The Extra survival story

Chapter 5 - "Threads of fate and the Sunset's promise"

In the heart of the dense forest, where shadows seemed to breathe and the trees whispered secrets to those who dared listen, Kyle found himself standing before a crumbling ruin. It was a place forgotten by time, where nature had reclaimed its dominion, wrapping the stones in thick vines and moss. But Kyle's attention wasn't on the eerie beauty of his surroundings. His eyes were fixed on an empty barrel that should have held a single, peculiar apple-a shimmering, otherworldly fruit that now was conspicuously missing.

He frowned, his mind racing with questions.

"Where did that apple go?"

He murmured to himself, his voice barely a whisper in the stillness of the ruin. His fingers brushed the edge of the barrel, as if hoping to conjure the fruit back into existence.

"I knew it was here... so why did it disappear?"

An unsettling thought crept into his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.

'This is odd... Where is it? Could this have something to do with the strange situation I'm trapped in?'

The apple was no ordinary fruit. It was tied to the mysteries of the forest and to the loop in time that Kyle found himself ensnared in-a loop that twisted reality and bent time to its will.

Shaking off the unsettling feeling gnawing at him, Kyle decided to stick to his plan. There was no time to waste; he had to move on to his next destination, the one he had originally been heading towards before time had twisted on itself.

His steps quickened as he navigated through the dense forest, his mind racing ahead to the encounter he knew was waiting for him.

"If I'm right, tomorrow is when I meet them... so..."

Kyle muttered, his pace quickening. The battle that awaited him was one he had fought before, but this time, he was determined to change the outcome.

As he sped through the forest, the air seemed to thicken with anticipation. The trees loomed over him, ancient and silent, their branches forming a canopy that blocked out the sun.

Strange plants and fruits, ones Kyle had never seen before, beckoned to him with their alien beauty, but he knew now was not the time to indulge in curiosity. There was something more pressing, more dangerous, awaiting him.

Four and a half hours later, breathless and weary, Kyle arrived at the place where the battle with *that* creature had begun.

He bent over, hands on his knees, gulping in air as he scanned the area. Everything seemed normal-too normal.

The trees swayed gently in the breeze, the underbrush rustled softly, and there was no sign of the malevolent presence he knew lurked somewhere close by.

"*Sigh*... Thankfully, it's not here yet,"

Kyle breathed, relief washing over him. But he knew better than to relax. The creature would come-of that, he was certain. It was only a matter of time.

Straightening up, Kyle's mind churned with thoughts of the battle ahead. He knew he had to act now, to prepare for what was to come.

The past encounters with the creature replayed in his mind, each one more harrowing than the last. He needed to set traps, to outsmart the beast before it could grow stronger and adapt to his tactics.

Originally, Kyle had hoped to lay more traps, to catch the creature before it could become an even greater threat.

But he was acutely aware that the actions he took now would ripple through time, altering the fates of others who would soon cross paths with this monstrous entity.