Feeling his black scarf begin to stir, the young wanderer was caught completely by surprise, nearly jumping out of his boots. 

A pair of bright yellow eyes suddenly appeared on the "scarf" as it unfurled, revealing its true nature.

Gracefully, the "scarf" stood on its four short legs, perching atop his shoulders. The disguised cat's fluffy and triangular ears twitched as she stretched, awakening from a long and deep slumber.

Realizing it was only his furry companion that caused the untimely jump scare, he tried his best to ignore her presence. In the face of the danger and unpredictability presented by the weeping child, he had no luxury to pay his cat any attention at the moment. He couldn’t afford to lose his focus on the current potential threat.

But still… How did this furball manage to sleep through the entire ordeal? He caught himself wondering.

I smashed through a cocoon of blood, fell on my butt, and got chased around by a nightmarish spider… And this fur-brain still wasn’t awoken? I almost forgot she existed! 

Why did you have to wake up right now, during such a tense situation?!

The ebony cat was perched on his shoulder, allowing her tail to dangle behind her without a care in the world. It was difficult to remain focused while the feline was tickling his cheek with her whiskers. 

Just go back to sleep, you’re distracting me! He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs at the irritating cat.

This was a matter that involved both of their lives. If he failed to react quickly enough, the pesky cat would suffer a similarly gruesome fate as him. It was not in her best interests to be distracting him right now!

But the black cat was here to defy all his expectations. Without any warning, she suddenly hopped off his shoulder, sprinting towards the mysterious boy at full speed.

“Wa- Stop! Nyx! Don’t!” He shouted desperately, reaching his arm out in a futile attempt to catch her. Unfortunately, it was already too late. She had already dashed far out of his reach. He watched in horror as the black cat darted towards the mysterious boy.

The weeping child flinched slightly as Nyx approached him fearlessly. He was glaring her into a million pieces with his vivid crimson eyes.

The young wanderer held his breath fearfully as he anticipated the unfolding events. It was all over for her now. Nyx had foolishly decided to test the boy’s wrath.

Was the boy going to grab Nyx and twist her into a bloody pulp? Was he suddenly going to chomp into the feline and rip her apart? Or had Nyx triggered his boss phase, and they were both about to be ruthlessly obliterated by him?

The young wanderer observed anxiously, maintaining a cautious distance. He was too weak to defend even himself, much less another being. The reckless cat was now far beyond saving. 

But to his surprise, the black cat and the mysterious boy only stared at each other in silence for a few moments, before the black cat decided to leap onto the boy’s shoulders. And much to his bewilderment, the mysterious child allowed her to perch there, curiously gazing at the feline.

His intimidating aura had completely vanished!

The young wanderer found himself thoroughly puzzled by this unexpected and anticlimactic turn of events. He had fully expected for things to go sour, as fate often liked to do.

However, after a few moments, everything became clear. It seems that the child was genuinely stranded in the bizarre forest, and there was nothing more to it. 

With that, he breathed a sigh of relief, finally lowering his guard as he approached the child. As he contemplated the situation, he was unsure of his feelings towards Nyx’s irrational actions.

Should he feel grateful to her for clearing the minefield of danger for him? Or should he feel angry at her for toying with his feelings? He had truly thought that this was the day that curiosity killed the cat!

He shook his head deeply. I swear, not a second of thinking goes on in that cat’s brains! How can a creature be so completely devoid of its survival instincts? Unbelievable!

However, it was a fact that thanks to her fearlessness, they had successfully defused the situation as quickly as possible, earning them more time before the spider arrived. Who knows how long it would have taken if he had continued his cowardly and timid approach?

And although he felt deeply relieved that the boy didn’t turn out to be a trap, he was feeling a little horrified at himself. This was a real child that he had almost decided to abandon right here in these murderous woods!

Thinking back, he was truly grateful for the inner voice in his head that made him reconsider his choice to leave.

Approaching the mysterious child, he knelt down to bring his face to the child’s level, ready to engage in a friendly conversation. 

The weeping child continued to sob, trying his best to contain his sniffling. 

