Chapter 2 Cave

He walked into the cave, remembering that it was called Coastal Cave, filled with Demi-Humans.

As he moved inside, darkness enveloped him, so thick that he could barely see his own feet.

"This is going to be hard. I don't know how I'm going to do this," he muttered, crouching low and moving forward slowly.

He stepped deeper into the darkness, pressing his hand against the rough stone wall for support. His eyes strained to see anything in the pitch black.

Then he heard a faint shuffling sound from deeper within. A pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by more, blinking open one by one. Before he could react, a shadow lunged at him, claws slicing into his arm.

He tried to pull back, but they were on him in an instant, biting and clawing, his body overwhelmed by sharp, relentless pain until everything faded to black.

He gasped and opened his eyes, back at the cave entrance. The memory of claws tearing into him was vivid, the pain fresh in his mind. 

He placed his hand on the wall to support.. "That Hurts"He muttured as he breathed heavily he could still remember the pain he felt as he looked around standing outside the entrance

his breath still uneven as he steadied himself. The memory of claws tearing into him lingered, sharp and all too real. A moment passed before he shook it off and took a step forward.

For a second time, he moved into the cave, this time trying to stick closer to the wall, hoping to avoid the Demi-Humans lurking in the dark. He moved slowly, crouching low, barely breathing. But once again, the faint rustling sounds grew louder.

The glowing eyes appeared, blinking open all around him, and before he could turn back, they rushed at him.

He had no time to defend himself. Claws and teeth tore into his skin, and the darkness swallowed him again.

He gasped, back outside the cave. The shock was wearing off, but the frustration was building. Each time he returned, the pain and fear were as fresh as if it were his first time. He clenched his fists, jaw tight.

"again..."

The third attempt was no better. He tried moving faster, slipping through the dark with quick steps. But the Demi-Humans seemed to anticipate his every move. He barely got halfway in before they lunged, ripping into him as the world faded once more.

Each death left him more frayed, more on edge.

He took a deep breath, fighting back the feeling of despair rotting at him from the inside. Slowly, he began to think it through, recalling the patterns he'd noticed.

The Demi-Humans reacted to sound and movement. They seemed more active when he moved too quickly or made too much noise.

Attempt after attempt, he retraced the dark path through the cave, piecing together a mental map from each failure. The memories of each death lingered in his mind.

Each time he revived, his body trembled slightly.

He repeated his plan, moving slowly, every step cautious. He knew the beginning of the route well by now—the first pair of Demi-Humans positioned on opposite walls, their faint, uneven breaths echoing in the silence.

He approached them, taking the smallest steps possible, barely daring to breathe. The creatures stirred slightly but didn't react as he slipped through the narrow path between them.

Just a few more steps. He could feel their presence fading behind him.

He moved deeper, recalling his path. There was a lone Demi-Human further ahead on the left side. He'd been caught off guard by it once, stumbling forward and alerting the others nearby.

This time, he hugged the opposite wall, making himself as small as possible, inching past it. His heart pounded, but he forced himself to keep his breaths steady.

A few more steps, and he was past.

He paused, eyes fixed on the dim light ahead where the two Demi-Human chiefs were. They were larger, stronger, and faster than the others—he'd learned that the hard way.

This time, he knew he couldn't afford to try sneaking past them. His only option was to run.

Taking a steadying breath, he crouched low, gathering himself. Then he pushed off, sprinting forward with every ounce of speed he could muster. His footsteps echoed in the cave, and almost immediately, the chiefs turned, snarling as they picked up his presence.

He didn't look back; he could feel them gaining on him, their heavy footsteps pounding after him.

He kept his eyes on the faint light ahead—the exit. He could make it if he just kept running, every instinct screaming to move faster, to push forward despite the burn in his legs and the pounding in his chest.

The chiefs were close, their claws scraping the stone just behind him. He pushed forward, reaching the mouth of the cave and bursting into the open air. The cold night hit him as he stumbled out, finally free from the darkness.

As he fell to the ground, he quickly stood up and walked away from the cave. He glanced back and saw the Demi-Humans lingering inside, their snarls fading as they stayed in the shadows. Maybe they didn't like the outside.

"Finally!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the still air. "I made it!" Relief washed over him, mixed with the exhaustion from all those deaths. He couldn't believe the struggle he'd endured, all the pain he'd felt.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and started walking. The shore stretched out before him, and he knew the Church of Elleh was just up ahead.

As he walked, it took him a whole hour or two to reach the church. He moved carefully, knowing the Tree Sentinel was nearby and would destroy him if it spotted him. There was no way he was approaching the front entrance.

Once he arrived near the church, he slowly climbed the wall and hopped inside.

"Oh, who do we have here?" he suddenly heard a voice.