Chapter Three: Welcoming Embrace.

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona francise.

Until that moment, I always thought that "deer in the headlights" metaphor was funny. I mean, did you ever see eyes like that? Those are hilarious!

…That's what I thought until that night. Because at that very moment my face had to be a perfect rendition of that emotion.

Time froze in a moment.

You know, I think I can guess what you think. "Oh, hell yeah! Now this guy is going to shine, take out a hidden katana, pocket knife, gun, whatever, kick that Eldrich abomination's butt back to where it crawled out from and totally shock that lady with having no injuries whatsoever and it's gonna be Awesome!"

…You know what? Stop it right there. Seriously? No, I would LOVE to have had… Oh, I don't know, some cool Ki technique, magical weapon… Heck, I would have been glad to have at least a freaking shield at that point!

But wait! I know what you are thinking. Of course! Encountering a monster that threatens to kill him and his comrades, hero suddenly, out of desperation and pure instinct calls upon his spirit and unleashes the magic within, obliterating all on his path!

…

No. That's just plain stupid. Things are not supposed to happen like that. I am but a mere human. Or… At least I was. But that's a story for later.

In that frozen silence we stood for what seemed like an eternity. Fear does strange things to ones mind. Realizing that, I tried to calm down and let out a breath I was holding.

…And just like that, the magic was broken.

With a growl, distorted beast lunged towards me, world unraveling behind its steps. As if predicting its intentions, woman started running in attempt to intercept. But it was clear that she wouldn't make it.

Okay, kicking or otherwise making contact with it was out of question. With what it apparently does to reality around itself, I am not risking a limb. Maybe weapon would do, but the only weapon was in the woman's hands. Thus…

I threw myself to the right, dodging fangs aimed right for my jugular. With a groan, I jumped off the grass and away from where I stood. It looked like the beast met tree with its face and tried to get its bearings. But that was when I froze yet again.

The tree… Melted.

While inaccurate, this word was the best to describe what I saw. Branches bent under impossible, thirty degrees angles with green liquid drops hanging from them that had to be leaves at some point, barkless trunk that started curling in a spiral and roots that became black, eating down in the earth.

And as wolf got ready for another killing lunge, I knew for certain: if I touch this… This abomination of a thing, then I am dead. No ifs or buts about it.

Now, what do you do when you have no means to attack nor defend, no chance to stop or even delay something terrifying in front of you, even if you had something to fight for?

The answer came in form of the woman that I forgot about but for a minute. Rough, yet lithe figure threw itself between us and for the first time I heard her voice, firm and deep…

"Get the hell out of here!"

…And not exactly clean. But, I guess she is not exactly in control of her emotions right now, seeing her face is a mixture of rage, conflict and… Fear? Wait, that one's concern. I am flattered. And possibly flattened if I don't do as she says!

But. As terrified as I was, I couldn't help but realize the peril of the woman in front of me. The danger of her situation was obvious. Even if her sword can somehow stand up to this… Corruption, she would still have to get close to the beast. Too close.

Damnit. I couldn't just run like that. Stupid, irresponsible and ungrateful idiot. Still, I couldn't bring myself to care.

Now, how do I go about making this situation safer for her? The only way is…

Thought process took a few moments, during which the woman did her best to attract the attention of the wretched thing.

…Wait. That's it!

I stood up and started slowly walking to the right, staring right in wolfs eyes that started following me, noticing me moving. I heard eye contact aggravates some animals.

After a short pause, I began circling around it. In a nearly nonexistent moonlight that filled me with horror two frozen figures looked like pale shadows. Trying very hard not to blink, I moved to beast's side. Even though wolfs head never moved, its eyes, too, unblinking, trailed me the whole time.

As I stood there, silence descended yet again. Not even nearly as long as those before it, this pause was just as filled with suspense just as tree was still twisting at creature's side. Finally, one of the braches couldn't handle the strain and broke silently, falling down.

Scene exploded in action. As I jumped to the right and dashed across the clearing, evading the beast that lunged at me, I could see trying to stop it from moving after me.

"You idiot!" – sadly, it stopping wasn't in my plans. Not even seeing, feeling it running behind me, I ran out of the clearing and zig-zagged between trees, trying to throw it off.

It was at this point that I felt my fear subsiding, freeing place for flowing excitement and cold planning. Not that planning will do me much good, I realized. No weapons or transport, and trying to fight it is right out. Exhausting it? Nah, I have no idea just how supernatural this thing can be. Too risky. Now, I can't count on its legs failing… I can't do anything about its nose, so I'll just have to get lucky about it… And I can't hurt its ears, either… What about its eyes? What if I get out of its eyesight? How? Hiding behind the tree is idiotic. I just won't do it fast enough, or silently enough. What about… ON the tree? Good enough. No other wa- Ohshitohshitohshit don't you freaking stumble, Shiki! Too much thinking, no action!

Miraculously managing to avoid falling down, I started looking for a good branch. Just in time, too – my lungs started burning and legs got heavy. How the wolf didn't get me yet, I have no idea. Fear gives people wings, indeed…

Finally seeing a good spot, I dived into some bushes and then jumped up, grasping on a branch and pulling myself up. Now…

It jumped out of the bushes and started running again, not noticing me. Did it work?

Sounds disappeared in far away. I sat on a branch and- Did I just nearly die?

