The Undead Wasteland stretched endlessly before them — a desolate expanse littered with decaying carcasses and sun-bleached skeletons of unknown creatures. The air smelled of rot and old blood.
After their desperate escape from the collapsing tomb, the remaining seven prisoners trudged onward under the weak leadership of Kael and Lina. It had been a long, brutal run from the Forbidden Woods all the way to this cursed wasteland. Everyone was utterly exhausted. Their bare feet were torn and bleeding from the sharp, jagged ground, and some of the younger ones looked like they were on the verge of losing their minds.
Kael kept replaying the moment Ishy had shouted at them to run without him. The guilt and helplessness weighed heavily on his shoulders. He had no idea how to lead these people. Every few minutes, the same dark thought crept into his mind:
Damnit… I can't even handle myself. How the hell did Ishmael make leading look so easy?
Lina walked beside him, her own chain dragging painfully with every step. She noticed the fear and helplessness etched across Kael's face. Despite the burning pain from her own shackles, she spoke softly, trying to steady him.
"Kael… I need you to calm down. Let me help you lead the group. Believe in me — Ishmael will come for us."
Kael suddenly snarled, his frayed nerves finally snapping.
"Calm down? For what?!" he hissed, voice cracking with frustration. "We're in the middle of hell, don't you see that?! And what makes you so sure Ishmael will come for us? He's probably already dead!"
Lina flinched at the outburst, but she quickly regained her composure. Her voice remained gentle, though pain flickered in her eyes.
"I believe he will come," she said firmly. "Just stay put and don't rush ahead. We have to stick together."
She even managed a small, weary smile despite the nightmare surrounding them.
Kael looked away, fists clenched. Part of him wanted to abandon the weaker prisoners and run as fast as he could. But another part — the part that remembered Ishy's calm voice calling them "brothers and sisters" — kept him from bolting.
Behind them, the younger prisoners stumbled along in silence. Some were quietly crying. Others stared blankly at the ground, their spirits already broken. One girl, no older than eighteen, kept whispering her mother's name under her breath like a prayer.
The group was barely holding together.
And in the distance, the low growl of something unseen echoed across the wasteland — a reminder that the Fallen Dream was far from finished with them
As the exhausted caravan continued their desperate run through the cursed Undead Wasteland, a long, bone-chilling howl echoed from the distance.
Kael immediately raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. His heart pounded as he tried to locate the source of the sound. To his horror, the howls were coming from just beyond the path they were following.
Another howl ripped through the wasteland — louder and closer this time. Kael gulped, fear twisting in his gut. They had unknowingly stepped into the territory of Unholy Beings.
In the dim, blood-tinged light, a pack of giant beasts emerged. They resembled stray dogs, but twisted and monstrous, standing as tall as horses with matted fur and glowing red eyes. They moved in a coordinated hunting pack, sniffing the air hungrily.
Kael frantically looked around for any escape route. Lina, breathing hard from the pain of her chains, pointed toward a different direction.
"There!" she said urgently. "We can use them as a counter! Make a run for our lives!"
She was pointing at a group of massive humanoid Unholy Beings lumbering across the wasteland. They looked like oversized Yeti or Bigfoot — easily twice the height of a normal human, with thick, matted fur and brutish features. Lina hoped the two groups of monsters would clash if they lured the dog-like beasts toward them.
Kael nodded sharply. "Everyone, follow me! Run!"
He led the caravan straight toward the humanoid giants. The plan worked — the pack of giant dog-like beasts immediately gave chase, snarling and howling as they pursued the fleeing humans.
"Guys! Don't look behind!" Kael shouted, his voice cracking with fear and exhaustion. "Just run for your lives!"
The prisoners sprinted as fast as their bleeding feet and heavy chains allowed. But in their panic, they also drew the attention of the humanoid Unholy Beings. The massive creatures turned their heads, eyes narrowing at the small group of humans.
The giants began to charge.
Just as the humanoid beasts were about to reach them, the pack of giant dog-like creatures slammed into the giants. The two groups of Unholy Beings collided in a savage, chaotic battle — claws slashing, teeth sinking into flesh, and deafening roars shaking the wasteland.
The prisoners kept running, using the monstrous clash as their only chance at survival.
While the savage clash between the two groups of Unholy Beings raged on behind them, Kael kept running with the caravan, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. Panic clouded his thoughts as he desperately searched for any way out of this nightmare.
