The forest erupted into motion.
Shadows lunged forward, claws tearing through the air with violent force. The ground trembled beneath heavy footsteps as multiple creatures charged at once.
Rey Ianne stood still.
Watching.
Counting.
"…Okay," he muttered under his breath. "One, two, three… why are there so many?"
The monsters didn't slow down.
They were fast.
Too fast for someone untrained.
Rey took a step back—just one—then steadied himself.
"Right. Think. I don't have a weapon… I don't have a plan…" He exhaled. "But I do have terrible decision-making skills."
The first creature reached him.
Rey moved.
Barely.
Its claws grazed past his shoulder, tearing fabric but missing flesh. He stumbled to the side, heart pounding now.
"Okay, that was closer than I'd like," he said, forcing a grin that no one was there to see.
Another one came from the left.
Rey ducked, grabbing a fallen branch from the ground and swinging it instinctively.
The branch shattered on impact.
"…Still useless," he noted.
The creature recoiled slightly—but only slightly.
Not enough.
A third lunged straight at him.
Rey's body froze for a split second.
Too many.
Too fast.
No way out.
Behind him, the injured man tried to move.
"Run… you have to run…"
Rey heard him.
Of course he did.
He always listened.
For just a moment—
The option was there.
Turn around. Run. Survive.
That would be the smart choice.
The normal choice.
Rey took a breath.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "That would be easier."
The monster in front of him snarled, preparing to strike again.
Rey's fingers tightened.
"…But if I run, you die."
Silence.
Then—
He stepped forward.
The creature lunged.
Rey didn't dodge this time.
He moved into it.
"Alright, let's try something stupid," he said.
At the last second, he twisted his body, grabbing onto the monster's arm as it passed. The force nearly tore him off his feet, but he held on.
"Got you—!"
Using its momentum, he slammed his weight forward.
Both of them crashed to the ground.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
"…Bad idea," he coughed.
The creature roared, thrashing violently.
Rey scrambled, grabbing a sharp stone nearby and driving it down with everything he had.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The monster went still.
Rey rolled off it, breathing heavily.
"…Okay," he said between breaths. "That worked once. I just have to do that… several more times."
He looked up.
The rest were already closing in.
"…Right."
Something inside him shifted.
Not power.
Not strength.
Just—
Resolve.
Rey stood again.
His legs were shaking now.
His shoulder burned.
But his voice remained steady.
"You guys are really bad at introductions, you know that?" he said, raising the stone again. "I've been talking this whole time and not one of you responded."
The monsters circled him.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if adjusting.
As if learning.
"…Oh," Rey murmured. "That's new."
They were thinking.
That wasn't normal.
A sudden pressure filled the air.
Heavy.
Cold.
The creatures stopped moving.
All at once.
Rey frowned.
"…Did I say something wrong?"
The wind died.
The forest fell silent.
Even the leaves stopped rustling.
Then—
A voice.
Soft.
Distant.
Yet impossibly clear.
"You stand… when others would flee."
Rey froze.
"…Okay," he said slowly. "Either I hit my head, or someone's talking without being here."
A faint light began to gather above him.
Warm.
Gentle.
Completely out of place in the dark forest.
"You laugh… in the face of fear."
The monsters stepped back.
Not attacking.
Not moving.
Watching.
Rey looked up.
"…Alright," he said. "Whoever you are, this is a very dramatic entrance."
The light grew brighter.
Filling the space.
Wrapping around him.
"You choose others… over yourself."
Rey blinked.
"…Well, yeah," he said simply. "That's kind of normal, isn't it?"
Silence followed.
As if the voice itself paused.
Then—
"You will be the one."
The light descended.
Rey's eyes widened.
"Wait—hold on—what does that mean exactly—"
It touched him.
Everything changed.
A surge of energy flooded through his body.
Warm… then burning.
His vision blurred.
His heartbeat roared in his ears.
"What—what is this—"
Words appeared in his mind.
Not heard.
Not spoken.
But known.
[System Initialized]
[Designation: Brave]
[Candidate Confirmed]
Rey staggered.
"…Okay," he whispered. "Now I'm definitely not imagining things."
Power surged again.
Stronger.
Deeper.
As if something inside him had been awakened.
The monsters reacted instantly.
They roared—
And charged.
Rey lifted his head.
Something in his gaze had changed.
Not completely.
But enough.
"…Alright," he said quietly.
He stepped forward.
This time—
Without hesitation.
Far above—
The unseen presence watched in silence.
"Let us see… how long your smile lasts."