Haruto walked through the forest. He had to push past branches and walk on uneven ground. He looked around carefully for any sign of life. It was really quiet around him. This silence felt weird. The deeper he went into the forest the more alone he felt.
After a while a thought came to his mind.
"What's your name?" he asked quietly. ". Your gender?
The response came into his head away. It was calm. Did not show any emotion.
[I am not human nor a living entity. I do not possess a gender. If you prefer I can adopt an female identity. I do not have a name.]
Haruto was quiet for a moment. He thought about what he heard. He kept walking. Then a small smile came on his face.
"Then I will give you one " he said.
There was a pause before the voice responded again.
[That is acceptable. What name will you assign?]
Haruto thought for a seconds. This thing did not have a gender. Come from anywhere. It was a presence that guided him in this unknown place. One name came to his mind naturally.
"Sophia."
[Name registered. Current designation: Sophia.]
Haruto nodded slightly. Looked ahead again. For some reason the name Sophia felt right.
He kept walking for hours. The forest seemed to never end. His body got heavier with each step. He was getting really tired.
Everywhere he looked there were trees and shadows. He could hear monsters moving in the distance. This made him stay alert.
Just as the sky started to get dark he saw something ahead.
A village.
He felt relieved when he saw the village. He walked closer.. When he got inside the village that feeling went away. The houses were. Old. They had cracks in the walls.
Plants and vines were growing through them. It looked like nobody had lived there for years. The place felt empty.
"Abandoned " he said to himself.
It was getting dark. He did not want to stay. Haruto looked around. Went into one of the damaged houses. He made a space to rest for the night.
Just as he took a step forward he heard something.
Footsteps.
More than one.
Haruto stopped moving. His body was still. He listened carefully. At first he thought it might be people.. The sound was not right. It was heavier and rougher. It sounded like something was crawling or stalking.
Then the grass outside moved.
Haruto slowly turned his head towards the sound.
In the dark many red eyes looked back at him.
He caught his breath.
From the shadows many wolf-like monsters came out. Their bodies were tense. Their mouths were a little open. Saliva was dripping down. They looked hungry.
Fear made his chest feel tight.
"Sophia what are those?" he asked. His voice was low but urgent.
[They are wolf-type monsters that live in forest areas. Alone they are not strong. In groups they are more dangerous because they attack together.]
Haruto clenched his teeth.
"I do not want details. Just tell me how I can survive this."
[There is one way to survive.]
"Then tell me."
[Run.]
Harutos eyes got wide.
"That is it? There is no way?"
[You are not strong enough to fight them. If they catch you you will probably not survive.]
The wolves came closer.
That was enough.
Haruto. Ran as fast as he could. His body moved on its own. Branches scratched him as he ran through the forest. His breathing got heavier with each step.
Behind him he could hear them.
Chasing. Fast. Too fast.
"They are still following me " he said to himself. He was getting scared.
The ground was uneven. The darkness made it worse. His foot hit a rock. Before he could react he fell hard onto the ground.
He felt pain.
Before he could get up one of the wolves bit his arm. Haruto cried out. He made himself move. Another wolf attacked his leg. He gritted his teeth. Kicked them away. He tore himself free. Ignored the pain. He got back to his feet.
He ran again.
He was desperate.
Then suddenly the forest opened up.
A river was in front of him.
Haruto stopped for a split second. His chest was heaving. He turned back. The wolves were already close. Their glowing eyes looked at him from the darkness.
There was no time to think.
He jumped into the river.
The cold water covered him away. The strong current took his body away before he could even steady himself. He tried to swim. The force was too strong. It pulled him deeper. Water filled his lungs.
His movements slowed down.
His strength went away.
As everything, around him got darker his eyes slowly closed.