Soul of Blades - Chapter 3: Alive (Patreon)

The sky split. A thunderous roar filled the air. The pack was on the move, like a river of teeth and fur.

Then came the leader.

Bigger than the rest, towering over him, with a horn sharper than any blade, it moved with deadly precision. A predator born and bred. Its eyes - wild and hungry, fixed on Alex with a clear message.

Prey.

Stumbling on a tree root, Alex crashed to the ground. The ground seemed to quake beneath him. The cacophony of growls and snarls grew louder. His heart pounded like a drum, matching the rhythm of the impending doom.

A wince. A hesitation. The leader, bigger and meaner, charged.

The leader lunged at him.

Alex, in a desperate flurry, scrambled to his feet and rolled aside. He heard the swoosh of the wolf's horn slashing through the air where he had been a heartbeat before. His heart pounded in his ears.

A tree fell, bisected.

Back on his feet. His body screamed, protesting at the sudden strain. But he had no time for pain.

He dodged again.

And again.

He was a flash of movement in the wilderness, his body responding on instinct, adrenaline fuelling his every move.

Then, he struck.

With a swift pivot, Alex spun on his heel, slamming his foot into the leader's side. The wolf howled, skidding and crashing through the underbrush. Alex seized the opportunity, his eyes fixed on the strange, enticing portal in the distance.

Flight. It was the only option.

He launched into a sprint, his muscles aching, his breath ragged. He could hear the wolves on his trail, their snarls growing closer.

They were gaining on him.

Heart pounding, legs burning, he plunged into the dense jungle, weaving between trees, ducking beneath vines and leaping over fallen logs. The portal was in sight now, glowing ominously in the heart of the jungle, peeking between the distant trees.

His world was a blur of greens and browns. The only sound - his desperate breaths and the wolves' frenzied pursuit. The jungle echoed their vicious growls.

His destination was far ahead, but a dense section filled with hanging vines was near. He could hide there.

Then, he was at the edge. The wolves were seconds behind him. One final push.

A leap of faith.

He threw himself into the vines, his world becoming a swirl of green blurs as he swung forward, landing on the ground. He could still hear the wolves' frustrated howls. They raced beneath to reach him. He had done it. He had bought time.

But soon, they would be upon him.

Alex turned, and resumed his sprint, with the sounds of predators around him.

In this new world, the future was uncertain. But he knew one thing for sure, and it guided each frantic step after the other.

He was alive.

For now.