His eyes darted everywhere, scanning for any possible shelter. The same terrifying thought kept repeating in his mind:
'Where the hell do I go?! These bastards won't fight forever… If one of them spots us, we're all dead!'
Lina ran beside him, breathing hard through the pain of her chains. Suddenly, she pointed ahead.
"Kael! Over there!"
A small, dark cave entrance came into view among the jagged rocks. Kael nodded sharply and changed direction, leading the group toward it. The heavy iron chains dug painfully into their ankles with every stride, but the chaos behind them left no choice but to endure the agony.
"Faster! Everyone, run faster!" Kael shouted, his voice cracking with fear and exhaustion.
The prisoners pushed themselves to the limit. Some cried out from the sharp friction of the chains cutting into their skin. Others grunted through gritted teeth, while a few simply endured in grim silence, tears streaming down their faces.
As they reached the cave, Kael ushered them inside as quickly as possible. But then he noticed one boy — the skinniest and weakest in the group — lagging far behind. One of the giant stray-dog-like beasts had broken away from the fight and was pursuing him relentlessly.
Kael stood at the cave entrance, stretching out his hand.
"Faster! Don't look back!!" he screamed.
The boy was only a few meters away, desperately reaching for Kael's hand, when the beast lunged. Its massive jaws clamped down on the boy's torso with a sickening crunch.
The boy's scream of agony tore through the wasteland as the creature shook him violently like a ragdoll. Kael could only watch helplessly, his hand still outstretched, powerless to do anything.
Tears of fear and guilt spilled from Kael's eyes. He stumbled backward into the cave, his legs shaking, and hid with the remaining prisoners as the boy's screams were abruptly silenced.
Kael crawled backward frantically, his eyes locked in horror on the giant beast as it tore into the boy. The sickening sounds of flesh and bone being crushed echoed in his ears. He forced himself to his feet and stumbled deeper into the cave, panting heavily as he rejoined the remaining prisoners.
Lina was the first to notice the raw panic and crushing guilt etched across Kael's face. She stepped forward, her own voice trembling with fear and concern.
"Kael… w-what's happening? Where is he?"
Kael tried to catch his breath, his chest heaving. The gruesome scene kept replaying in his mind — the boy's desperate reach, the beast's jaws snapping shut, the scream that was cut short. He struggled to form words, his throat tight with horror. Several long, painful seconds passed before he could speak.
"He's… dead," Kael finally whispered, his voice breaking. "The boy is dead… He got eaten by that beast."
Guilt crashed over him like a wave. His legs gave out and he fell to his knees on the cold cave floor, head bowed. He blamed himself completely — if he had been faster, if he had been stronger, if he had been more like Ishy… the boy might still be alive
The news hit the caravan like a death sentence. A heavy, grim silence fell over the group. Most of them simply stood there, staring blankly at the ground, their minds trapped in the terrifying reality of their fate in the Fallen Dream.
Some prisoners slowly sank to the cave floor, hugging their knees tightly as quiet sobs escaped them. Others gritted their teeth, bodies trembling on the verge of a complete breakdown. The fear in the air was almost suffocating.
Kael let out a shaky sigh, his mind reeling from the horrifying scene he had just witnessed. Overwhelmed, he roughly scratched at his hair, trying desperately to think of what to do next.
"Damnit… this shouldn't have happened!! FUCK!!"
The frustration finally exploded out of him. He began pacing back and forth inside the narrow cave, weaving between the huddled prisoners. His breathing was ragged, his hands clenched into fists.
Lina watched him with deep concern, her own eyes red from unshed tears. She could see how close he was to breaking.
Lina stepped closer to Kael, her voice soft and gentle as she tried to soothe his frayed nerves.
"Kael, calm down—"
Before she could finish, Kael exploded. He shoved her aside roughly, his face twisted with overwhelming anger and fear.
"FUCK OFF!!" he roared. "DON'T YOU DARE LET A SINGLE WORD OUT OF YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"
His eyes were wide, wild with panic. His voice cracked as he continued shouting.
"I WAS TRYING TO SAVE HIM AND HE'S DEAD! DAMN THAT BEAST!!"
The other prisoners froze, their eyes darting nervously between Kael and Lina. No one dared speak. Lina simply took the outburst, her shoulders trembling slightly, but she didn't fight back. She understood his pain — or at least tried to.
Deep in her heart, she silently prayed that Ishy would appear soon and take charge. She still believed he would come for them… even if hope was starting to feel dangerously fragile.