Lila woke up earlier and more energetic than usual, despite the soreness that still lingered in her body. She sat up, looking around the camp.
Davien was already awake. He stood near the edge of the camp, checking their supplies again.
"Do you not sleep at all?" she asked lightly, forcing a small chuckle.
"No. I don't think I need it," Davien replied flatly.
She smiled to herself, standing up and picked up her clothes. "Well, I'm off," she said, leaving the camp and heading toward the forest.
Lila paused after a few steps, half expecting him to say something or give her a word of encouragement. But he didn't. Still, she felt his gaze on her back—steady. It made her shoulders tense and a bit uncomfortable. Then she walked away, determination visible in her eyes.
Lila had already worn her training clothes and was heading to the area where she had tried catching those rabbits.
Maybe I should check another area of the forest. It might be easier, she thought.
She had been walking for hours, and not a single rabbit was in sight. Lila already regretted her decision.
Then she saw them—the rabbits.
The frustrating feeling she had been gathering seemed to ease up gradually. This time, she didn't rush toward them; she moved slow and steady. lowering herself, stepping carefully from tree to tree until she reached where they were.
One of the rabbits was digging the ground by a tree close to her—"That was her number one target". She moved closer and closer until there was just a foot of distance between her and the rabbit. She bent down there for several minutes, her legs becoming numb, waiting for the right time to strike.
Then, a dry branch from the tree beside her fell, frightening the rabbit and making it hop away.
"Damn, I was so close," she muttered under her breath.
Still behind the tree, she watched silently, observing their every move. Then she saw a few of them hop into holes in the ground.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"Yes, that's it," she muttered. Why didn't I think of this earlier?
She hurried toward the area and stopped in front of two holes, not minding the other rabbits, which had ran off, hiding in bushes or tree holes. She stood in front of the holes, debating which one the rabbits had gone into.
She knelt down and checked the first one. It was narrow, deep, and empty. Pulling her hand out, she moved to the second.
"This must be it," she thought to herself.
As She slid her hand inside. The hole was smooth and cool, though she felt no movement. pushing deeper, her hand felt something warm—and it moved. Her face lit up with a wide smile.
I finally did it! she thought already beaming with joy
Suddenly, she felt a painful, stinging sensation, as if pricked by needles. She screamed, pulling her hand back. Two small red dots visible on her skin.
something crawled out of the hole. Long, thick, black, smooth, shiny scales.
She gasped, eyes widening.
A snake. A cobra.
It rose the front portion of its body off the ground, its hood spreading wide. Its tongue moved quickly, flicking over and over, sensing Lila as a threat, while it hissed sharply and loudly. Its piercing eyes remained locked on her. It was clear the snake was ready to attack.
Frightened by the sight, Lila picked up a stick near her,her hands trembling as she lifted it.
"Stay… stay back," she said, her voice trembling as she managed to stand while pointing the stick toward it.
The snake, rather than backing down, became more aggressive. It launched forward with force, biting her leg below the knee. Pain spread through her leg, and she screamed again, dropping the stick and running. The snake followed, but she ran without looking back, and managed to get away from it.
Lila ran through the tall trees in the forest, not caring about the direction she was heading.
After a while, when she was sure it hadn't followed her, she stopped, sweat pouring from her forehead and all over her body.She didn't know how long she ran. When she finally stopped, leaning heavily against a tree, her legs nearly gave out.
She stood up straight, scanning the unfamiliar area. Suddenly, her head began to spin. Only then did she remember.
The snake had bitten her.
The bite site throbbed and started swelling. Her head spinning as something warm rolled down from her nose, dripping slowly to the ground.
blood…
It's my blood, she said in dazed, placing her hands beneath her nose, touching it lightly, then lowering them to confirm.
Her legs weakened, trembling, making her fall to her knees. The forest slanted slightly as dizziness washed over her, her vision blurring, her body slowly turning cold and unmoving.
Then darkness closed in around her.