With the faint sense of understanding of the strange feeling, Shad Darc finally began to grasp what it truly felt like. If he were to put it into words, he would say it was cold extremely cold as though he were submerged at the bottom of a still body of water. That was the sensation pressing against him now, a chilling embrace that seemed to seep into his bones.
But it did not stop there. Alongside the cold came absolute stillness, calmness, and a strange peace something he had always longed for but rarely found. "Argh… this feeling, how peaceful. If only I could hold onto it forever," he whispered. Yet he knew such peace was impossible. There was no such thing as everlasting tranquility in life, except perhaps in death.
Still, he tried to understand more. He realized that whatever he was feeling was somehow tied to this strange forest. That was only part of it, though the true reason remained hidden. Just as he began to gain clarity, his mind suddenly went blank again.
Unlike before, when emptiness consumed him, this time the void intertwined with the strange sensation, giving rise to something entirely new. Oddly enough, it did not feel alien. It felt welcoming, as though he had always carried this feeling within him but was only now aware of it.
Though his mind was blank, his senses remained active. Thanks to the merging of the strange feeling with his absolute depression, a new state emerged. Even without conscious thought, he could feel what was happening. Instinctively, he drew a long breath and everything changed. It was as if he had been forcefully pulled out of the depression, his ability to think restored.
Now fully aware, Shad examined the sensation more carefully. It was like being cast into the deepest part of the ocean. Instead of pressure, there was only cold, stillness, and calm the silence of unmoving water. Awkward, unnatural, yet strangely soothing.
Can an ocean truly be this calm and still? he wondered. This doesn't make sense at all.
At that moment, he grasped the first layer of the feeling. It was no ordinary sensation it was spiritual, supernatural. The realization startled him. He had never denied the existence of the supernatural, but he had not expected to encounter it in this way.
"Well, maybe I'm exaggerating," he sighed. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is understanding what's really going on. First, I should try to grasp this first layer."
He focused on what he could comprehend. The first thing he understood was that this was no ordinary feeling it was extraordinary. The second was that it was somehow tied to the forest in a mysterious way he could not yet explain.
I can't fully understand what I don't know, he reminded himself. So I won't waste time on things beyond me. One step at a time.
The third realization was that the feeling was connected to his subconscious. He was certain of it, though he could not explain how. He set that aside for later, when he had more knowledge.
The fourth was that the sensation resembled energy. It felt like a source of power, something that made him feel strangely empowered.
"Damn… just where am I, really?" he muttered, conflicted.
He looked up at the night sky, glittering with stars. Yet something about it unsettled him. "The night sky… why does it look different? It feels fake. Or maybe not."
Staring quietly, he noticed the difference. "I see. It isn't fake. The stars are abnormally larger than usual. And… there are nine massive stars aligned in a circle."
"Weird. This is so weird."
He averted his gaze, pondering the countless questions in his heart. Looking down, he saw the bear-like creature still waiting below, its eyes filled with what seemed like anticipation. The sight was odd, unsettling.
Shad exhaled, closed his eyes, and thought back to everything that had happened his sudden arrival in the forest, the chase with the beast, the strange sensation, and now this moment. Slowly, he began to piece together faint knowledge and understanding of the situation he was in.
The forest was no ordinary place. Its darkness, its oppressive heat, its strange creatures, and now this supernatural sensation all of it pointed to something beyond Earth. The stars above confirmed it. He was not home. He was somewhere else entirely.
Yet even in this realization, Shad felt torn. Fear gnawed at him, but so did curiosity. If this is a test, then it is unlike any I've faced before. If this is real, then I've stepped into a world beyond imagination.
The bear-like creature growled softly below, its red eyes glowing in the dim light. Shad shivered. He could not fight it, not yet. But perhaps this strange energy this peace was the key. Perhaps it was the beginning of something greater.
For now, he would wait. He would observe. He would learn. And when the time came, he would act.