Bits of cloth covered the boy’s skeleton, and a few insects scurried about his bones. I hobbled over, ripped off his shoes soaked in blood and morning dew, shook them to evict a colony of red centipedes, and slipped them on. My feet mushed around, but it was better than getting stabbed by the forest floor. I pulled off his pants, brushed away a few cockroaches, and put them on. His shirt, on the other hand, was now nothing but a few strips of cloth. Rose had torn it to shreds.

On my way back to the cove, I skipped, walked, and ran across the forest floor. It was quite the change from flying. I made certain to keep my ears twice as primed. However, I heard nothing. Perhaps human ears weren’t any good. I stopped and did a slow 360. Nothing. These eyes weren’t bad, but I had yet to see a goblin out on patrol, a spider scurry down his web, or a rat run across the forest grounds. I beat my arms but couldn’t fly. I ran to a tree, wrapped my arms around its trunk, and tried to climb, however, my hands couldn’t get a good grip on the soft, dew-covered ebony bark.

Wind skidded off my skin and ripped heat from my chest. I shivered. The wind whistled through green leaves and hollow trunks. Insects hid under moss-covered rocks and rotten wood. Squirrels dropped their nuts and woodpeckers gave their beaks a break.

Something wasn’t right. My heart raced. My mind raced. The image of Rose grew too large in my heart’s eye. I needed to lay in her fur and sync the beat of my soul to her slow, and powerful song of life.

“Julian.”

I turned my head. The name rang a bell. The man with velvet eyes appeared behind me, a large crossbow slung to his side. “Why did you run away?” He placed his crossbow face down on the earth. “Master gave you a crystal heart, yet here you are running away without shame, and you do so during such difficult times.” He blinked. His andrian eyes shimmered scarlet, ruby, and wine red. “We don’t blame you for not being able to use magic. After all, that’s why we met you.” He started to crank his crossbow. I ran.

“Don’t run,” yelled the man. I zigzagged through the forest. When I looked back, I couldn’t see him. I beelined for the cove.

My breath ragged. My flanks hurt, and my feet ached. How did humans get anything done with bodies like these?

A concentrated gust of wind tore past my ear. Stuck in a nearby trunk, an orange feathered bolt bounced up and down. I was screwed. To think I’d get killed, me who always avoided flight in open skies. I had to do my utmost to escape or at least see Rose one last time. The man had said that this boy couldn’t use magic. Hopefully, I could still use the little amount I had as a bird. I didn’t have the time to check my status right now. I wrapped my body in a black haze. There in the distance, rose lily vines came into view. I heard another thud. However, this time, the bolt landed two trees away. The haze worked; he couldn’t see me.

I hopped over a dead branch and jumped into the cove. Rose slept at the entrance.

Her eyes darted open. She growled; clean white fangs proudly displayed. I stepped forwards to tap her head, but she barked and ground her teeth. She didn’t recognize me. I pointed outside and said, “Enemy,” I hoped this action would at least remind her of me.

The vines spread open. Alongside a bright light, the man entered the cove, his features hidden by the cast shadow. Only the outline of his large frame was visible. I ran back and crouched behind a rock.

“I don’t know how you found this place, but you should know that hiding behind a wolf won’t save you.” He aimed at Rose. She jumped left to right and used wind magic to push herself forwards. Her black fur left a dark blur behind. The man’s velvet eyes didn’t move. Metal swished through the air. Bits of skull, blood, and brains splattered the rock walls red. My eyes burnt, I wiped away the mess on my face; blood and tears covered my hands. No, this couldn’t be.

“You just used magic back there! You finally did it. Was this all a big surprise?” The man smiled, then laughed. “Come here. Let’s go back. We can’t leave Master waiting.” He slung back his crossbow and came to me, arms wide open.

I wanted to fight back, yet I couldn’t. My instincts told me I’d die. No, I had never fought back, I only hid in tall trees and dense canopies. Regardless, it was too late to practise the instinct to fight back. I had to run away, yet something held me in place. “Could I say goodbye to Rose?”

“Rose?” The man looked back. “The wolf?” He muttered. “Well, I don’t see why not. I guess she helped you out with that big reveal.”

Hearing Rose’s name in that man’s mouth made my throat choke up and my eyes burn up. I’d kill him. I couldn’t. I walked over with shaky knees and stiff legs. I hugged her neck. Her matte black fur glistened crimson red. She smelled of fresh water, crystal powder, and lily pollen. “I’m sorry.” My eyes itched. I couldn’t let the man know; it would ruin my act. “I’m…I’m a bit thirsty, could I drink some water.”

He nodded. “Be quick, Master’s waiting.”

I went ahead and dipped my face in the pond of crystal water. Her blood turned the azure water black, then the dark tint faded. These waters were special, but I didn’t know what they did. Could they heal Rose? “Do you know if this water’s special?” I asked, needing to gain a bit of time. I plunged my hands into the water, and the blood dispersed; my hands trembled.

The man crouched down next to me; a large smirk plastered on his face. “These are Teelo crystals. The water purified from these can dispel curses. I think Master has…” He continued.

Perhaps by becoming a beast, I had gained a skill I could use to kill him. I opened my status:

Status

Newborn Beast

Species: (X)ravn

Gods favour: 0

LVL 1/15-(X)

Exp: 0/700

Trait breakdown:

Magic:

• Mana: 100/100
• Flow: C/ S(X)
• Retention: D/ S(X)
• Expulsion: C/ S(X)
• Types: Shadow, X, X, X, X

Corporal:

• Strength: D/ B(X)
• Endurance: C/ B(X)
• Dexterity: B/ A(X)
• Poison resistance: D/B(X)

Skills:

• N/A

Shit, they were all shit. Potential meant nothing and I didn’t even have any skills. Would I need to follow and obey Rose’s killer?

The man with velvet eyes kept speaking, but I couldn’t understand his words. My eyes burned and my nose itched. I plunged my head back into the puddle. I couldn’t let him see my tears. He’d know something wasn’t right.

Why did I come here? Why did Rose have to die? No, why did he kill Rose? — Couldn’t this water heal her? It could have secondary properties. Maybe it only healed those who stayed around it long enough. I tried to gulp down some water to show I didn’t just have my head submerged for no good reason. The water wouldn’t go down my throat. I finally managed to get a gulp. I needed air, but I didn’t want to breathe. There had to be a way. That’s when I remembered my reflection. I popped my head out of the pond and let the water flow down my face, contour my neck, onto my chest, beyond which I lost sight of it. I had beige skin and hands. My face was smooth, round, and ebony hair matched my eyes. I had evolved and become a beast. I could get a wish granted when I reached my max level.

However, just as I found my determination my stomach began to sting, my eyes burned once again, and my head ached. The purple crystals above spun. They left afterimages in the shape of circles and rose flowers. A hand touched my back; the man helped me stay on my knees. His mouth moved. I couldn’t hear his words. Are you ok? Is all I could make out. Something pressed against my skull from within. My vision turned black, then a table appeared. A man with a crimson eye fluttered in and out of existence. Old glass tubes filled with rancid black and brown liquids exuded heat. I looked down. My hands bled, and warm mucus ran down my lips. I scratched my burning scalp. In between my hair, hundreds of cysts popped, and yellow pus squirted on my fingers. Blood ran down my arm. I vomited water and blood.

This was all a dream, I knew it, but I couldn’t escape. I couldn’t pry my mind out of these absurdly disgusting scenes. I couldn’t crack open the thick wooden doors of the exit. There were locks but no keys. Just acid and sharp glass.