Melina stumbled through the dense forest, weaving between thick roots and damp leaves. The birds had gone silent hours ago. Everything was too quiet.

She was exhausted. Her whole body ached. Left arm broken, three cracked ribs, and fatigue so deep that even breathing felt like a burden.
This forest was killing her slowly.

That’s when she saw the body.

Lying on its side, partially covered in leaves, was a warrior. Rusted armor, empty eyes, and a sword still gripped in a lifeless hand.

Melina approached, ignoring the stabbing pain in her ribs.
"Someone died here... Was it recent?"

She knelt down with effort and activated her ability.

Evaluation: Heavy Armor, Steel. Integrity: 30%.

"Too heavy for me..." she muttered.

She checked the sword.

Evaluation: Longsword, Iron and Fused Copper. Integrity: 18%.

"Useless... barely scrap metal."

Then something glinted near the corpse. A long dagger, partially buried in the dirt.

Evaluation: Long Dagger, Pure Steel. Integrity: 70%.

Melina smiled.
"Well... I don't have armor, but at least I’ve got a weapon."

The moment she grabbed the dagger, the bush behind her exploded.

A piercing roar shattered the silence of the forest.

A giant lizard with a red tail leapt at her, jaws wide open. Its yellow eyes were wild. Its hide looked like cracked leather, and spikes lined its back.

Melina barely reacted in time.

She rolled to the side, groaning. The pain in her chest made her lungs falter. The lizard crashed where she had stood, shattering the ground.

"Damn… it’s fast."

She got up with effort. The dagger trembled in her right hand. Her left arm was useless. This would be a one-handed fight.

The lizard spun its tail. Melina tried to dodge but got clipped on the shoulder, sent flying into a tree. The wood cracked. She collapsed with a dull thud.

The pain made her scream.

Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. Her shoulder pulsed with pain. She coughed. One of the cracked ribs must have pierced something.

"Get up... Get up, Melina..."

The lizard charged again, fast as lightning. Melina rolled away, gritting her teeth. She leaned on a stone, waiting for her moment.

As the creature passed by, she lunged and stabbed the dagger into its neck.

Hot blood sprayed.

But the lizard didn’t die.

It thrashed violently. Melina was thrown again. The dagger remained lodged in the beast.

The creature staggered, bleeding. But still on its feet.

Melina rose too, nearly fainting, her legs barely supporting her. Breathing was torture. Every step was agony.

Even so, she ran.
Or at least tried.

Pushing off with her right leg, she leapt again. She grabbed the dagger’s hilt with her good hand and drove it deeper with every ounce of strength she had.

"DIE!"

The lizard’s final roar shook the air. Its body collapsed. The forest fell silent.

Melina dropped with it.

She lay still for a moment. Just listening to her heartbeat.

The creature’s blood covered her from head to toe. But she was alive.

Crawling, she kept moving through the trees... until she saw it.

A village.

Simple wooden houses, dark and quiet, with smoke rising from a few chimneys. A fence made of twisted branches surrounded the place.

She smiled, relief in her eyes.

"A... civilization..."

She took two steps.

And stopped.

The air turned heavy.

As if the world itself had stopped breathing.

She slowly turned her head.

There he was.

A tall figure, draped in dark rags. His hood hid his face, but his eyes glowed pure red—like burning coals.

A crushing aura radiated from him. The ground trembled.

Melina dropped to her knees—not from pain, but pure terror.

He took a single step forward.

His voice came deep, slow, and cold.

— “Human…”

To be continued…