The creature's scream still echoed off the rock walls.
Samuel stood motionless.
Before him stretched the immense gorge, its bottom disappearing somewhere into the darkness. The wind surged up from the depths with unimaginable force, tugging at his clothes. Loose stones danced across the ground before falling silently over the edge into the abyss.
Above him, the two creatures circled.
They moved almost effortlessly.
At times they let the wind carry them; at others, their four wings beat simultaneously, instantly changing direction. It didn't look strenuous. Rather… natural.
As if this storm belonged to them.
Samuel forced himself to breathe calmly.
"Don't move."
Maybe they'd lose interest.
Maybe he'd just stepped into their territory.
The larger of the two creatures drew a wide circle over the ravine. Its six eyes stared down at him unceasingly. While two stared directly at him, the others seemed to take in every movement in their surroundings.
Samuel felt his stomach clench.
Never before had he felt so watched by a living creature.
Slowly, he took a step back.
Nothing happened.
Another one.
The animals continued to circle.
- "Good..."
- "Very slowly."
The wind howled between the rocks. His heart was pounding so loudly that he thought even the creatures must be able to hear it.
He took the next step.
Suddenly, the smaller animal folded its wings.
Samuel jerked his head up.
It fell.
Not fluttering.
Not gliding.
It simply plummeted.
Like a rock.
Straight toward him.
- "Damn it!"
Samuel threw himself to the side.
The creature shot past him so closely that its wing brushed against Samuel's shoulder. A powerful gust of air hurled him against a rock.
His back slammed hard against the stone.
Before he could even fully register the pain, the creature was already soaring upward again.
Samuel gasped.
- "That was close..."
He scrambled to his feet.
The creature was already circling again.
It hadn't attacked him with its claws.
It hadn't even tried to grab him.
It had merely brushed against him.
Samuel furrowed his brow.
"Why?"
A deep growl rang out above him.
Samuel looked up.
The larger animal was now gliding down as well. Slowly. Without haste. It didn't attack, but watched him intently, as if assessing his every move.
Samuel kept backing away. He wanted to gain some distance, to put at least a few meters between himself and the creatures.
No sooner had he set foot on the loose ground than the smaller creature shot down from above once more.
This time, the attack came from the side.
Samuel instinctively leaped backward. The bird missed him, but the gust of air from its powerful wings hit him with full force.
He stumbled.
Two uncontrolled steps carried him backward.
Straight toward the ravine.
He came to an abrupt halt.
Less than two meters separated him from the abyss.
The wind tugged at his clothes and threw him off balance, while his heart beat faster and faster.
Slowly, Samuel looked up.
The two animals had already finished their attack.
They were circling above him again.
Patiently.
Almost calmly.
As if they knew that sooner or later he would have no other choice.
- "No..."
He watched their flight paths.
Then his own position.
The abyss again.
Once again, they had forced him a little closer to it.
Samuel swallowed.
- "They're doing this on purpose."
That thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.
They didn't want to tear him apart at all.
They wanted...
...him to fall.
The larger creature let out a short, deep cry.
Immediately, the smaller one changed its flight path.
As if on cue.
Samuel's gaze darted back and forth between them.
They were working together.
Not perfectly.
Not like humans.
But they knew their roles.
Samuel forced himself to stay calm.
- "I have to get out of here."
He couldn't stay on the ledge any longer.
Slowly, he began to move sideways.
Keeping his eyes on the animals the whole time.
Step by step.
The gravel crunched under his shoes.
The wind grew stronger.
At first, nothing happened.
Then the larger creature folded its wings.
Samuel immediately tensed his entire body.
It darted down.
This time, much lower.
Samuel waited.
- Not yet.
- Not yet.
- Now!
He jumped to the side.
The creature missed him by a hair's breadth.
Samuel felt the draft on his face.
But this time, he had anticipated the attack.
No sooner had he landed back on both feet than he took off running.
Not toward the ravine.
Away from it.
Across the uneven scree.
Through the gap between two narrow rock spires.
Behind him, the screech of the second creature rang out immediately.
It had been waiting for exactly this moment.
Samuel didn't dare look back.
Rocks slipped away from under his shoes.
Several times he had to brace himself against the rocks with his hands.
The wind continued to pick up.
He heard the flapping of wings.
It was getting closer.
Closer and closer.
Suddenly, a dark shadow shot past him.
So close that Samuel could make out its feathers.
The creature didn't pull up.
It rammed into him.
Its shoulder struck Samuel's back with full force.
- "Ah!"
Samuel was hurled forward and barely managed to break his fall by planting his hands on the ground. The sharp rock tore the skin on his palms, but the pain was secondary for the moment. Before he could even get back to his feet, the second creature was already circling above him. Samuel pushed himself up from the ground immediately, but it was too late. The smaller creature raced toward him—not head-on, but from the side. It grazed his right arm only lightly, but the force of the impact was enough to throw him off balance.
