Since the carriage left the dungeon, all I could do was count the passing time to maintain my sanity. After what felt like an eternity but was actually a week, we arrived at our destination. Blindfolded, I sensed I wasn't alone in the carriage.

"Welcome to the Land of Exile, you bastards. A land where only the strongest survive. Do your best not to die on your first night!" A soldier's laughter was sharp and cruel, a twisted symphony of sadism.

Before we could ask any questions, the soldier suddenly pushed us from a hill. I was lucky enough to land on some branches. I ripped off my blindfold to check on the others.

"Is there anyone around? Are you guys okay?" I shouted, my voice raw with panic and fear.

"Sa...ve me..." The voice was agonizing, a whisper of torment.

Looking up, I saw something even more horrible than the massacre in Heypher. A monster was eating the man alive, his insides strewn about. The sight froze me to my core, and all I could do was run, using what little strength I had left.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I couldn't help..." I cried as I ran, begging for the dead man's forgiveness. My weakness had failed him, just as it had failed my family.

The Land of Exile stretched out before me, a desolate and forsaken place. The vast expanse alternated between arid desert and sparse forests, a harsh and unforgiving environment where only the worst sinners were sent. The sand was scorching by day and freezing by night, while the trees, gnarled and ancient, whispered tales of despair. This land was a graveyard for hope, where survival meant embracing the darkness within.

A week passed, and I learned many things about this land and the monsters that roamed it. To survive, I scavenged the lairs of wyverns, taking leftovers while they fought each other. For two weeks, I survived this way, until I let my guard down.

Wyverns were terrifying creatures, their scales a dull, dark green that blended seamlessly with the sparse vegetation. They had wings like bats, leathery and powerful, and their eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence. Each one was a formidable predator, with claws that could tear through flesh and bone. Watching them fight was like witnessing a clash of titans, their roars shaking the ground and their talons ripping into each other with brutal efficiency.

One day, as I prepared to raid a wyvern's lair, a man emerged from the bushes. He claimed to have been in the carriage with me and needed help.

"Hey, I'm Gary. I was with you in the carriage. I saw you after the guard pushed us from the hill. I know I look shady, but I haven't eaten in two days. Please, share some of what you have with me. I'll be forever grateful," he said, desperation etched into his voice.

Gary was a wiry man with sunken eyes and a perpetual twitch, a clear sign of prolonged hunger and desperation. His clothes were tattered, barely holding together, and his hands trembled slightly as he spoke.

"Gary, you say? I never saw you. The only man near me got eaten alive by a water wraith," I replied, suspicion creeping into my tone.

"I fell a bit farther away. Of course, I ran when I saw that monster. I didn't want to be its next meal."

He seemed honest. I explained my plan to raid the wyvern's lair. He offered to help in exchange for half the leftovers. It seemed fair, so I agreed.

When we arrived, there were no leftovers. It was the first time it had happened.

"Su, didn't you say this lair is usually full of leftovers? What do we do now?" Gary asked, anxiety in his eyes.

"It's never been empty before. Usually, it's full of remnants."

"That's why I could be useful. I know another lair nearby. We might find something to eat there."

I followed Gary to the lair he mentioned. When we arrived, there was nothing, not even a nest.

"You can come out now!" Gary shouted, his voice taking on a new, sinister edge.

"I see, human. You are quite useful to us. Keep up the good work, bait." An unknown voice replied, dripping with malice.

Oriazerks, they were called. Intelligent, man-eating monsters that resembled goblins but were far stronger and smarter. Their skin was a sickly green, their eyes burning with a cruel intelligence. They stood taller than me, muscular and agile, their bodies covered in scars from countless battles. Their leader was particularly fearsome, with a jagged scar running down his face and eyes that gleamed with a sadistic hunger.

Realizing how naive I'd been, I cursed myself for trusting a stranger in the Land of Exile. The men sent here were worse than any monster.

"Gary, what's the meaning of this?" I demanded, fury and betrayal lacing my words.

"Sorry, Su. I have to survive, even if it means being their bait and slave," Gary confessed, avoiding my gaze.

I was ambushed by the Oriazerks.

"Brothers, we shall feast tonight. Tie him up and bring him alive to our village," the Oriazerk leader commanded, his eyes gleaming with hunger.

I knew if I got caught, I would be killed, or worse. I ran, but an Oriazerk slashed my back as I tried to escape.

"Did you think you could run away? We never miss our prey. Brothers, tie him up!" The leader's voice was filled with sadistic glee.

Bleeding and nearing death, I screamed as loudly as I could to alert the nearby wyverns.

"That was a desperate scream. Save your energy, human. No one will come to rescue you," the Oriazerk leader mocked, his face twisted in a cruel smile.

"Yeah, no one but a monster could save me now..." I coughed up blood, my vision blurring.

"What do you mean, human?"

"It's too late to explain, you bastard."

"Chief, wyverns are attacking our men at the entrance!" one of the Oriazerk henchmen shouted, panic in his voice.

"Buy us time to escape. I won't forget this, human!" the leader roared, his confidence wavering.

While the Oriazerks were busy with the wyverns, I took the chance to escape. Stumbling away, I could feel the hot breath of death on my neck. After putting some distance between myself and the lair, I found a secluded spot to tend to my wounds. Using leather and a piece of my shirt, I patched up the gash on my back. The pain was excruciating, but the fear of death drove me on.

I slumped against a tree, my vision blurring from blood loss and exhaustion. The rawhide and fabric were poor substitutes for proper medical care, but they would have to do. Every heartbeat sent a jolt of pain through my body, reminding me of how close I had come to dying.

As I lay there, a voice whispered to me, faint and ethereal, as if carried by the wind.

"Go west... Go west..."

Despite my agony, the voice felt warm and trustworthy, nostalgic and comforting. It was as if someone I once loved was guiding me. With no other option and nothing left to lose, I decided to follow the voice westward, into the unknown expanse of the Land of Exile.