearly hopeless as nowhere within her sights was there a 'safe' place to call a shelter. Of course, it didn't help that she was in an open field where anything could be seen, but it also didn't help that the general swarm of monsters was trying to cross past her, past her village to where their target location was. Regardless though, she tried and ran, searching desperately for a place to rest, for a place where she could pass the nightmare that had plagued her life suddenly.

Even though she was afraid, exasperated, tired, and vulnerable, she couldn't help but wonder about what was going on. The event that had unfolded had perplexed her, and because of that confusion, she roamed her eyes throughout the landscape, trying to understand what had even happened in the short time where everything had gone wrong.

The monstrous invasion had sprouted no more than ten minutes ago, and yet, even though it had only existed for such a small amount of time, it had managed to prove itself to be quite the disastrous phenomenon. For some reason, this night out of all nights, the monsters that plagued the darkness of the night had become incredibly fierce and bloodthirsty. They were hungry, aching for violence and blood from the moment they had shown up, and with that drive alone, they had managed to tear through her village walls, running right through the only defense it had, a defense that on any other night, would've sufficed.

No one knew exactly what was going on, only because, by the time they were allowed to react, everything had already gone wrong. Before anyone knew it, the people around were already getting eaten alive by the undead corpses that roamed around, if not impaled or blown up by anything else. It was all horrifying and destructive, nothing like how it would've usually been, and yet, it all was. The only distinctive differences that could've been observed were that all of the monster's eyes were glowing red, bright red, almost as if their eyes were painted with blood and anger onto their distorted faces. A red that was also, for some reason, mimicked by the moon that was slowly rising over one side of the horizon. The orb that plated itself across the night sky was red, deep red, almost as if the moon itself was made of blood, tinting the land around with a dim crimson light as a result.

Why was everything the way it was? She'd ask herself, not that she'd be able to get an answer somehow. Her concerns were past figuring out why it all happened, but instead, what could be done to help. She was hurt, and depressed, two feelings that she forced onto the back of her heart as she ran around, trying to keep herself alive and safe. Her only thoughts were all about how she could save the little bits of her village life that were left, a hope that was slowly getting torn apart as every second passed. She hated how she had lost so much in so little time and hated even more how she couldn't do anything to retain any of it. She had run away and had abandoned the tiny little world that had been precious to her from the day she could see. Even if it was for the best, it plagued her heart to know that fate was what it was.

"Come on! Please! Just leave me alone!" She cried outward, lashing out at a zombie that had tried to grapple her. She was shaken up, almost ready to give up. She didn't know for how long she had already ran, but it had felt like an eternity. She just couldn't find a decent place where she could rest, and the worst part of it all was that she'd have to find one soon, or else, she'd die. Her only weapon was nearly broken, and her ammunition for it was nearly nonexistent. She did not have any backups and had no means of self-protection. She had no supplies and had no means of gathering any in her state. She had to find somewhere, anywhere where she could rest. It was imperative, especially if she aimed to return to her village to try to help.

But where could she go? The closest place of civilization from her village was the vast Sevali Union that was located a kilometer or so to the east of her village, a location that could've been safe to go to, had it not also been caught in the monster invasion itself. In the far distance as her perfect eyesight could see, she was able to see the various types of lights and slight movements that spread throughout the western wall of the country, signifying the various types of combat that were taking place. She could go there, and knowing how strong the Sevali is, they could defend themselves, however, to get past what was the densest part of the invasion was plentifully suicidal, and that was all on top of the assumption that the Sevali would even accept her under the circumstances. She knew very well that they wouldn't allow her in because if they did, then they'd be idiots of their kind.

As so, with the Sevali Union out of the question, where was she to go? The only other place she could go to was the Wraith's Manifest, a dark forest that only those who sought death would go to. Anyone in the immediate region knew what the Wraith's Manifest was and how terrifying it is to attempt to traverse it. It was a place that was branded as an actual example of a "living nightmare for the living", a brand which resulted from the few accounts of the survivors who had grown far too bored for their good, survivors who had lost their minds so much that they had chosen to traverse such a demonic place. They all came back with the same broken accounts, the accounts that all amounted to the place being the "nightmare of all nightmares".