Seeing this sight, the young wanderer felt a deep sense of pity for him. Unfortunately, it appeared that all his previous anguished cries had been authentic after all. 

But as much as he would’ve liked to slowly pacify him, he was still running on a ticking clock. For now, getting out of this forest was the greatest priority. 

With a bright smile, he decided to speak to the young boy with a lighthearted and friendly approach. “You don’t have to cry anymore, alright? I’m here to rescue you. My name is Ai-, I m-mean…Dain. ” 

Catching himself in time, he let out a silent sigh of relief. It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to anyone. I almost forgot... He attempted to brush off his earlier slip-up, maintaining an unchanging but friendly facial expression.

Being closer now, he could get a better look at him. The child was draped in muddied, ragged robes, the once-white garment now marked with patches of brown mud and grime. He had a full head of soft and wispy black hair, paired with his distinctive crimson eyes.

His red eyes were especially beautiful. Within them, there were thin and vertical pupils surrounded by irises with a fierce shade of blood red. It was as if glowing magma flowed beneath the surface, giving them an intense gaze.

Despite emanating from such an innocent and adorable-looking child, it gave off a completely opposite aura. It felt like being pierced by a thousand sharp needles, all of them penetrating right through him at once! But while his gaze was terrifying, it held a certain beauty and captivation at the same time.

The young wanderer who introduced himself as Dain, asked. “What’s your name, little guy?”

The child's tears continued unabated, as he sniffled and sobbed. Despite his inquiries, the boy remained silent, offering no response.

Observing the boy’s ceaseless crying, Dain frowned. It was evident that there was a much deeper issue that was causing his intense crying. He was aware that if he wished to properly communicate with him, he would likely have to resolve this underlying issue first.

But at this moment, the boy's mysterious behavior did not outweigh the pressing need to escape the dangerous forest as quickly as possible. Any moment now, the giant spider would arrive once again! 

He continued speaking in a soft and warm tone, being wary of instilling any unnecessary panic into the child. “For now, we really need to get out of here, alright? Because I raised my voice, a big and scary monster could be here at any moment now.” 

The weeping child surveyed Dain from top to bottom. From his point of view, Dain was caked in hardened goo from head to toe. The dirty, black liquid smeared his entire face, leaving only the whites of his eyes visible. And not to mention…

He stinks! He looked and smelt like a swamp monster!

A slightly disgusted look began to creep onto the boy’s face after observing the unsightly man.

Observing the boy's unpleasant response, the corners of Dain’s mouth twitched slightly. Hey, kid… I just spent so much time feeling sorry for you… So why are you giving me such a dirty look… It’s really hurting my feelings right now, you know?? He struggled to maintain his friendly and smiling expression.

Attempting to discern the cause of the boy's reaction, he raised his collar to his nose and took a sniff. Instantly, the foul stench flooded into his nostrils, causing him to wrinkle his nose and recoil violently. He instantly understood the boy’s feelings.

Of course, why would he want to trust an adult drenched head to toe in stinking, rotting blood? I’m the exact opposite of a trustable and loveable adult right now. I wouldn’t trust me either! He grimaced.

Perched on the boy’s shoulder, Nyx yawned widely at Dain, almost as if she was mocking him for being less preferred by the child. However, having been wrapped around Dain’s neck earlier, she, too, had partaken in the same vile bath. Both of them smelled equally of death!

Dain was indignant. Grr… Then what about that dirty cat then? Why do you let her near you, but not me?! Am I that unlikeable?!

Silently, he waved a hateful fist at Nyx in his heart. But as much as he hated to admit it, he had lost the contest of preference. Nyx had won this fight, fair and square. 

But still, he couldn’t fathom being less preferred than a cat. A damned cat!

Dejectedly slumping his shoulders, he turned to continue his escape from the forest. After having his feelings and self confidence ruthlessly crushed, he could only speak in a low voice.

“You can follow me… or not… I don’t know… I-It’s up to you…” 

Hearing this, the weeping child decided to follow closely behind him, silently signaling his acceptance of the rescue.

With that, the trio re-entered the shadowy canopy.