I continued down the road, growing more aware with each step of how fortunate I had been so far. The few fruits I had left wouldn’t last the entire journey, and no other means of gathering food seemed available. Worse still was the lack of water.

  Until now, the tree fruits had met both needs, though insufficiently for either. Yet, I had never considered how others managed without Kopos’s strength.

  The wolf’s footsteps began echoing in my ears again, but they no longer triggered the same intense fear. I knew it watched me not just out of hatred for us all, but also out of curiosity about the one Eftis had chosen for this game.

  It remained silent, no longer chuckling as before, only breathing heavily and rhythmically, as if mindful of its movements or expecting something from me. I didn’t know what I could do to improve my situation. I avoided looking its way, keeping my gaze straight ahead or to the other side. Occasionally, I paused and glanced toward the castle and the moon.

  Eventually, I reached a dead end. Ahead stood only trees; the road was blocked, though it seemed to continue beyond. Within this forest patch, a constant, impatient noise filled the air. The forest creatures darted about, emitting loud cries and sounds. At one edge of the road, the girl sat with her blanket over her back, staring at the impasse. I approached and sat beside her, starting a conversation:

  “What was your deal with the red eyes? Something tells me you didn’t think it through and took whatever it offered without bargaining.”

  She glared at me angrily and replied:

  “You’re right—I didn’t overthink the deal. When death looms, you only think about surviving. I lived, so I succeeded.”

  “And so far, how many people have you been forced to cannibalize to justify that choice?”

  She froze, her eyes shifting from anger to shock, reddening as tears formed. A whisper tried to escape her lips but faltered amid her trembling. I didn’t press further, averting my gaze as I saw she was about to cry.

  It made sense. No one could survive this hostile place otherwise. Some formed groups, hunted, or exploited the weak; others used them for their own ends. The girl beside me was lucky for her beauty, which she could leverage to survive. But that didn’t mean it didn’t wound her mind and soul.

  Likely, people who helped her, whom she grew fond of, were eventually torn away violently. She began to cry. I didn’t approach but stayed put, waiting for her to speak again. After a few minutes, she did:

  “And this blanket—it belonged to someone else, a friend who died to protect me. We were starving, and the lot fell to me to be eaten. We hadn’t met anyone in a while, so my friend shielded me and was fatally wounded. We ate two that day. After that, I had to find someone else to protect me, and so it went. Each time the one guarding me or the one the red eyes demanded I kill died, I gained more rewards, which I shared with the group. We eventually stopped eating people and drinking their blood for water, instead offering them to the forest for rewards. Until a prince crossed our path. The first time, two died, and the rest hid in the forest. The second time, all but me perished.”

  “You never made a deal with the forest creatures to let you pass, no matter what you offered, I assume,” I asked.

  “No,” she said, “never.”

  “Never until now, you mean.”

  She looked at me, stunned.

  “How do you know that? Did the red eyes tell you?” she asked.

  “No, the red eyes only speak when they want something from me or to amuse themselves with my fear. Now, to their dismay, I’m the one finding amusement. I’ve learned much by observing you—things you lived through and learned the hard way,” I replied.

  I felt no pity or sympathy for her. She did what she could to survive. I don’t know if I’d do the same, but judging her felt wrong. At the hotel, in the town, and with Kopos, I could have helped them all live. Together, we might have escaped, but I’d have gained nothing useful. Now I see that deals with the wolf carry a heavy burden.

  “It told me I’d get meals whenever I’m hungry, but if I ever choose to cross the forest and go beyond, our deal ends. So it gave me the choice between meals and continuing the road. If anyone but you had come, I’d have crossed already.”

  “I didn’t realize you trusted me.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “It’s more accurate to say I don’t fear you. I don’t feel you’re a threat yet. Though the red eyes seem fixated on you. Something else is happening with you.”

  “I don’t think I can help with that. I don’t know what it wants from me or what’s happening to me. I’m navigating this like you—searching without knowing where I stand.”

  “You know, I miss my family. My sister’s laughter, my parents arguing, even the impending divorce—I now wish that was the only serious thing I’d face,” she said, shifting the conversation’s tone.

  The way she spoke suggested someone who didn’t want to keep living but lacked the strength to give up. That’s why the wolf kept her alive and exploited her—her management was an easy game. She couldn’t survive without others to care for her.

  “The day the prince took me from my home was when my parents announced their divorce. I had to live that day twice. I hoped it was all a lie. I hoped. But it proved real. You—do you remember your family’s faces?” she asked.