That how I roll about stress. Seem all cool and awesome even inside and then it all comes crashing down at once and I nearly have a freaking seizure with how my limbs are shaking and…

Aaand I fall down on this sinful earth. Damn hurts. Regardless, I should get the hell out. Or wait. Will that woman just forget about me and go home? Or better yet, forget about that monster? Shit. I am not just going to return home, am I?

But even that point became moot when I looked around.

"Where the hell am I?" – my voice sounded a bit raspy after a long run.

Yep, I am officially lost. My best bet would be going in direction opposite from where wolf had gone. Big load of good would it be, though, what with all the turns we did. Oh well… I started moving, trying very hard to not look at the moon shining between the trees.

And now that I actually have time to think about it… What the hell just happened? It suddenly became nighttime, then that monster right out of some magical series appears… I really should find that woman. She looked like she knew what's been going on.

But… Isn't it just like five years ago? That feeling is too similar to just brush it off as a coincidence.

"It's like you are chasing me." – I whispered to no one in particular.

As adrenalin rush went down, surrounding atmosphere started pressing down on me. It felt like a watered down version of and horror that wolf from before emanated. It felt… Alien. Corrupting. Insane. And it was flowing over entire forest. Animals must be going mad right now. I know I do. It's like something inside in me, my very soul rejects it.

…Wait. They ARE bound to be in at least SOME amount of distress, right?

So. Why can't I hear anything?

No squeal, growl of bark. How strange. Hm.

Just as I approached another clearing, a sound from above got my attention. It was a simple bird that decided to land on a tree nearby. Just as it passed near the treetops. I saw it. A bleak, nearly invisible shadows that trees formed between themselves… Moved. Moved for what looked like a mere inch, yet a poor animal ended up shrouded in them. And just after a moment blink, shadows subsided. I could swear it was just my imagination, if it wasn't for one thing. As shadows went down, them crawling back and upper branches getting opened to the moonlight yet again…

The bird didn't.

It was a surreal sight. It was like the bird was still covered by a shadow, even though there was nothing that could have it.

Seemingly unaware of any change, it finished landing and looked around. In a split second after, it was gone, being killed by a passing squirrel. It got just… Torn apart. Just like that.

Having no idea what to think, I moved my gaze to the clearing in front of me.

What transpired there would be best defined as an all-out brawl. Term "Battle for survival" implies that some of participants run away in order to live. Term "War" requires for there to be sides.

There was neither of these things.

All living things in my sight were touched by a shadow. As a consequence, it compelled them to kill. Kill and kill indiscriminately.

I saw bear cubs baring their fangs on their mother. She wouldn't pay them any attention, too busy throwing herself against their father.

I saw the whole packs of wild dogs in disarray, males biting wildly at each other. Females long forgotten, their corpses already lying in dirt, half devoured by vulturing field-mice to whom there became no difference between plants and meat. The cycle went on, as those mice lucky enough to evade their brethren's wrath ended up eaten by snakes, who violently trashed around biting anything they could get their fangs in, except one, which seemed intent on devouring its one most worthy prey - the tail which belonged to itself… A symphony of destruction blared in the air, as in their fury creatures' forms began to lose their clarity, blending together in perfect embodiment of a primal Chaos…

I averted my eyes. All thoughts of logical thinking escaped my mind, as I ran away from my fear, for my mind itself was slipping away...

I had no idea how much time had passed, as trees and shadows mixed in shapeless grey. As my… Revulsion began to fade, yet again I saw a blink of empty space between the trees. Unable to resist a joy of at last getting somewhere else open, I ran ahead.

I am getting tired of all the running, it's good to- Whoa!

Those last trees grew on the edge of some kind of canyon. Barely avoiding the fall, I looked down. Nope, ain't seeing a bottom. Not much of a surprise, with it being a night. Lifting a stone up from a ground, I threw it there.

…

…

…

No sound. Good thing I didn't fall, then.

"Hey you!" – a sudden yell startled me. It belonged to the woman on the other side of the canyon. That exact woman from before. Before I could say anything, she continued yelling:

"You idiot! How reckless can you be to just risk yourself like that? Do you have a death wish or something?"

What can one answer to that? Heck, she seemed actually relieved to see me unharmed. And it feels good to see my plans actually succeeding for once, seeing her alive and whole. I smiled and rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. If anything, it infuriated her further:

"You have to get out of here! There are other… Things like that here! If even one gets to you, you're- LOOK OUT!" – at that, I noticed a tree just to the side of me… Distorting? Just like… Oh shit.

Behind me stood another of those animals. Rather than resembling that wolf from before, it was just like all those other animals. And yet, its shape was unrecognizable, as if it was not corrupted by shadows, but became a part of them. Like a shadow of a smoke, its four-legged figure changed, twisted and deformed before my eyes. And it was running right… At…Me.

Oh.

I never had time to dodge, as it aimed for my neck. How, how do I live? Maybe twist slightly or headbutt it in the teeth, can do uppercut to the jaw to misdirect it or kick up and ju-

Snap.

I heard woman scream. Animal's momentum carried us both over the edge of canyon, even as it kept its teeth in my neck.

As my eyes went off, I cursed.

I really think too much sometimes.

Now I am dead.

Author's Note: Well now, it's been a long time. I finally thought all the plot through, and am motivated to continue writing.

Smaller then the last chapter, but I wanted to end this on a cliffhanger.

So. Did it seem rushed, or did I actually manage to get the atmosphere right?

Thank you for reading. Please review!