His pursuit of the bandit had led him astray, deeper into the patches of woods and marshes. Consumed by his determination to catch the bastard, Aphid had lost track of direction.

Kor's absence had unleashed Aphid's temper, fueling his inclination to rage. With no focal point to calm him, Aphid was consumed by his emotions, driven to make every last one of these bandits pay.

The horses struggled to navigate the treacherous terrain, making it difficult for Aphid to maintain his aim. Trees seemed to jump into his line of sight, and even in the open land area, the horses' unsteadiness on the uneven and muddy ground hindered his shots.

The chase dragged on, depleting Aphid's quiver of arrows. He considered targeting the horse instead, but just as he adjusted his aim, fate intervened. The bandit's horse stumbled in a muddy patch, flipping it over and sending its rider tumbling to the ground.

Finally.

Aphid rode up beside the fallen bandit, his aim still on him.

"Please, please!" the bandit begged, "Please don't kill me! Please! I didn't want to be there! I had only just become an outlaw! To feed my family! I didn't think I had a choice! B-But it's… it's not for me! Not this way! It's not! I didn't kill anyone, I swear! I swear to all the Divines! Even Talos--!"

Aphid's expression remained unforgiving. "Shut up," he spat.

"Please--!"

"I said shut up!"

The bandit quieted, trembling, as Aphid kept his arrow aimed at him. "Where is my little brother?" Aphid demanded, his voice firm. "Have you seen him?"

The bandit shook his head, "I-I don't know your brother. What does he look like?"

Aphid's eyes narrowed, "Little boy. With long blonde hair. He's very freckly. Has two noticeable beauty marks on his left cheekbone."

The bandit shook his head, "N-No, I didn't see him. I didn't see any kids in the ones they…I'll help you look for him! I will, if you let me. I promise! I have a little boy of my own—"

Aphid released the arrow. Ending the bastard.

But his gaze remained fixed on the lifeless bandit, his mind struggling to form a coherent thought.

But before he could even begin to process his emotions or think of his next course of action, a familiar and terrifying sound shook him to his core.

The approaching roar sent his heart racing, his stomach lurching into his chest, and his vision flashing.

His horse reacted before he could, rearing up with a frantic neigh as a troll emerged, its three beady eyes fixed hungrily upon them.

The horse bolted, leaving Aphid, who was so rigid in fear, to fall hard onto the ground.

But Aphid felt nothing but the troll's roar rattling through his mind, his body, sending wave after wave of panic through his very soul.

The mere thought of the beast was enough to shackle Aphid to horrors of his past.

The memories of his home being ravaged by a horde of these hellacious creatures, the brutal deaths of his baby sister and his Mama…The thoughts strangled Aphid's very being in a vice grip.

He lay frozen in terror, unable to move or escape the approaching monster. The three-eyed beast of muscle and teeth loomed closer, its fingers ripping the earth as it bounded forward, its jaws open wide in a snarl.

Aphid's grip on his bow was paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch as the troll closed in.

But just as all hope seemed lost, the beast suddenly shifted its attention to the bandit's horse that still laid upon the ground, injured from its earlier fall.

It was a much more appealing meal than gangly Aphid.

With a savage roar, the troll tore into the horse's flesh, its massive strength effortlessly ripping limbs apart, as if this other muscled creature was nothing but paper.

The gruesome scene unleashed a torrent of memories in Aphid's mind, his vision blurring as he relived this horror he has seen before.

His mother's arm being torn from her body, along with the little sister she had been holding…

Yet, despite the overwhelming fear and grief, Aphid managed to drag himself backwards, seeking refuge in a nearby thicket of trees. The troll, engrossed in its bloody feast, didn't even notice his escape.

But it was as far as Aphid could go as the memories and fear continued to lock him. He braced his back against a tree and curled his knees to his chest, staring unblinking at the ground as the carnage behind him continued on.

It was as if the creature deliberately lingered to torment Aphid.

Hours passed as the troll continued to feast on both the horse's and the bandit's corpses. It even engaged in some sort of play with what pieces of the bodies remained. The troll running around and slamming them on the ground and tossing them in the air.

The sun began to set, and finally, the troll departed. Aphid cautiously peered around the tree, ensuring the creature was truly gone. But as he tried to stand, his legs buckled beneath him.

Exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

Aphid clutched the tree, desperate to pull himself up, but his body betrayed him, collapsing to the ground once more. He lay there, spent.

Since yesterday's afternoon, he had been going nonstop, without food or even a drink. His willpower alone couldn't overcome the exhaustion that had consumed him. The constant horrors one after another draining whatever adrenaline he had left.

What was he to do? This can't happen. He had to find Kor.