CHAPTER 14 — Night of the Red Forest
Pallavi thought anxiously:
(Why do I always end up in situations like this? First zombies… now a rabbit monster? What the hell…)
Hemant forced a crooked grin, trying to cut through the fear.
Hemant: "Looks like we found a cute little rabbit, and its rank is low."
Janit shot him a sharp glare.
Janit (sarcasm): "Idiot. Then why did the system mark it as dangerous?"
Damni's voice turned serious.
Damni:"This is not a normal rabbit. Something is wrong."
Janvi's breath quickened.
Janvi (panic): "Exactly. If it was normal, then why would it be Rank E?"
Aditya tightened his grip on his sword.
(We need to be ready. Something is coming.)
Harsh spoke firmly.
Harsh:"We should leave. Now."
Nikhil narrowed his eyes.
(I can handle it… I have the ability… what the—)
The forest changed.
Birds exploded out of the trees, shrieking.
Branches snapped violently.
The earth trembled beneath their feet.
Then—
A massive shadow stepped forward.
A forty-foot giant rabbit creature emerged beneath the dying red sunset. Its claws were long and curved like blades. Its fur was soaked in blood. Its glowing red eyes burned like embers in the dark.
Its towering body eclipsed the sun completely.
The forest turned into a nightmare.
The creature stared at them.
Silent.
Hungry.
Nikhil shouted—
"Hide inside the camps! MOVE!"
Everyone scattered toward different camps, doors slamming shut behind them.
Nikhil, Aditya, and Damni rushed into one.
The giant rabbit sprinted after them—its claws slicing through the air—almost catching Nikhil's back.
They slipped inside at the last possible second.
The creature stopped at the entrance.
Its red eyes glowed through the darkness.
Its breathing was slow.
Heavy.
Hungry.
Nikhil swallowed.
(Too close… way too close.)
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Their chests felt tight. Breathing became difficult, as if the air itself had turned heavy.
The creature paused.
Then it turned.
And began walking toward another camp.
---
🔹 Inside Nikhil's Camp
Aditya's voice shook.
Aditya (worried and panic): "What do we do? We can't kill that thing. And this shelter won't hold."
Damni: "Do we have explosives?"
Aditya: "A few… not enough."
Outside, something heavy dragged across the ground.
Wood splintered.
A distant scream echoed.
---
🔹 Hemant's Side
Hemant ran alongside Janit, Harsh, and Pallavi.
(Cute? This thing isn't cute. WE are the cute ones.)
Janit gasped between breaths.
Janit (sarcasm, terrified): "Where are you going, Hemant? Your cute little rabbit is calling for you!"
Hemant (furious): "Shut up, dog!"
Behind them—
A camp shattered like paper.
Wood flew into the air.
The creature's roar vibrated through the forest.
---
🔹 Back to Nikhil
Aditya turned to him urgently.
Aditya: "We have to act. Staying here will get us killed."
Damni nodded.
Damni: "He's right. We need a plan."
Nikhil clenched his fists.
(One plan… risky… maybe insane. But if I don't act, we all die.)
The sky darkened completely.
The forest fell unnaturally silent.
Then—
A deafening crash.
The rabbit creature smashed through another camp as if it were made of paper.
Nikhil's breathing trembled.
(I hope they're alive… no more waiting. I have to move.)
He turned to Aditya.
Nikhil: "Give me five bombs."
Aditya handed them over without a word.
Damni grabbed Nikhil's arm.
Damni (irritated, terrified): "What are you doing, idiot? Don't try anything stupid!"
Nikhil stepped outside into the open field.
His body shook violently.
His legs felt frozen.
For a moment, he couldn't move.
He took a long breath.
Then another.
He forced his mind to calm down.
Without replying, he moved forward.
He threw three bombs toward the creature.
The explosions ripped through fur and flesh.
The rabbit creature roared — a sound so loud it felt like the sky itself cracked.
It charged.
Nikhil activated the Corrupted Heart ability.
The ground trembled.
Dead zombies clawed their way out of the earth — fifteen of them.
His army.
They lunged at the rabbit, biting, tearing, clawing, trying to hold it down.
Hearing the explosions, the others burst from their camps — Aditya, Janvi, Damni, Janit, Harsh — joining the fight.
Steel flashed.
Blood sprayed.
The ground split open.
Bones cracked.
The rabbit creature tore through the zombies.
Claws sliced bodies apart.
Rotting limbs scattered across the battlefield.
Nikhil leapt forward and slashed deeply into its arm.
The monster's eyes burned with rage.
Its mouth opened wide.
Unnaturally wide.
Its jaw stretched, unhinged.
Ready to swallow him whole.
---
⚔️ Scene Shift
Moments later—
Silence.
Thick.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Nikhil stood alone in the clearing.
His sword dripped blood.
His breathing was uneven.
The giant rabbit lay headless on the ground.
Blood pooled beneath its massive body.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Everyone stared at Nikhil.
Shocked.
Frozen.
His body still trembled.
Nikhil."We're leaving. Now."
But before anyone could respond—
A notification appeared.
---
⚠️ SYSTEM ALERT
Emergency detected: 6 Rabbit Creatures approaching.
Everyone's blood ran cold.
Every spine stiffened.
From deep within the forest—
A low, distant howl echoed.
The wind stopped.
The trees stood still.
And in the darkness—
Six pairs of red eyes slowly opened.
Watching.
Waiting.
---
Chapter End.