Femi kept his eyes on the movement in the forest.
The leaves shifted slightly before something stepped out.
It was a deer. Brown fur, steady eyes, nothing unusual about it.
Femi let out a slow breath.
"…Alright. Not what I expected."
The deer watched him for a moment, then turned and began walking toward the open field.
Femi hesitated, then followed.
The field was wider than it had looked from where he stood. The air felt different here—warmer and heavier. As he moved forward, he began to hear voices in the distance.
By the time he got closer, the source became clear.
A small settlement stood ahead. Mud huts, thatched roofs, and worn paths between them. Smoke rose from one side, suggesting people actually lived here.
Femi frowned.
"Where exactly did I end up…"
Before he could think further, a sharp scream cut through the air.
He froze, then quickly moved toward the sound.
He crouched beside one of the huts and carefully peeked around the corner.
Bandits.
About ten of them.
They were rough-looking men, armed with short blades, clubs, and a few rusted weapons. Several villagers were on their knees, clearly terrified.
"Bring everything out!" one of the bandits shouted. "Food, valuables—anything you have!"
One of the villagers hesitated.
A bandit stepped forward and struck him across the face.
The man fell hard.
Femi's jaw tightened.
He looked down at his hands, then back at the scene.
"I don't even know if this is real… I remember going to bed and this doesn't seem like my current world could this be some kind of lucid dream...."
Another villager was dragged forward.
"boss how does this one look I think she could satisfy you for the night" one of the bandits said with a fawning look towards the man who seemed to be the leader
Femi exhaled slowly.
"…Doesn't matter if this is real or not, I have to do something ."
He moved along the wall quietly and spotted a rake leaning nearby. He picked it up, testing its weight. It felt awkward, but usable.
One of the bandits stood slightly apart from the others, facing away.
Femi stepped in carefully, closing the distance.
Then he struck.
The rake drove forward and pierced into the man's throat.
A wet choking sound escaped him as his hands flew up to grab the handle.
Femi froze for a brief moment, feeling the resistance… then the sudden give.
The man collapsed.
Femi let go and stepped back, breathing unevenly.
He stared at the body.
"I just…"
His stomach tightened, but the reaction faded faster than he expected.
"…This has to be a dream, right? ."
That thought settled his hesitation.
He picked up a short blade from the ground and moved again.
This time, he was quicker.
He slipped behind another bandit and cut across his neck. Blood sprayed lightly, and the man dropped before he could react.
Femi flinched but kept moving.
He circled behind a hut, using the shadows.
Two more bandits stood nearby, talking.
Femi rushed in.
He drove the blade into the first one's side, then immediately turned and slashed the second across the throat.
The second man staggered, clutching his neck as blood spilled through his fingers.
Both went down.
Femi's breathing grew heavier.
His hands were shaking now.
"…Four."
He didn't have time to think when...
"Hey!"
Femi turned.
One of the remaining bandits had spotted him.
"Someone's here!"
The others turned immediately.
Five of them.
They spread out, surrounding him.
Femi tightened his grip on the blade.
"Great," he muttered. "So much for stealth."
One of them rushed first.
Femi stepped aside and swung his blade. It cut into the man's arm.
The bandit shouted in pain and dropped his weapon.
Another came from the side with a club.
Femi raised his arm to block.
Thud!
Pain shot through his forearm, dull and heavy, like the bone had been struck directly.
He clenched his teeth and pushed through it, stepping forward and driving his shoulder into the man's chest.
The impact knocked him backward.
Femi followed up, slashing across his torso.
A third attacker lunged at him.
Femi ducked under the swing and drove his blade upward into the man's abdomen.
The resistance was thick. His hand shook as he forced it in.
The man gasped, then collapsed.
By the time it ended, the remaining attackers were down, groaning or barely moving.
Femi stood there, breathing hard.
His arm throbbed.
His chest felt tight.
Sweat ran down his face.
"…This is insane."
He turned slowly.
Then he felt it.
A shift in the air.
A faint movement behind him.
His body reacted before his mind caught up.
He rolled to the side.
Something sliced past him.
Shk!
A sharp pain tore across his side.
"Ghk—!"
Femi hit the ground hard, clutching his ribs.
Warm blood spread under his fingers.
"Too slow," a voice said calmly.
Femi looked up.
The leader stood there.
On his hands were weapons—metal claws fitted over his fingers, curved and sharp.
Bagh Nakh. Steel claws designed for close combat.
The man stepped forward slowly.
"You did well," he said. "But not well enough."
Femi pushed himself up, breathing unevenly.
The pain in his side burned with every movement.
The man moved first.
Fast. Very fast!
Femi barely raised his arm in time.
Clang—!
The claws scraped against the blade, sending vibrations through his hand.
Before he could recover, a second strike came.
This time it hit.
Shk!
The claws cut into his shoulder.
Femi hissed in pain and stumbled back.
The man didn't stop.
Another strike aimed for his chest.
Femi forced himself forward instead of retreating.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist.
The claws dug into his palm.
"Ghh—!"
Pain exploded through his hand, sharp and immediate.
Ignoring it, Femi lunged forward and slammed his forehead into the man's face.
Thk!
The man staggered slightly.
Femi drove his knee upward into his stomach.
The air rushed out of the man as he bent forward.
Femi twisted his grip, forcing the clawed hand inward and deeper into his own palm to lock it in place.
Blood ran freely now.
With his other hand, he grabbed the second wrist and did the same.
Both weapons were lodged in his hands.
The pain was unbearable—burning, tearing—but he held on.
"Stay… still…!"
He slammed his head forward again.
Thk!
Then releasing on of his hands he drove a punch into the man's abdomen.
Once.
Twice.
The man tried to pull free, but his weapon was stuck and femi had made sure to keepa distance from the other claw
Femi pulled one hand free despite the tearing pain, then forced the claw upward.
Straight into the man's throat.
Chk—!
The metal claws pierced through.
The man's eyes widened.
Femi didn't stop.
He drove his fist forward repeatedly, forcing the weapon deeper.
Each impact made a dull, wet sound.
The man's body went limp.
Femi staggered back, breathing violently.
His hands were covered in blood—his and the enemy's.
Pain pulsed through both palms.
His side burned.
His shoulder throbbed.
"…That… hurt like hell…"
He looked around slowly.
Bodies everywhere.
Silence returned to the village.
Femi swallowed hard.
"…Yeah. This doesn't feel like a dream anymore."
He slowly raised his eyes only to see the villagers staring dead into him with no emotions
" hun.. ? What's going on here?
Before he could even try to move, the villages started turning into dust and the village and everything in this world started fading away into darkness
Femi closed his eyes, tired, in pain and confusion not understanding what was going on.