No matter where he went, he always circled back to the tree with three notches. He could not escape. Night fell upon the forest and the boy collapsed onto the grass.
He was utterly alone. He felt cold. He curled up into a ball. But the cold continued to spread through his body. It started at his fingertips and toes. It slowly creeped its way through his veins. Shivers crawled down his spine. He started to feel numb. He wondered if he'd die from the lack of heat.
He closed his eyes. And fell asleep.
When he woke up the twin sunrise was just starting to illuminate the dark morning sky.
He watched that same sunrise countless times. The immortality granted by the forest kept him alive for eons. Measurements that are too massive to comprehend would be needed to count the time he spent in the dreaded forest.
Over and over, he saw the two suns rise and set.
Eventually, he gave up trying to escape. He realized he was stuck. Forever.
