CROSS: Blood Horizon
Zelleager presents
Inspired by: The Hollow
LEO
In a forest where the trees grew so tall they blocked out the sun, a boy lay curled up on the ground. He groaned, shifting a little, then slowly pushed himself upright, clutching his head.
He looked maybe fifteen. Bare feet pressed against the hard dirt. His hair was thick and messy, his skin pale under the dim light, his eyes dark and unfocused. Slowly, he stood, scanning the trees around him with confusion written all over his face.
"Where... the hell am I?" he muttered.
He stared at his hands, then his feet, then back at the forest.
"Why can't I remember anything?" His teeth clenched as a sharp headache tore through his skull.
Stumbling forward, he tried to remember something-anything-but the harder he thought, the worse the pain got. Finally, he dropped to his knees, both hands gripping his head as tears burned his eyes.
"Stupid headache" he said as he kicked a rock
Minutes passed before the pain faded. Breathing hard, he sat back and looked around. The trees loomed above, the air damp and heavy. In the distance, faint chirps of birds and insects echoed. Ahead, through the trees, he noticed an opening-a path.
He forced himself up and hurried toward it.
At a fork in the trail, he froze, unsure which way to go. Then, from the left, faint shouting reached his ears.
"People..." he breathed, relief flickering across his face.
He took off down the left path, ducking under branches, hopping over fallen logs.
"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!!" he yelled, chasing the sound. His face lit up as he rounded a corner-
-and froze.
A cottage stood ahead, but the scene around it was pure horror. The family that lived there... they were dead.
Four bodies. One hung limp over the roof, blood dripping to the dirt below. Another, missing an arm, leaned against a splintered tree. A third was pinned beneath the trunk of that same tree. The last body lay sprawled just a few feet away.
The boy stumbled toward it. A man-probably the father-was choking on his own blood, a broken axe at his side.
"Sir, are you alright?!" the boy asked, crouching and turning him over. His eyes went wide at the sight of the gash carved across the man's chest.
The man's lips moved. "Rr-"
"What?"
"Rr-" Blood bubbled in his throat.
The boy leaned closer, ear almost to his mouth.
"...Run."
With that, the man let out his final breath.
The boy sat frozen, shock and confusion crashing over him.
"What kind of prank is this...? Where the hell am I?"
A low growl rumbled from behind. The boy stiffened. Slowly, he turned.
A lion stood there-but not an ordinary lion. It was the size of a bear, with bloodshot red eyes, great wings sprouting from its back, and a spiked tail swaying behind it.
The boy bolted. The beast roared, launching itself into the air to chase him.
He ran, faster than he thought possible, tearing through the dark path. Branches whipped across his face, his chest burning, but he didn't stop. At the last second, he cut left. The lion overshot, crashing through the trees.
Panting, the boy stumbled into a clearing. His heart pounded, his chest ached, but at least... it was quiet. Too quiet.
He stepped forward-only to find himself at the edge of a cliff. Across the gorge was more land, but the distance was too far. Below, jagged rocks lined a raging river.
"I can't cross that..." he muttered.
"Great...chase by a monster now this" he muttered
Before he could move, something slammed him to the ground. Agonizing pain exploded in his shoulder-fangs digging deep. The lion had found him.
The boy screamed as blood poured down his arm. Its eyes locked onto him with deadly hunger.
"GET OFF ME YOU BASTARD!!!"
On instinct, he punched-once, twice, three times. The lion's head snapped back, its eye swelling after the third hit.
Both froze.
"What the?" he said in shock
He stared down at his trembling, bloodied hand. The lion snarled, enraged, and flung him across the gorge like a ragdoll.
Coughing, battered, he dragged himself up. No way he should've been alive.
He grits his teeth as the beast came charging, jaws wide.
This time, he caught them. Both hands gripping its fangs, muscles straining as he slid across the dirt, heels digging in. With a roar of his own, he twisted and heaved-throwing the monster aside.
It landed hard, but when it rose, he was already there.
WHAM! His fist smashed ribs. Another hook cracked its jaw. An uppercut launched it skyward.
The lion tried to flee, wings spreading wide.
But the boy leapt, grabbing hold of its leg, climbing onto its back. With raw fury, he wrenched one wing until it snapped.
The beast plummeted.
The impact shook the ground. Dirt and dust exploded around them.
The boy didn't hesitate. He straddled the beast and unleashed punch after punch after punch. Each blow sank its head deeper into the earth. Blood sprayed his fists, his grunts echoing through the clearing.
Finally, the monster's skull was nothing but pulp.
Panting, chest heaving, he rolled off and lay on his back, hands drenched in blood.
Minutes passed before he sat up, breathing ragged.
"...I remember now," he whispered.
"Leo. My name... is Leo."
As the words left his mouth, he noticed something-someone-floating in front of him.
His eyes adjusted. A girl, about his age, hung in the air. She stared at him blankly, saying nothing.
End