The saber-tooth lunged forward in fury toward Hawke.
Hawke instantly turned around and began running with every ounce of strength he could gather, hurriedly following the path back. He obviously made sure not to lose the marked trail, because even if he managed to shake off the beast, if he strayed from the exact route where the trees had been carefully marked, everything would have been completely pointless.
His lungs burned as he ran as fast as he could, visually checking every mark on the trees to confirm the route.
It was obvious the beast was considerably faster than him in raw speed, so Hawke needed to use absolutely everything the natural environment offered to gain even the slightest advantage. He darted beneath massive arched roots, squeezed through rotting hollow trunks, and cut through dense ferns that hindered the much larger creature.
At one point, he spotted ahead a large puddle of thick mud sloping downward along a steep incline. Immediately, he remembered the horrible nightmare he had, of sinking and slowly drowning in a similar puddle. Was this truly his inevitable fate? Had that nightmare been a glimpse of his future?
'No!'
Things were completely different this time; for starters, everyone in the group was still alive and well so far, and he had willingly chosen to be the bait instead of fleeing like a coward.
If he died here, it would be with genuine honor, not as some pathetic coward.
That word echoed strongly in his mind...
Honor.
Hawke used all the momentum he had built up to slide through the mud while somehow keeping his balance upright. Since it was a natural slope, he gained even more speed as he slid downward.
The same treacherous mud they had carefully avoided earlier, which normally would have been a dangerous obstacle, now ironically gave him a crucial speed advantage.
He strategically took advantage of every muddy puddle, every slippery patch of moss to slide faster, using each tree and root as leverage to sharply change direction.
When he finally glanced cautiously behind him, breathing already ragged and uneven, there was absolutely no visible sign of the beast chasing him anymore.
'Did I finally lose it?!'
He waited tensely for a while longer, taking the opportunity to drag huge gulps of air into his burning lungs, trying to recover at least a little of his lost breath. Gradually, his breathing returned closer to normal.
"Maybe it went back to chase the others..."
he muttered with concern.
"If that's the case..."
He immediately decided to head back toward where he came from, moving with doubled caution and suspicion through the vegetation.
But...
He encountered the beast again unexpectedly, or rather, it found him first, coming unhurriedly along the exact same route he had used, as if it knew precisely where he was.
Once again, Hawke fled desperately, retreating even farther back along the long route.
He managed to lose it again after running quite a distance, this time in a calmer and more controlled manner. The saber-tooth didn't seem as determined as before; perhaps it genuinely wasn't very hungry, or maybe it was tired.
The frustrating pattern began repeating itself. Every time he finally decided it was safe to head back, every time he carefully returned to the marked trail, the cursed beast inexplicably appeared again out of nowhere.
Hawke seriously began to think it was simply entertaining itself with him, cruelly toying with its prey and exhausting him progressively before killing him whenever it wished.
This frustrating cycle repeated two more times; he would shake it off with effort, and it would inevitably find him again. Maybe he wasn't moving cautiously enough, or maybe he wasn't creating enough distance before turning back. Whatever the reason, exhaustion was already setting in heavily, and his legs were beginning to feel like lead.
Then he had an idea that initially seemed good.
'Above!'
He decided it would be infinitely better to climb into the tall trees. That would give him a crucial advantage from a higher vantage point.
As long as he remained carefully beneath the densest layers of foliage, he'd have a wide panoramic view of the surroundings.
And he could also hide efficiently among the thick leaves. Up there, the chances of being caught completely off guard were considerably lower. He might even pass by the beast unnoticed. It always persistently blocked his path on the ground, but if he stayed above in the trees, it could walk right beneath him without ever noticing, losing his trail entirely and finally freeing the path.
Then all he would have to do was run as far as possible to reunite safely with the group.
Hawke clenched the black club between his teeth and began climbing a particularly large and sturdy tree. It was an extremely difficult and exhausting task for his already worn-out body, but he eventually reached a safe height.
After that, he carefully moved along the thick, sturdy branches, slowly transferring himself in cautious leaps from one adjacent tree to another whenever possible.
He didn't keep moving that way for long, since traveling efficiently through the trees without making noise was absurdly difficult, especially when dry branches cracked loudly beneath his feet and leaves fell, threatening to reveal his position.
So he decided it would be much better to remain completely still and use the precious moment to rest. He focused entirely on observing carefully, remaining extremely vigilant as he watched the ground below, determined not to lose sight of the beast when it appeared.
The sky gradually darkened. It was still far from full night, but the once-clear sky was becoming increasingly overcast and threatening.
'Of course something like this had to happen right now! Where's that damn saber-tooth? It's taking much longer than before to reach me... did I actually lose it this time? Damn it, in this situation I'll be at a serious disadvantage! The growing darkness and inevitable rain are definitely going to ruin my visibility! I can't stay here waiting much longer! Just appear already, pass through here so I can leave, you bastard!'
Violent thunderclaps exploded through the darkened sky, and flashes of lightning illuminated the forest for brief instants.
One bolt struck near where Hawke was perched. He was in a considerably elevated area—it was extremely dangerous to remain there.
'With my luck, one of these is probably going to hit me directly...'
More deafening thunder startled him violently every now and then, making his heart race, but something else frightened him infinitely more at that moment:
Down below, there was no visible sign of the beast anywhere.
'Did it finally give up? Well, maybe it's afraid of heavy rain and terrifying thunder... honestly, I can't blame it. This really is terrifying. The freezing rain is miserable, and the thunder has a far more imposing roar than it does. Besides, when you're on top of a tall tree and watching lightning strike just meters away from you...'
No.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The rain finally began pouring heavily, soaking everything within moments.
Another bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating everything in a blinding flash. Hawke jolted briefly in fright, but nothing else happened.
At that point, the lightning flashes had become essential for him; the darkness created by the heavy clouds swallowed his vision whole.
Another bolt split violently across the heavens—this one behind him—casting the sharp shadows of the trees behind onto those in front.
And...
"What...?"
Normally, Hawke would have ignored the constant lightning and meaningless dancing shadows entirely, but among them was one deeply unnatural silhouette.
It certainly wasn't a tree or branch. The shape was all wrong.
It was familiar.
'THE SABER-TOOTH!'
It had completely deceived him. It had circled around strategically by an alternate route and was now attempting to catch him from behind.
The heavy rain had perfectly hidden the strong scent of blood that normally would have betrayed it, and the deafening sound of the downpour masked the noise of the creature digging its claws into the bark as it silently climbed the trees.
And now that thing was there, far too close.
An expert hunter.
Lethal.
Utterly bloodthirsty.
Preparing for the final leap.
Hawke had no chance of escape.