UNSURE (A JOURNEY OF THE UNKNOWN)

So many thoughts swirled in Lauren's mind as she ventured deeper into the forest, her steps driven by the need to find a deer. It was noon. She could sense it from the forest's subtle shift in warmth, a quiet alert of the sun's ascent. Though hidden behind the dense canopy, beams of light slipped through narrow gaps, casting scattered pools of illumination on the forest floor. The woods, once dappled in shadows, now bore a slight glow, revealing faint trails and guiding her forward. She had walked for miles, her surroundings filled only with insects and lizards skittering from her path. The occasional calls of birds above became her only companions, each note a reminder that despite the forest's depths, she was not entirely alone.

Then, without warning, silence draped over the forest. The birds fell silent, their lively melodies vanishing in an instant. The trees themselves seemed to freeze, the rustling leaves held in suspension. Even the breeze died, leaving the air heavy and stale, pressing down on her with an unnatural stillness. Lauren halted mid-step, a chill creeping over her, pricking at her skin until every hair stood on end. A primal instinct screamed within her, sharpening her senses. She could feel it now—eyes on her, invisible yet searing, watching her every move from somewhere just beyond her vision.

Suddenly, the thick brush behind her rustled violently, shattering the eerie quiet. Something—large and hidden—stirred among the shadows. Lauren's hands trembled as she unsheathed her dagger, crouching low with her eyes fixed ahead. Her heart raced, each beat a loud thud that reverberated in her chest as she struggled to calm her breathing, but her nerves defied her, sending waves of adrenaline through her veins. Seconds stretched into what felt like hours, as she waited, muscles tense, bracing for whatever was about to emerge. Then, with startling speed, a figure lunged from the shadows, charging toward her. Its sheer weight collided with her, knocking her off balance. She felt herself falling, her back striking the ground hard, her head snapping against the earth—and everything went dark.

Lauren awoke to the soft hues of dusk filtering through the trees. She blinked, disoriented, her head pounding with a dull, persistent ache. As she sat up, the forest was alive once more, buzzing with chirping birds and the distant hum of cicadas. The sounds, so full of life and vigor, felt almost mocking, as though the forest itself was taunting her failed attempt at survival. Frustrated, she pushed herself to her feet, wincing as the pain in her head flared. She staggered, her balance faltering, and reached out instinctively for support, her fingers grasping at empty air before she tumbled forward, falling a second time.

Her eyes shut tight, bracing for impact, but to her astonishment, she felt nothing. No hard ground, no jolt of pain. She hung there, suspended, confusion mingling with fear as she registered the sensation beneath her palms—something soft, yet firm, almost silky. Lauren stilled, a shiver racing down her spine. Had the ground always felt like this?

In the thick of her confusion, it moved—a subtle, almost imperceptible shift beneath her fingers. Her breath caught as she froze, pulse racing with the realization that she wasn't alone. She opened her eyes, and it moved again, a low, resonant sound rumbling from somewhere nearby, a sound akin to laughter. She scrambled back, the forest floor finally steady beneath her, and there it was: her attacker, standing tall, watching her with an unsettling calm. The creature's head was coated in fur, soft and dense, lending it an almost serene appearance that starkly contrasted with its formidable stance. Its body shimmered with white scales, each one catching the fading light, casting an ethereal glow around it. This was no deer.

"Not a deer," she murmured, her mind whirling. She'd seen this creature somewhere before—or at least, she'd read of it. The word surfaced in her memory: Raizard.

She remembered it vividly. A day spent with Moa, rifling through an old stack of scrolls. One of them, yellowed with age and brittle at the edges, had contained an image of a similar creature, though much smaller in size. She'd asked Moa about it, curious, and for once, Moa hadn't dismissed her questions. She spoke of the raizard, a rare beast seldom seen in this part of the kingdom, an elusive creature known for its intelligence and territorial nature. Moa had warned her of the creature's tail—camouflaged and spiked, with each spike carrying a venom potent enough to paralyze a full-grown man. She'd also mentioned its saliva, which could numb the body if it seeped into the bloodstream, immobilizing its prey. It was one of the few conversations Lauren remembered fondly; Moa's unexpected patience had left her feeling oddly cherished.

Now, standing before her, the raizard watched her with an almost unnerving intensity, its large, discerning eyes studying her every move. Her heart pounded, the weight of Moa's warnings pressing down on her. Slowly, she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, signaling her harmlessness. She wasn't ready to test the creature's venom in the heart of the forest.

The raizard's gaze never wavered, unblinking as it took a calculated step forward, its tail twitching, the spikes barely visible against its glossy white coat. The two of them stood locked in a silent standoff, a battle of wills in the deepening twilight. Lauren felt a surge of dread, and before she could second-guess herself, she turned on her heel and bolted, the forest blurring around her as she raced forward, branches clawing at her arms, her feet pounding against the uneven ground. She could hear it behind her, each powerful stride gaining on her, its breath hot on her trail.

Just as she prepared to turn a sharp corner, her foot caught on a fallen branch, and she went down, sprawling across the dirt. The raizard loomed over her, its shadow casting an ominous veil across her face. A guttural sound rumbled from its throat, an unsettling noise that echoed with a hint of dark amusement. Desperate, she glanced at her hand, realizing it was bleeding from a shallow cut she'd gotten in the fall. In a last-ditch effort, she smeared her bloody palm against the creature's forehead, hoping to startle it, to buy herself even a second of freedom.

To her shock, the raizard flinched, its eyes widening as her blood touched its fur. It staggered back as if struck by an unseen force, a deep roar escaping its throat, this one filled not with anger, but with raw pain. A blinding ache tore through Lauren's temple, and she screamed, clutching her head as the agony surged through her.

Through her hazy vision, she noticed the blood on the raizard's forehead—gone, but not wiped away. It had been absorbed, vanished into its skin. The silence fell again, deeper than before, a weight pressing down on the clearing, thick and impenetrable. And then, in the midst of that oppressive quiet, a clear chuckle echoed within her mind.

Lauren looked around, panic flooding her senses, but found no one. Then her gaze landed on the raizard, who stared at her with a newfound intensity, its mouth lifting at one corner in a faint, eerie smirk. And in her mind, she heard a voice, cool and familiar, yet foreign.

Finally found you, Lauren. I am Ziga.

A pause followed, the silence almost suffocating, as though the forest itself awaited the next words.

See you next time, Lauren.

And with that, the raizard turned, its sleek form slipping into the shadows, leaving her alone in the dying light of day. Lauren remained frozen, her body numb, her mind reeling as she struggled to comprehend what had just transpired. The weight of exhaustion pressed down on her, dragging her under until darkness claimed her once more, her final thoughts scattered like leaves caught in a storm.