Arlo's clothes weren't in the best shape, his right shoulder was covered with blood, there were small tears on his pants, and he hadn't washed for days.
Even though, Arlo had spent the past couple of days near the sea, he didn't dare to go towards it: atmost he would sit on the sand and stare back at the ocean.
Something felt off about it, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it was wrong.
Wrong to go near the water.
Living in the Fallen world meant danger was lurking at every corner, so who knew what was hiding beneath the water.
He actually felt a bit better venturing deeper into the forest, atleast he had escaped that mysterious ocean.
The all-powerful sun was starting to get rejected by the forest, its immense gaze was slowly diminishing, and it's soft warmth was slowly falling, the cold crept in.
It had been hours since Arlo departured, continuously walking in what he thought was a straight path, ducking and dodging anything in his way.
The further he walked, the less space he had. The forest was becoming congested with trees, branches, and roots sticking out from the ground. It felt like he was being trapped.
As if the forest was forcing him to walk a specific path, guiding him to wherever it wanted him to go, without giving him any choice in the matter.
Longer trees, bigger branches, and thicker roots, were becoming more ubiquitous. The forest was changing, not in the sense that it was become a whole different terrain, as if the forest was becoming more healthy and prosperous. But, it wasn't the only think that had become better.
Arlo's pillow had kept him well, slowly healing his injured left arm, and also making it easier for him to sleep in that rigid position comfortably.
However, Arlo felt like the pillow was a bit more special than a regular tool. What intrigued him the most about it, was the story that was given.
"It kept the princess comfort"
He muttered under his breath.
Had he been sleeping on a pillow previously owned by a princess? And if so, then what happened to her?
Not only that, but it also meant that people must have lived here.
You can't be a princess without others calling you one.
So, where had all those people gone?
Princess of a kingdom, or a town, or a village, and yet Arlo saw no traces of anything.
But, most importantly he saw no floating castle.
"How long has it been since this place has been void of any humans?"
Hundreds or thousands of years was Arlo's best bet.
It was clear that nature had taken back what it was owed.
And now, nature was playing with Arlo by forcing him down a specific path. He for one, certainly wasn't amused by it.
Tall trees cramped together like a brick wall, which even light could barely penetrate. An uneven path, with sudden changes, seemingly put together like a maze. Branches poking out, towards one another, blocking anybody's chance of escaping. And, all Arlo could do was keep moving forward, through this endless path, and hope to reach the end of it.
A shining ray of light is what he needed, something to tell him that he had finally escaped out of this tedious path.
But, that didn't happen, not even after walking for a couple more hours.
Defeated by the forest, he took a little break.
Sitting down next to a random tree, he rummaged his pockets, and found leftover pieces of meat.
This was the last couple pieces of meat he had left.
"GRRR"
His stomach growled.
Without hesitation, he began to eat.
Gobbling down all the strips of meat he had left until his mouth was filled with joy.
It was a bittersweet feeling however, his stomach was full, but, his pockets were empty.
"Ah man, I'm all out of food"
The soft wind brushed past his hair, the tree branches danced about, and the leaves swayed from side to side.
He sat there defeated.
Hours of walking, and walking, and walking, and walking, and he still hadn't found a way out.
But, that didn't mean he would give up…no! he couldn't give up.
Not until he...
Arlo rose back up to his feet, and looked far ahead.
His footpath up ahead was a mess, covered in stones and fallen pieces of wood, plus the trees, branches, roots were creeping closer to each another.
His path ahead was going to be really tight —moving swiftly around everything was going to be essential here.
"Ah"
He let out.
Annoyed, angry and frustrated with the whole situation, Arlo certainly wasn't pleased. But, he couldn't do anything except march forward into into the deepest part of this path, and continue walking forward until he finally reached the end of it.
"Thud, thud, snap"
From time to time, Arlo would accidentally step on a little twig, and snap it in half.
Any bit of noise was dangerous, it could lure in monsters, or announce his location to someone unwanted, though, it felt like no one was around him for miles on end.
He ventured deeper, and deeper into the forest.
Time ticked by.
The already long trees had become even longer, his path had become even more squeezed than before, and Arlo had become a little bit more irritated.
Forcing his way through the branches, following along the tight and uncertain path, swiftly making his way towards the unknown.
Without a single hint, or a shining beam of light, or an open door with a white curtain to welcome him.
Arlo stepped into an open field.
Unexpectedly.
A tree stood tall in the middle of the open field, and, from that tree…
Something was glowing.