I continued walking through the forest in search of water. Moving between the trees was a difficult task, as I was walking very slowly due to the vastness of the place and the density of the trees. I thought anxiously: How the hell am I going to find water in this place? Will I walk to infinity? I might die of thirst before I find a single drop.
I kept walking nonetheless, before I had to stop for a moment. My injured leg was hurting me badly, and I felt a strong urge to stop and take a short rest. But I stopped myself and muttered sarcastically:
"Don't forget your motto… move forward without stopping, even if you're only half a body."
I paused for a moment, then added inside myself with greater sarcasm: Well, this isn't really my motto. I only saw it in one of the random videos, but I adopted it over time because it always gave me motivation whenever I wanted to quit something. I always encouraged myself by saying it out loud.
I continued walking again, a few heavy steps, before my eyes fell upon a truly beautiful sight. There… was a flower.
It was massive, larger than my body, growing alone in a small patch free of grass. Its petals were wide and extended, with colors gradating between dark red and deep purple, interspersed with faint golden lines. In its center, the heart of the flower was open and dark, emitting a faint glow, while a sweet scent wafted into my nose…
I felt something strange as I stared at the flower; my mind emptied completely the longer I looked. I stepped forward toward it unconsciously, my mind focused on only one thing: I must get closer to admire its beauty. I moved step by step, and with each step, my mind became emptier, and I kept repeating in a low voice without stopping:
"Beautiful… beautiful…"
I didn't know why I kept saying it, and I felt as if something was wrong, but I didn't stop despite that.
Suddenly— a butterfly descended onto it.
Or… something that resembled a butterfly.
It was bigger than any butterfly I had ever seen in my life. Its wings were wide and transparent, shimmering with changing colors as if reflecting light on the surface of water. For a moment, I felt astonished… but that feeling did not last long.
In less than a second, the flower's petals closed suddenly, accompanied by a wet, disgusting sound and a swift movement. The butterfly— or that creature— did not make a sound. It disappeared.
I saw the flower's petals slam shut harshly, then slowly open again, its center stained with a dark liquid…
I froze in my place immediately, before my mind returned to normal all at once. I muttered in a trembling voice:
"What the hell…?"
Then I turned suddenly and began running without any further thought. I didn't even look back. My injured foot hurt with every step, but I ignored it completely. Fear controlled my body, and my mind did nothing but push me forward without stopping.
I ran a long distance before I had to stop. I was gasping heavily, and my foot hurt more than before, so I stopped running, convinced that I had escaped that flower enough.
"Ufff…"
I gradually began to regain my breath, and with it, my mind started to think again. I let out a short laugh, remembering how my mother always warned me to stay away from anything beautiful. I used to think she was just joking… but she was right. Because of Aris… she was also beautiful, and because of her… I had already died.
Sadness crept into my chest for a moment when I thought of her, but I quickly pushed the thought away and said sarcastically, trying to forget:
"O noble butterfly— or whatever your name is— I will never forget your sacrifice as long as I live. I will avenge you one day… so may your soul go in peace and rest."
I stood in a brief moment of mourning for the butterfly, commemorating it in my own way. When I was done, I slowly turned, looking in every direction, trying to understand where I had reached.
Then I heard a faint sound. At first, I felt fear, but when I heard it clearly, that fear turned into a strange feeling… almost like joy. I began walking cautiously toward it.
And there… between the trees, the scene opened before me.
A vast lake.
Its waters were calm, reflecting the faint light filtering through the branches, and its surface rippled lightly. It was truly beautiful…