The Scarlet Forest.

Is...Is this heaven?

Or perhaps...hell?

Urgh...Why is it paining so much?

-

Lucas opened his eyelids and found himself in a spinning mist of confusion.

He was surrounded by scarlet woods, and an awful glare from a blood-soaked moon covered everything in an unsettling glow, filling the air with dread.

The earth under him shook, contributing to the dizziness that gripped his senses and threw him into a whirlpool of confusion and misery.

Lucas struggled to break free from the overwhelming feelings that held him, as his consciousness battled against them.

However, his body refused to obey his directives, with each limb immobilised and burdened as though crushed by an unseen force.

He felt agony gnawing at his senses and lingering in his neck. Despite his extreme tiredness, he forced himself into a sitting position with all the strength he could summon.

Lucas swept his glance over the room, but a shroud of uncertainty clouded his thoughts.

The anguish became more intense, pulsing with a searing heat that erupted from the right side of his neck.

His vision remained blurry in a hazy landscape that did not explain his current condition.

"Mmph..."

He encountered resistance with every attempt to speak as if an invisible barrier was holding his voice hostage.

His trembling fingers gently traced the wounded area, causing a flash of raw agony to course through his body.

The shivers ran down his spine as if a deep, penetrating wound had been inflicted on his body.

He muffled a groan, pitifully attempting to express his anguish.

However, the sound seemed restricted, bound to a realm that barred him from expressing himself.

Lucas teetered between bits of comprehension and a fog of uncertainty as his thoughts danced in his mind.

He couldn't grip onto a thread of lucidity, as his consciousness slipped through his fingers like water through cupped hands.

Waves of questions crashed against the shores of his consciousness, seeking answers he couldn't supply.

Each inquiry pierced his soul, sending ripples of anxiety in its wake.

The questions hung heavy in the air, further confounding Lucas's already shaky grasp on reality.

-

It wasn't supposed to be like this!

The religious texts always told us that it's either heaven or hell we go to!

Or, I am actually in hell? But...I don't remember committing any sin except that...

Oh, f*ck this!

Or maybe I am just dreaming...Yes, it could be that but I remember I was trying to...

-

Slowly, the veil of agony began to lift, to be replaced by the dawning realisation that this was no mere dream but a strange reality.

-This...This feels too real to be a dream.

The strong and palpable sensations coursing through him broke any illusion.

"Is this place even real?" Lucas spoke in hushed tones, the sound muffled yet detectable in the air that surrounded him.

He spoke with disbelief and desperation, his voice permeated with insecurity as the anguish slowly dissipated.

As he stood on the brink of an incredible world, where possibilities intertwined in a perplexing tapestry of encounters, his vision became clearer.

Before Lucas could comprehend the gravity of his position, a lovely breeze rustled through the crimson woodland, urging the reddish grass to move in a graceful dance.

His racing thoughts echoed the fast current of the emerald blades swirling like a river of flowing rubies.

In this strange midnight embrace, scarlet leaves shimmered with an intensity that defied description, casting ethereal shadows on the ancient brown trees that rose towards the ink-black sky.

-

It's stunning...

I don't care if it's hell, heaven, or just a dream.

I want this could go on forever. This brisk breeze and solitude were all I needed in my life.

Oh, it's so quiet.

-

The haunting tune of the night air blended with the symphony of nocturnal creatures and whispered secrets.

Beneath the watchful gaze of the crimson moon, a lovely spectacle unfolded.

Suddenly, two voices filled the strange calm with rage and dread as Lucas struggled to recover his feet.

"Here comes that demon!"

"Death to him!"

Two soldiers grasping old guns and wearing military capes and uniforms with brown and white stripes stood at a distance.

The moonlight drenched them in scarlet colours, revealing their faces. Lucas showed disbelief.

-Why do they seem to be signalling me as if I'm a demon?... Lucas's mind raced, a sense of urgency grabbing his thoughts.

>Bang!

The air cracked as a bullet ripped through the silence, heading straight towards Lucas.

The metallic tang of danger hung heavily in the air, an ominous threat ripping through the peaceful night.

The bullet raced through the air, its trajectory zeroing in on Lucas, attempting to make its imprint.

His senses honed in on the impending danger as the world narrowed to a single focus point.

-Huh...W-Wait...What the f*ck is happening?! I need to dodge this!