  “I think so,” I replied, “though I’m not sure anymore if what I recall is imagination or not. At the hotel in the town, they tampered with our memories. I’ve been trying to piece it together since, but it’s a tough puzzle. I want to find the prince who brought me here, ask him some questions—chiefly, if he can truly bring the dead back to life. Because, you know, I’ve seen plenty of illusions and tricks so far.”

  “How can that be imagination when everything you knew, everything you lived, turned to smoke? Do you have other experiences or memories? How can you say that so easily?” she said, distressed.

  “In the town, I had no other memories,” I replied calmly, “but I saw something strange. I saw a creature in a human shell decaying, and the red eyes trying to erase it with the same hatred they show us. Some of us might be real, all of us, or none. I don’t know what’s more terrifying. Perhaps if none of us were real, I’d find some peace knowing my family isn’t dead and that the pain caused by me didn’t truly harm anyone.”

  “I can’t believe that, I don’t want to—it doesn’t seem logical,” she said, agitated.

  “What has seemed logical so far, to pose a good question?” I countered.

  She just stared, struggling to keep from breaking into spasms. She seemed on the brink of a nervous breakdown or shock. I considered stopping my assault, but she’d do the same in my place. She didn’t hesitate to deceive Kopos and offer him to the forest’s monsters. Of all I could have saved, I don’t regret trying to destroy her. The deed was already done; I only needed to drive the final nail into her coffin. At this moment, she didn’t even care if my words made sense—her mind wasn’t functioning properly.

  “I don’t think our families can return. It’s likely we lived an illusion when we relived that day, now that I think about it. Yes, that makes more sense than their explanation. And so many have died before us. If one of us wins, what happens to the others? Will they all die, win a prize, or be fed to the forest creatures to appease them? Look, the castle is still so far, and we haven’t even reached halfway. What else must we endure, what must we sacrifice to get there?”

  I shouldn’t have said that—I knew it—but I needed to extinguish any remaining will she had to keep going. No one else should win this race, only me, and she knew things about me I didn’t want shared. Once we crossed, we didn’t know what we’d face. I imagine we’re not the only ones to have made it this far, but the princes keep bringing us here, meaning no one has completed the mission. And that will be me.

  “What do you mean?” she responded. “That’s impossible.” Her breathing grew heavy with anxiety. “I’m sure about my family; I’m sure they were killed. I’m sure they took me back in time, to when they were all alive. They can bring them back. Because if they can’t, I’ll go mad. I can’t take this anymore. I can’t stay here. I want to leave.”

  A panic attack seized her, and I helped her lie down. I stayed beside her until she calmed, falling asleep relatively quickly. Then the wolf spoke again:

  “Your true nature is becoming clear. You’re trying to destroy her hope, her will to fight. I don’t mind—another lion’s descendant less. But your form is growing more dangerous. I won’t let you reach the castle. Anyway, you’ll now be forced to use the only weapon left to you. And afterward, I’ll stay by your side, waiting patiently until you need me again, until I owe you nothing, and then I’ll reward handsomely the one who delivers you to me.”

  “Don’t rush with threats—you’re not the only one with a plan. Everything here has rules, and you’re bound by them above all. Before your teeth reach my head, I’ll find a solution that keeps your mouth open and my head intact,” I replied. “Though if I asked about Eftis, I doubt you’d answer willingly.”

  “No, I won’t answer,” it said with an angry tone. “I’m not obligated to you for anything. The only joy left in my life is your deaths. And I think you’re starting to forget who I am and what I’m capable of.”

  I heard it move away from where I sat with the girl. I stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake. When she did, she entered the forest to get her meal, ate, and then asked my name:

  “You never told me your name.”

  “And I don’t need to,” I replied. “We share a grim experience. Better if we meet on the other side, we start anew as if we’ve never known each other.”

  For the first time, she smiled faintly, unforced, but her eyes looked empty since yesterday. The blow I dealt to her mind and logic was critical. She was already unstable; now she seemed completely broken. She stood, gathered her things, and entered the forest. She didn’t say goodbye, didn’t speak again, didn’t even glance back. With her entry into the forest, she vanished from my sight.

  Now, I had to find a way to continue my journey. I could wait here and team up with someone else, but I didn’t know who I’d meet. If I encountered a prince, things could worsen. Their sadistic nature seemed dominant, explaining why no one had reached the castle yet. Their presence would likely intensify near it, wanting their chosen one to open the gate.

  On the other hand, the wolf had reverted to its hostile nature. Talking to it for a solution seemed futile. Yet my stomach demanded real food and water—something I didn’t know how to obtain. Unless…