The place was so bad that even the monsters themselves strived to keep their distance from it. It was not a secret that throughout the night, some travelers would pass by the Wraith's Manifest, noticing how even the monsters themselves would become pacified from a sense of fear, all to the point that they wouldn't even attack anyone in their vicinity. Just like the travelers, they aimed with the entirety of their wills to steer clear of the place, not wanting to get involved even in the tiniest ways possible. As so, as a strategy for those who were strong but reckless, sticking close to the forest became a means of traveling in peace at night, knowing that as long as they stayed close enough to the Wraith's Manifest, they'd be safe from the monsters around. Of course, most did not do this. After all, most people, if any, did not have a purpose to travel near the forest in general. Only those who were idiotic enough to test their fates were the ones to try such an unreliable method.

Maybe, just maybe, it'll work, she thought to herself. It was an outrageous idea, one that could easily cost her far more than anything else, but she didn't have any alternatives. She didn't like the idea herself, even though she came up with it, and the fact that she was standing in place, staring into the demon's den itself was proof of it. The forest was dark, deep dark, with shadows so deep that you could not see anything inside the forest. The monsters, all of them, seemed to be passive around the forest, walking a certain distance away and keeping to themselves. Maybe it'd work, maybe it won't, but she truly did not have any other ideas. Going back home wasn't a choice, and going to the Sevali wasn't one either. Staying in the open wasn't wise and traveling elsewhere would be nearly impossible due to the invasion. As so, she only had one option left.

To walk into the Wraith's Manifest.

I'm insane, I'm truly insane, she chastised herself. To walk into the place that reeked of death was nothing short of insanity, and yet, she was doing it herself anyway. She was wandering into the one place she had been taught to always avoid, to always evade at all costs. Even though she was afraid of the idea, she forced herself to run in the direction of the forest, nearing it step by step as she dodged anything that tried to kill her on the way. What was worse, anyway? Heading into a forest that is known to be dangerous above all else, or to attempt to survive an entire monster evasion without a shelter? Perhaps they were both equally as bad, and that she was unlucky. Perhaps, it was her fate to die anyway. No matter what she could think of, everything that was a possible option was dangerous one way or the other. As so, thinking about anything was surely a waste of her time at that point.

Once she was near the forest, she began to slow down, that way she could analyze her surroundings and her current destination. Even though she planned to walk into the Wraith's Manifest, she did not know anything about it. It was always said that the forest was dangerous, but no one was able to explain in particular why it was. Sure, maybe it seemed to be darker than any other forest around, and, sure, it had some particular effects on an individual, but those bits in of themselves didn't explain anything. What should she look out for? What should have been her greatest concern? How far could she possibly make it? She didn't know the answer to any of those questions, questions that would have been very nice for her to know.

Well, even though she didn't know anything about the place itself, it seemed that the rumors were right. As she looked around near the edge of the beginning treeline, she was able to spot numerous monsters keeping their distance from the forest, all while they were disregarding her. It was as if she was invisible to them. They cared so little for her that she was able to walk side by side past them as she made her way to the treeline. It was truly unusual for an event, but it was one that was understandable. The woman herself was able to feel the reasons why they wanted to keep themselves away. The forest, something about it seemed to make her cold, made her have chills. It was as if she was slowly being frozen in place. Her heart rate began to rocket up and she began to sweat profusely. Her heart felt as if it was going to explode and her lungs were tightening, making it harder and harder for her to breathe after every step she took. It was as if her body was yearning and screaming for her to get away from there.

Of course, she disregarded her body's cry for safety elsewhere and pushed forth, taking a single step past the treeline and into the depth that was the Wraith's Manifest. Right as she did though, it was as if she had walked through a wall of air. It was difficult for her to describe the sensation to herself, but the moment she had walked in, it was as if she had walked into a different 'room'. It was as if that first step she took had trespassed some sort of wall, a wall that perhaps shielded the outside from the inside. She felt it, the strong change in atmosphere as her first half had entered and her second half was behind. It was as if she was split into two different people before she had fully walked in. And then, once she was fully in, that's when she really began to feel the change around her. In one sudden moment, she was blinded and frozen in place.