Startled, Lucas attempted to move to avoid the impending danger.

However, fatigue dragged his limbs into a quagmire of exhaustion, making it difficult for his depleted and debilitated body to flee.

-Sh*t...I don't want to die from a bullet! It's painful!

>Shaaa!

A woman, with her rapier shining in the moon's crimson glory, appeared from the shadows just as hopelessness threatened to devour him. She arrived quickly and with supernatural grace.

>Clang!

She sliced the air with a single stroke, severing the bullet before it could reach its intended target.

Her urgent voice broke through the confusion.

She broke through the confusion with her urgent voice.

"Young Master, you're alive! Oh, Thank God! Please hold me tightly, I'll get you out of here safely!"

"Young Master? What-Oiii!"

She gripped Lucas's hand hard and implacable, catching him off guard and giving him no occasion to question or complain.

She seized control in a moment and pulled him down from the Tophet that hovered to overwhelm him before he could collect his accounts or ask a single question.

As Lucas's aspect met hers, he saw a woman unlike any he'd ever encountered.

Her white braided hair protruded down her back, framing a face with piercing red eyes and pale, nearly ethereal skin.

A black banded robe encircled her body, accentuating her unearthly appearance.

Her mouth revealed pointed teeth, while her ears tapered into a sharp, knife-like points.

-

Woah...Man, She's super pretty! My virgin heart can't handle this, for once, I want to thank god!

Is this some cosplay she's doing? Yep, I am dreaming!

There's no way, a pretty girl like this is supposed to take me away like a princess!

Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I am supposed to be the prince, man!

But I do hope she runs a bit slower, it's scary because she's so fast or wait...Is she even human?!

-

***

The troops trailed behind them, their pace remarkably slow in comparison.

In an instant, the peace was shattered as a hail of bullets exploded from their weapons, slicing through the air with deadly intent.

"They must be stopped! That bastard's a noble's son!" The soldiers yelled their orders, their voices chillingly determined.

"Noble? Son?" The echoes of those words echoed in Lucas' head, triggering disjointed memories veiled in a foggy haze.

The picture unfolded within the scarlet-tinged woodland, flooded with a gruesome tapestry of blood and lifeless bodies sprawled over the ground.

Amid the tumult, a compassionate voice reached his ears, though he couldn't remember the face that accompanied it.

"Kleir Listen to me dear...Run, while Mama is still distracted by these human acquaintances. I love you and your father..."

Enraged shouts punctured the air among the ghostly whispers.

Furious yells combined with the background of violence. "Try to capture that vile creature alive! Vampiric women always fetch a high price!"

In the commotion, one voice rang out, colder and more evil. "Sir, what should we do with that child?"

"Kill him!" was the firm reaction. "We have no use for a child in this affair."

The mysterious entity's consciousness, through which Lucas was contemplating the entire scenario, was filled with the desire for vengeance.

-Kill humans...Kill all humans...They are nothing but pigs to be slaughtered...

***

One of the bullets reached its target, cutting through the delicate skin of the unknown woman and embedding itself in the tender flesh of her left shoulder.

"Argh!"

Her guttural howl of sorrow mingled with the furious growl that came from deep inside.

Despite the excruciating discomfort, her commitment was unwavering.

Her pained shriek cut through the cloud of Lucas's thoughts, jerking him back to the current moment.

-

Huh? What was that? Who was that woman?

That... That Woman seemed oddly familiar...

-

The conflict unfolded in a magnificent display of talent and defiance. As she masterfully wielded her rapier against the assault of bullets, the clash of steel against weaponry rang through the night.

Each stroke of her blade was graceful and precise, deflecting missiles with planned finesse.

The clang of metal met the blaze of gunfire, and sparks exploded in the starry darkness.

A dangerous and determined dance ensued, the red woodland seeing the conflict between the ancient elegance of a blade and the frigid effectiveness of modern armament.

-

Ugh...My head, it feels dizzy.

I-I can't see clearly...Damn it! Is it due to the blood loss?

I had so many questions...

-

Lucas' surroundings became hazy, and his senses faded into obscurity.

He could feel the weight of tiredness overtaking him, his body becoming heavy and his breathing becoming shallow.

The darkness encroached on his mind, engulfing it completely. The battle's noise faded into nothingness, becoming a faraway echo.

Lucas succumbed to the devouring darkness with a sigh, his mind melting into quiet and oblivion.