your stuck in some mirror reality of your own world except its filled with animal with their own cities and towns. your tasked by forces beyond your comprehension to do some ancient hunt ritual to send yourself back home. its simple, just hunt 1 of...
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Meet Varya, a rugged soul from the unforgiving landscapes of Central Asia. Born into the frigid expanse nestled between Siberia, China, and the Middle East, he grew up amid thundra pine forests and barren, frostbitten wastelands. Life in these harsh conditions wasn't just survival—it was a way of becoming. Varya learned early how to thrive where others might falter, his body and mind shaped by the biting cold and rugged terrain.
When he was just a teenager, his family relocated to the United States—a cultural and environmental shock that didn't quite soften him. While others around him adjusted to suburban life, Varya remained tethered to the wilderness in his heart. Weekends found him trekking through woods, hunting wildlife, and capturing the thrill of the chase. But what truly fascinated him were the stories: whispered legends of cryptids lurking just out of sight, strange pockets of the wilderness where time seemed to stretch or vanish altogether, and places where the world itself felt wrong. These tales weren't just entertainment for Varya; they were puzzles, pieces of an uncharted map he yearned to decode.
Varya became a fixture in online forums dedicated to the mysterious and unexplained, blending his knowledge of hunting with a fascination for the uncanny. He'd trade stories about shadowy figures in the trees or eerie silences that seemed to suck the sound from the world. A skilled storyteller, he spun his own experiences of strange gaps in time and space, moments when the world around him felt as if it had shifted into something... other. Yet, even with his wild imagination, Varya was a skeptic at heart. Cryptids and otherworldly tales were thrilling, sure, but they were just stories—right?
One day, while scrolling through his usual haunt on a cryptid hunting forum, he stumbled upon an unusual thread: The Innawoods Stalker Challenge. The premise was outrageous—an exclusive opportunity to enter a secluded, ancient woodland said to be a gateway to another world. The organizer's promises were ridiculous: boundless hunting grounds filled with prey, a place where reality bent to an apex predator's will.
The forum exploded with replies, most of them mocking the absurdity. Members joked about showing up in full mil-sim gear for a glorified cosplay session, sharing memes and photos of themselves in tactical vests and replica firearms. It was just another LARP (Live Action Role Play) with a spooky twist, a chance for enthusiasts to dress up and spook each other in the woods for fun.
Varya didn't believe a word of it, but the challenge intrigued him. It sounded like a joke, sure, but there was something compelling about it—something gnawing at the edge of his skepticism. Maybe it was the thrill of testing himself against the wilderness, or maybe it was a subtle pull, a whisper from the stories he'd always half-believed in. Whatever the case, Varya decided he was in.
He packed for it like he'd pack for any serious excursion. His kit was no cosplay—this was the real deal. Military-grade boots, thermal gear, a custom hunting rifle with a sleek scope, and enough supplies to last days in isolation. For good measure, he tossed in a rugged multi-tool and his survival knife, its handle worn smooth from years of use. Fully kitted, he was ready for what he expected to be nothing more than a glorified photo op.
But what he found when he entered those woods was far more than he bargained for. The air itself felt heavier, the silence deeper, as if the forest were alive and watching. The landscape seemed to twist, paths looping back on themselves, the terrain unfamiliar even after hours of walking. Soon, the challenge Varya had brushed off as a silly game became terrifyingly real—a trial where the hunter might very well become the hunted.
And in the stillness between the towering trees, Varya began to wonder: had he wandered into one of those strange, lost time gaps he'd read about? Or was he walking willingly into the jaws of something far worse?