Everything was completely dark in her vision, she couldn't even see a centimeter in front of her. She turned her head and tried to feel around with her hands, but she just could not see anything as it was all nothing but pitch-black darkness. Her body being cold did not help either as she was, somehow, managing to feel frostbite. Her skin was beginning to burn from the slightest movements she made, forcing her to stay in place to avoid the pain. As if all of that wasn't enough, despite the already discomforting sensations, she was also beginning to feel incredibly anxious and nauseous, causing her to feel the need to throw up more than anything else. She felt as if she was spinning and flying, a combination of nausea that had made it incredibly difficult for her to remain steady. The worst part of it all was that she couldn't even tell if she was even standing or walking anymore. She couldn't feel anything else other than the discomfort within her.

Am I standing? Am I walking? What is happening? Her mind asked itself. She was clueless. She didn't know what to do. She had lost her bearings immediately and now she was lost in whatever was happening to her. Was this part of what it meant for the forest to be a living nightmare? Or was there more? How did people even escape this place? She could not tell what was going on, and as so, there was simply no way she could have left. Even though she had only taken a single step worth of distance inside, she could not leave by backtracking. She tried to walk back out the way she came in, and yet, she was still blinded and freezing. Did she even move? If so, then why was she still suffering?

"You left us..." A cold whisper passed by her left ear. The soft but cold tone of the voice caused the woman to flinch in place, making her turn in the direction where she heard it, only that there was nothing to see.

"You could've protected us..." Another voice whispered, this time causing her to feel a harsh burn on her stomach, making her groan to herself as she tried to bear the pain.

"You have the power to keep all of us safe..." Suddenly, she felt a harsh burn on her right arm, almost as if she had gotten slashed. As a result, she checked her arm, only to feel a warm liquid coat her freezing hands. She was bleeding. She had gotten hurt, but how? What could have possibly hurt her? Anything, of course, she thought. After all, it's not like she could anything to notice an opponent.

"You could've saved us..." The voices, on the other hand, were a different source of pain for her. They were familiar, truly familiar as she was able to discern every voice to who it belonged. They were the voices of the survivors who were dying in her sight as she had escaped her village, if not the ones who had died minutes before. Their soft but angered whispers twisted at her heart, pulling out the grief and guilt she had been desperately trying to put away. She didn't need a reminder of what had happened. She didn't need a reminder that she had not done anything to preserve the safety and peace of others.

She tried her best to put up with everything, but it was futile. She was already weak and tired, to get injured and provoked was a simple knockout against her. Because of that, she had fallen on her knees, trying to keep herself from falling completely on the floor, all while trying to restrain her tears from flooding her eyes. She wanted to escape, she already regretted her choices. She hated it. It hadn't been that long and she hated it completely. But what was she to do? Even if she gets out, it'll only be a different type of pain that'll get a hold of her. She felt hopeless, truly hopeless as she began to see the light of her heart fade away.

Due to her internal preoccupation, it had taken her a while to notice that some very peculiar figures had begun surrounding her. At first, it was difficult for her to tell what they were as they were all nothing more than white clouds worth of light, completely indistinguishable from what they could have been. However, as a minute passed or so, they began to take the form of something that only ground at her heart more.

They were forming into the shapes of her neighbors and friends.

At this point, the dam broke within her and she began to cry. It pained her to see them, to see them all perfectly fine and in good condition as if they had never died or gotten hurt. They were smiling at her, nurturing her wounded heart with their warmth. She knew that this is what it would've been like, had they not died. Had they not been abandoned to fend for themselves.

Unfortunately, as much warmth as the figures gave her, the woman learned very quickly that they were not the people she knew. Right before her eyes, they began to twist and turn, mangling their overall figures to the point where the anatomy was completely wrong. As a result, some had eyes in their mouths, others had ears where their eyes would've been. Some were bleeding out their pores and others were completely disfigured to the point where they were no longer human.

Naturally, this vision change only petrified the woman, shocking her in place and ruining her already crumbling mental state. She could not take it anymore. Unfortunately for her though, the demonic figures had no care for her feelings, and before she knew it, they began to cut at her with their sharpened fingers, slicing lightly at first, causing her a very distasteful pain throughout her body. However, their tempo and strength at the action grew little by little, slowly tearing her apart. She still could not see, and her body was still cold, so the pain was amplified tenfold as a result. She was done. She was truly out of it. At that very moment, the only thing that she desired was death itself.

