「SO OUTSIDE OF MY MISERY, I THINK I'LL FIND」
「A WAY OF ENVISIONING A BETTER LIFE」
「FOR THE REST OF US, THE REST OF US」
「THERE'S HOPE FOR THE REST OF US, THE REST OF US」
•THIS IS BOOK II
• THE FIRST BOOK IS CALLED "Revenge"
•ART CREDITS ARE UNKNOWN:...
THE light fades as they enter the forest, turning into a strange dark, and quiet place. The sounds have all but vanished. The smell of animals or some kind of beast hangs in a still air, no flowers seem to help the uneasy odor. In the dim light, Aki can see shadows dart about, she barely hears the sound of things moving, and she feels as if everything is watching her. The black and brown thorns wrap around the forest, almost like teeth waiting to tear at her. The trees seem to close in, choking out the light and letting the fog roll around like a breath. Sharp shadows, darker than the deepest forest slink about just out of sight, while unseen creatures move branches.
"We're surrounded," Nathan muttered from beside her. "They're clustering together; I can't even tell how many there are."
"That's what he wants," Aki replied. "If I had to guess, I'd say there's a couple hundred thousand surrounding us."
"Is this a tactic to intimidate us?" He asked.
"Considering none of them are following us, or getting close, probably," She answered. "Just relax. They can tell your tense. Your fear is only fueling them."
Nathan rolled his shoulders around and exhaled. "Sorry. I'm just antsy."
"I doubt this is the time for us to fight him," She said. "For now, he only trying to break our psyche—trying to get us to succumb to him."
"It's what he did that day at the school," Nathan lifted a hand to his face.
"You're older now," Aki turned her head to look at him. "Stronger now. Don't let him get into your head. Everything he says and does is just an illusion. Rely on your hunting skills. They'll tell what is real and what is fake."
"Easy for you to say," He muttered. "You've been doing this a lot longer than I have."
"Just trust me, okay?"
Nathan sighed. "Okay. Rey should be here, shouldn't he?"
"He's supposed to be," She nodded. "Though, being this close to Satan may make his demon form more prominent."
Nathan acknowledged her with a nod. They continued through the forest, sticking close to each other as the fog grew thicker. As they came to a clearing, the fog had become so thick that they couldn't see one another, so they relied on each other's voices.
"This is what he is trying to do," Aki reminded, sensing his heart rate increase. "Be calm, Nate."
"I know," He said, exhaling again, trying to relieve the pressure in his chest.
