What Am I Fighting For?

I ran, every ounce of strength within me pushing my legs to move faster.

Shadows of ancient buildings blurred past me as I tore through the decayed remnants of a forgotten world.

"Huff-Huff."

My breath came in shallow, desperate gasps as the cold air stung my lungs.

Tok-

I took another step forward.

Tok-

Each step echoed faintly against the cobblestones beneath me, a rhythm swallowed by the stifling silence of the ruined city.

Fear at this point, was a fire in my chest, blazing hot.

Yet I couldn't stop.

I couldn't falter.

The streets twisted and turned, overgrown and littered with debris, but my instinct guided me through the labyrinth. Crumbling features rose like specters in the darkness, whispering tales of a past that had long been consumed.

The air felt heavy.

Oppressive.

And I knew the source was not natural.

This was a city lost to the supernatural forces that now haunted the world.

A low, guttural roar shattered the fragile quiet.

My heart leapt into my throat.

I froze for the briefest of moment, the sound slicing through the veil of my thoughts

Ba-dump!

I turned,

And,

Ba-dump!

My breath hitched.

There it was.

A beast crafted out of one's worst nightmare- dark and monstrous, its crimson eyes glowed like embers in the dark. Its massive body loomed, casting shifting shadows that writhed unnaturally.

A direwolf...no, it was something far worse.

I cursed under my breath and immediately ran.

The sound of its pursuit was immediate- a thunderous cadence of heavy paws pounding against the earth.

My legs burned from exertion, but I pushed harder.

Faster.

My mind screamed for escape, but the beast was closing the distance, its presence pressing against me like an encroaching tide.

A rush of wind grazed my back as the creature lunged.

I dove to the ground instinctively, rolling away just as its claw tore through the air where I had been. The ground I stood on moments prior cracked under the force of its blow.

I scrambled to my feet, relief, soothing but fleeting coursing through me.

I glanced around me.

Adrenaline driving me despite the overwhelming terror weighing in on me from all sides.

There- a door, arched and open, beckoning what seemed like a promise of salvation.

I bolted towards it, my mind warring with itself.

Is this a way out or am I running into another trap?

I wondered.

B-ut,

It didn't matter,

For I had no other choice.

The beast roared again, its fury palpable.

It surged ahead, overtaking me and stopped directly in my path. Its glowing eyes locked with mine and for a moment, the world fell still.

The air turned icy cold.

A suffocating dread coiled around me as it began to stalk forward, savoring the moment. Its movements slow, and deliberate, as if it knew there was no escape.

I felt the weight of despair pressing down.on me.

My mind raced.

Searching for a solution,

A plan.

Anything.