Samuel took three staggering steps. One. Two. Three. Then he found himself right back at the edge of the ravine. Panting, he came to a halt as the abyss opened up directly behind him. Above him, the two animals circled once more. They waited patiently, as if they had all the time in the world.
Samuel felt fear slowly take control of him and turn into sheer panic.
"They're not giving me a chance..."
Samuel pressed his lips together.
He had to get away from the edge.
Now.
Not later.
He let his gaze wander over the rugged landscape. Between the rocky peaks, a narrow scree slope led slightly to the right. Maybe he'd find cover there. Maybe the animals wouldn't be able to fly as easily between the closely spaced rocks.
Without thinking twice, he took off running.
No sooner had he started moving than the creatures reacted. The larger one let out a deep, guttural screech, whereupon the smaller one instantly folded its wings and plunged from the sky once more. Samuel heard only the whistling of the wind before a dull thud shattered the silence. Something struck him on the shoulder—not with its claws, but solely with the force of its body. But that was enough. Samuel staggered several steps to the side as loose stones gave way beneath his shoes. They slid across the rock and clattered down into the ravine. With his last ounce of strength, he barely managed to regain his balance.
- "Don't stop."
He kept running, even though his lungs were already burning. The ground grew increasingly uneven, forcing him to repeatedly jump over gaping crevices or squeeze his way between sharp-edged rocks. Behind him, the animals continued to circle overhead. They were in no hurry. Samuel could feel their eyes on his back. They waited patiently, knowing that sooner or later he would make a mistake.
The wind picked up. A fierce gust hit him head-on, forcing Samuel to raise both arms to shield his face as he struggled against it, step by step. Suddenly, the larger creature plunged down on him from above once more. This time, Samuel recognized the attack early enough. Instinctively, he threw himself behind a narrow rock, just in time. The creature raced past him so closely that one of its wings slammed against the stone. A dull crash echoed between the mountains.
For a brief moment, Samuel thought he'd finally found an advantage.
- "They can't fly properly between the rocks."
But no sooner had he straightened up again than the second creature suddenly appeared above him. It had taken the long way around and approached silently from the other side. Startled, Samuel jerked his head up, but it was already too late. The bird rammed its chest into him with full force. A violent blow struck his side, robbing him of control over his body for a moment.
Samuel lost his balance again and slid several meters across the loose scree. Rocks came loose beneath him and rattled down the slope as he desperately tried to find a foothold. With his last ounce of strength, he braced his feet against the ground and just barely managed to stop himself from sliding any further.
Breathing heavily, he came to a halt.
- "Damn..."
They were indeed working together. While one of the creatures distracted him and kept him occupied, the other deliberately cut off his escape route. Samuel forced himself to keep running anyway. He couldn't stop.
Again and again, he had to step over loose stone slabs that gave way dangerously under his weight. Several times, small pieces of rock broke off and clattered down into the depths. With every step, the path grew narrower and more difficult to navigate.
On the left, an almost vertical rock face loomed, while the ground on the right dropped steeply into the ravine. Samuel felt the void beside him and swallowed hard. The narrow path left hardly any room for error.
- "Not good..."
Ahead of him, the path grew narrower and narrower. It was perhaps two meters wide—no more. The wind was now howling unchecked between the rocks, repeatedly pushing Samuel dangerously to the side. Every single step demanded his full concentration.
Behind him, that deep screech rang out again. Samuel didn't turn around. He knew all too well what was coming for him.
The flapping of the four wings grew louder. Faster. Closer.
He ran. As fast as his exhausted legs could carry him. The narrow path curved slightly, while loose rocks slipped away beneath his shoes and plummeted into the depths.
Suddenly, the smaller creature shot right past his head. Samuel ducked instinctively, but the powerful blast of air hit him anyway. He was pushed to the right and lost control of his movement for a moment.
His right foot landed on a flat slab of stone.
A dry crack sounded.
Samuel froze.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
A fine crack ran through the rock beneath his shoe. Then a second one appeared. Shortly after, a third. Like spiderwebs, the cracks spread across the stone slab.
Samuel hardly dared to breathe.
"No..."
He tried to pull his foot back.
Too late.
With a dull crash, the entire rock ledge beneath him gave way.
For a split second, the world seemed to stand still.
Samuel thrust both arms forward.
His fingers grasped at thin air.
Beneath him, the ground crumbled into massive boulders.
Then everything plunged into the depths together.
- "NO!"
His scream was instantly swallowed up by the howling wind.
The rock face rushed past him.
Rocks swirled into the darkness beside him.
The wind howled so loudly that every thought threatened to be drowned out by it.
Samuel desperately stretched out both arms.
His fingers groped across the rough rock.
Nothing.
Again and again, they slipped away.
Too fast.
Everything was happening way too fast.
- "I'm falling..."
His heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
- "No... please..."
The wind took his breath away.
His eyes filled with tears.
The rocks blurred.
- "I can't die..."
Not here.
Not in this world.
Not before...
