unleash the eternal darkness

As Darius and Lotfi talked, a cold breeze crept between them, an unnatural chill that sent shivers down Darius' spine. It felt as if unseen eyes were watching from the dense trees. Suddenly, Lotfi's voice broke the silence—not loud, but firm and laced with warning:

"Don't move. Close your eyes. Don't follow anything, don't trust anything… not even me."

Darius froze in place, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, but he obeyed immediately. He shut his eyes tightly as the fog slithered through the trees, almost like a living entity searching for something. It wasn't ordinary fog—it carried whispers, distant echoes, voices calling to him in hushed, desperate tones. Ghostly murmurs from the past… or perhaps, sinister attempts to lure him in.

He felt something circling him, a presence grazing his skin like icy fingers, tempting him to open his eyes. But he remained still.

Seconds stretched into eternity before the fog slowly withdrew, as if realizing its prey wouldn't be so easily fooled. Lotfi let out a deep breath before muttering:

"It passed by us… Well done. If you had moved, we'd be nothing more than lifeless corpses right now."

Darius, still shaken by the encounter, rasped:

"What… what was that?"

Lotfi gave him a measured look before replying in a low voice:

"Something you don't want to face. That's all you need to know for now."

Then, as if something about Darius' face triggered a memory, he suddenly added:

"You know… I once knew someone like you. He could control fire."

He paused for a moment, his gaze lingering on Darius.

"You remind me of him… That's strange."

He didn't elaborate, but there was something in his tone—an old memory resurfacing, something he wasn't ready to explain just yet.

Survival Training in the Deep Forest

After a brief silence, Lotfi tossed a small rock onto the ground and spoke:

"Alright, you're in the most dangerous place imaginable. You won't survive just by hiding. I'll teach you how to move, how to think, and how to avoid dying here."

The training began with the basics:

Silent Movement: Lotfi had Darius walk over fallen leaves without making a sound. At first, his steps were as loud as thunder in the stillness of the forest. But after countless attempts, he began to understand how to shift his weight, how to step lightly, how to avoid snapping twigs beneath his feet.

Recognizing Signs: Lotfi explained that the creatures here weren't like the ones in stories. Some were invisible except for the shadows they cast, while others could only be detected by the subtle vibrations in the ground. Darius had to learn to listen—not just with his ears, but with his entire body.

Resisting Illusions: Lotfi put him through a strange test—blindfolding him and exposing him to the fog's whispers. Some voices were familiar, calling out to him—his mother, his younger brother. Others were completely unknown. But every time Darius reacted, Lotfi would strike him, forcing him to stay still.

"The fog doesn't kill you directly. It makes you kill yourself. It makes your own mind betray you."

For hours, Darius stumbled, failed, and struggled, but with each mistake, he learned. His body ached from training, but his mind was adapting.

The Most Important Question

Later that night, as Darius sat near a small fire, exhausted and breathless, he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. He lifted his head and asked:

"Why are you helping me?"

Lotfi, who had been sharpening his knife, paused for a moment. Then, he gave a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Because I believe you'll be the one to get me out of here… Not now, but one day, when you're strong enough."

There was something in his voice—not just confidence, but hope—hope clinging to years of isolation and an inevitable fate.

Darius stared at him for a long time before turning his gaze toward the fog still creeping through the trees.

He had to become stronger… Not just for himself, but because this forest would never let him leave unless he was ready