“That GOD DAMN TREE!!!” Shouted Asval to take out his frustration after dying from a collapsing tree.

Standing up he was surprised. The grass also turned into dust, and his feet were no longer constantly stabbed by sharp grass. He was relieved by this feeling.

With an empty space all around he was able to spot another gate and the opposite side of the cavern. The gates looked similar to the ones from the prison he stayed in. Above the gate, there was a sign. “Feed the forest with blood once a year.”

“You water the plants… Not pour blood on them…” Said Asval with a bitter taste in his mouth.

He placed both of his hands on the gate and pushed with all his might. Compared to the last time he had the strength to move the gate. His body was shining with sweat but he was able to make a gap big enough to go through without damaging himself.

 “I’m going to puke…” Said Asval as he saw another forest in front of him. This time the trees and grass looked natural and green. But it seemed like he was looking through a black-colored glass at them.

Looking up he couldn’t see the ceiling of the cavern. It seemed like he left the caves but looking at the sky he couldn’t see any stars or moon. 

Not knowing where to go Asval simply moved forward. He was cautious and observed his surroundings after his last experience in the forest. This time it really felt like he was in the forest. The grass wasn’t cutting his feet but gently brushed against them. Even the air felt fresh.

His stomach began to growl, reminding him of his need for food that immortality didn’t take away.

“Maybe there are animals here. Or some fruits… It does look like a real forest after all…” He whispered to himself as he touched the tree. 

He climbed up the tree to take a look around the area but he couldn’t see much except for tree crowns. His desire for food had to wait until he found something. When he was about to surrender he was reminded of his previous food. 

Jumping off the tree he looked closely at the ground and found what he was looking for. A food that he is used to. Bugs.

“Not a lot but it should keep you quiet for a moment.” Asval clapped his belly.

He walked for hours through the never-ending forest. He got bored of just walking so he decided to train his body. He was doing crunches and push-ups. Lastly, he used the tree as the punching bag. The tree was quickly reduced to splinters as he had previously trained on a tree made of iron.

Once the tree fell to the ground and made noise around the area, for the first time in decades he heard birds. The sound and sudden ground shaking scared them off.

“Those are… real birds…” Asval was stunned at first but then he began to laugh, he might finally be able to eat something normal. 

“If there are birds, there need to be more animals!” He shouted and to his surprise a deer ran past him, scared by his sudden shouting.

“Wait! Wait up! I just want to eat you!” Shouted Asval as he ran behind the deer, his mouth already full of saliva as he tried to imagine the taste of the meat.

The deer felt the man’s presence right behind it so the deer picked up the speed leaving the man far away from it. Asval fell to his knees dramatically, a small tear appearing in his eye.

“I’ll catch you one day… One day…”

For the first time in a long long time, Asval was able to sleep comfortably. The grass welcomed his exhausted body and tired mind. He slept with a smile on his face until a bright light woke him up. Looking up he noticed a cloudless dark blue sky.

“Did I truly escape?” Asval questioned his situation but he didn’t lean toward any answer as something didn’t feel right. Even though the sky was blue there was no sun and the area was visible in darker shades.

“Strange… Well… Better move forward. Can’t wait for the food!”

Asval tore off one of the tree branches and used a stone he found on the ground to sharpen the branch to use it like a spear for hunting. 

With his newly made weapon, he went for a hunt, slowly and silently venturing through the forest. He spotted three deer eating grass on a small empty field. He observed them from behind the tree. He gave to the temptation and threw his spear toward them. 

The spear went right into one deer’s thigh, the other two quickly escaped but the one that was hit struggled to move.

“Sorry pal. I’ll end it quickly.” 

Once he finished the deer he made a small campfire to cook the meat. He dragged his prey closer to the fire. He pulled out the spear and noticed something weird. There was no blood on it.