"Please... Just let me go..." She whined to herself, knowing that no one would hear her. "I want to leave... I want it all to stop..." She continued as she cried and presumably bled. "I don't want to be here anymore..."

"I want to go..."

"I want to..."

"I want to..."

"Die..." Slowly, she closed her eyes, and even though her sight had not changed, it had brought her some form of comfort. She felt as if she was to herself even though she was being tortured all over. She was truly done. She had accepted it, her death's release.

"Eterna." In one sudden moment, the woman heard a man's voice ring her ears, causing her eyes to shoot open. Within that same instant, she looked around and noticed how in the matter of a couple of seconds, the dark nightmarish void that was her vision had been dispersed in her immediate area by a small red blast of fire, removing every bit of discomfort she had experienced up to that point. At first, due to how sudden it all was, she wasn't able to tell what had happened, or who was the source, but within seconds, she gathered her bearings and faced the cause of it all.

When she faced the source, she took sight of a tall black-haired and moderately built man, one who had the entirety of his upper body covered by a black woolen trench coat. He had a natural glare on his face as his dark brown eyes were sharp and analytical, staring right into her eyes with a scowl on his face. Not only that, but she was able to spot a jet black scabbard that was strapped to his back. As a natural sequence of observation, her eyes then roamed to one of his hands where he was holding a very particular weapon. He had a sword on hand, one that was jet black and embed with fire and crimson etchings. It was shining and on fire with both details slowly increasing and decreasing in strength at an interval. It was as if the details were breathing. As if they were alive and responsive to the man himself.

As a result of his appearance, even though he was her savior, the woman couldn't help but shiver with fear. He seemed incredibly intimidating, so much so that she couldn't bring herself to say that she was safe. He had an aura of his own that held her in place, locking her down with anxiety above all.

The man, on the other hand, was standing still, looking over her and analyzing her, causing even more fear to arise in the woman. What was going to happen? She thought. She didn't know. She didn't know anything. Who was he? Why was he here? Why is someone like him in the Wraith's Manifest? It was an endless barrage of questions fueled by her fear and anxiety.

Even though he was scaring her deeply with his demeanor, the woman herself had made no effort to run away from him. Of course, she wasn't planning on running away because she knew very well that she was safe only because of him. If she left, she'd be back in the hell where she was suffering deeply.

"Why are you here?" The man suddenly spoke, causing the woman to flinch from his deep voice. At first, she didn't respond, only because he had thrown her off. However, she quickly got herself together again.

"I... I..." She couldn't get her words out. For some reason, her throat felt tight and dry. "I was... escaping. I... needed to escape. My home... It's in danger... It's about to get destroyed." Slowly, her words became broken and airy, a result due to her beginning to cry again. "I need help... I wanted to find a safe place..." She continued, pushing past her tears and sadness. "Please..." She trailed as her throat locked again. "Please... Help me..." She begged suddenly as she raised her hands to cover her face. "Help me... Help my family... My friends... Please... I... I just want to save them..." She grumbled on and on.

"Please... I beg of you..." She cried.

"Save them for me..." She begged earnestly.

Even though the display was one that yearned for hope, the man himself was silent, unwavering in rigidity. He had no external reaction whatsoever. Instead, he was staring at her, watching her expose the emotions she had been harboring throughout the night, not saying a single thing. It was as if he was a statue himself, unmoving and unresponsive. The woman, on the other hand, was so preoccupied with venting her desires that she didn't notice the lack of change in his behavior. Instead, when he had finally made a response, it had thoroughly shocked her.

"No." It was a simple response, a small one that in any other circumstance, would have amounted to nearly nothing. However, in this scenario, it amounted to everything for the woman. As so, because of how much it meant to her, she stopped crying suddenly, but instead, froze in place. It was as if his response had ripped her heart out, as if he had thrown her soul into a void. It was a cold answer, a merciless one that tore right through the tiny vulnerable part of her being. She was completely petrified, not even processing the answer due to how painful it would have been to acknowledge it. Instead, she stared at him, lifelessly and emptily as if she had been turned to stone herself. As if she had gotten killed with his one word alone.

His response, without a doubt, had broken her.