Chapter 6

Ryota stumbled through the dense forest, panting heavily as he tried to put some distance between him and the creature. His heart was pounding so hard that he thought it would burst out of his chest. He could hear the creature's growls and snarls echoing in the distance, getting closer and closer with each passing second.

Ryota's legs felt like they were made of lead as he sluggishly ran through the underbrush, trying to avoid tripping on the roots and fallen branches littering the forest floor. The darkness was almost absolute, save for the sliver of moonlight that occasionally filtered through the thick canopy of trees above.

After what felt like hours of running, Ryota finally stumbled into a small clearing in the middle of the forest. He collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, and looked around frantically for any signs of the creature. He was relieved to see that he was alone in the clearing, but the feeling of safety was short-lived.

Ryota suddenly felt a sharp pain in his side and he looked down to see a large gash on his side. He must have gotten injured during his escape, but he couldn't remember when or how it had happened. His vision started to blur, and he knew that he was losing a lot of blood.

Just as Ryota was about to lose consciousness, he heard voices in the distance. He tried to get up and make his way towards them, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive. The voices grew louder and louder until Ryota felt hands grabbing him and pulling him towards safety.

When Ryota opened his eyes, he found himself in a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. He was lying on a bed, and his wounds had been cleaned and bandaged. He felt weak and disoriented, but he was grateful to be alive.

As Ryota tried to sit up, he saw two people sitting at his bedside. They were both around his age, a boy and a girl, and they were both wearing strange clothes that he had never seen before.

"Who are you?" Ryota asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

The girl smiled at him. "My name is Yumi, and this is my brother, Kaito. We found you in the forest and brought you here to our cabin."

Ryota felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was safe for the moment, but he knew that the creature was still out there, and he needed to find a way to stop it before it killed anyone else.

As Ryota closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but wonder what other mysteries and horrors this new location held.