The face of his mother appeared in his mind's eye.
Then his father.
The memory hit him harder than the wind.
- "I have to go home..."
- "I have to see them again..."
- "Please..."
In desperation, Samuel struck the rock face with his left arm. His fingers splayed as his thumbnail scraped screechingly across the rough stone. For a split second, he thought he'd found a foothold.
Then a sharp pain shot through his hand.
Something tore.
His skin scraped against the jagged rock as the sharp edges ripped open his hand. The pain was so intense that it took his breath away for a moment. But the fall continued to hold him captive, pulling him inexorably downward.
Further and further.
His vision began to blur. The howling wind grew muffled, as if it were coming from far away. The rock face blurred before his eyes and turned into gray streaks.
The last thing Samuel was aware of was his left arm. Again and again, he struck the rock desperately. Again and again, his fingers searched for a foothold—for something that could save him.
But there was nothing.
Then everything went black.
Samuel didn't know how long the darkness lasted. Maybe it was just a moment. Maybe it was several hours.
He wasn't dreaming.
He wasn't thinking.
He was simply floating.
No wind.
No pain.
No fear.
Just emptiness.
...
A throbbing pain pierced the darkness.
Dull.
Far away.
Then came a second blow. Stronger than the first.
Samuel winced involuntarily. Something was burning. No—it felt as if someone were dragging a red-hot iron across his left arm.
With a sharp gasp, he threw his eyes open.
The light hit him with full force and immediately blinded him. Instinctively, he raised his right hand to shield his face and blinked several times to regain his vision.
His vision was blurry. Everything seemed to be spinning.
Gray stone.
Dust.
The vertical rock face right in front of his face.
Slowly, reality returned. Samuel tried to get his bearings, but his body barely responded. His breathing quickened as his memory came back piece by piece.
The narrow path.
The crack in the rock.
The fall.
The darkness.
And then the realization that took his breath away.
- "I..."
He was alive.
He couldn't wrap his head around the idea.
- "I'm alive?"
He cautiously tried to sit up.
As soon as he leaned on his left arm, a sharp pain shot through his entire body.
- "Ah…!"
Samuel immediately let himself fall back onto the floor. He was breathing heavily as he clenched his teeth tightly and lay motionless. He waited until the burning sensation in his arm slowly subsided and the pain became at least bearable.
Only then did he dare to look at the wound again.
Blood.
Blood everywhere.
His sleeve was almost completely torn open. Beneath it, long, deep scrapes ran from his wrist well past his forearm. Small shards of rock were still embedded in the torn skin, causing pain with even the slightest movement.
Samuel swallowed hard.
Slowly, he turned his hand.
As he did, his gaze fell on his ring finger.
Or rather, on his fingernail.
Almost half of it was missing. Fresh blood pooled beneath it and slowly seeped over the fingertip. Just the sight of it made the injury throb like hell.
Samuel winced in pain.
Carefully, he tried to move his fingers.
First the little finger.
Then the ring finger.
The middle finger.
The index finger.
Finally, the thumb.
They all obeyed him.
Slowly.
Amid excruciating pain.
But they were moving.
Samuel closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled with relief. At least his hand was still functional.
"Nothing broken…?"
At least, he hoped so.
With his right hand, Samuel carefully felt along the injured skin on his arm. Even the slightest touch made him flinch. He immediately pulled his hand back and let his arm drop, exhausted.
Only now did he realize how much his entire body ached.
His back felt as if someone had hurled him with full force against a rock face. His legs were covered in numerous small scrapes. His head throbbed with every heartbeat.
Slowly, Samuel sat up. This time, he supported himself solely with his right hand to spare his injured arm. He took a deep breath and waited as the world around him swayed slightly.
After a few seconds, the dizziness slowly subsided.
Only now was he able to really look around for the first time.
Samuel was standing on a natural ledge. It wasn't particularly large—maybe three steps wide. Just enough room to stand on and move around cautiously.
Directly behind him rose a vertical cliff face.
In front of him…
the gorge opened up.
Samuel crawled slowly closer, but not too far. He moved cautiously until he could just see far enough over the edge.
Immediately, his stomach clenched.
The bottom of the gorge was nowhere to be seen.
Only darkness.
Deep below him, the wind raced at tremendous speed through the massive crevice in the rock, causing even large boulders to slide over the edge.
Samuel recoiled immediately.
His heart began to beat faster.
He was trapped.
- "How..."
His gaze slowly wandered upward.
Only now did he notice the rock face above him.
Fresh red streaks ran across the gray stone.
Blood.
His blood.
Next to it were several long drag marks.
As if someone had desperately dragged themselves along the wall.
Samuel stared at them in silence.
Slowly, he raised his injured arm.
The wounds.
The torn skin.
The missing fingernail.
His eyes widened.
- "I..."
- "I tried to hold on."
Fragments of his memory came flooding back.
His fingers.
The rough rock.
The pain.
Again and again, his arm had slammed against the rock face.
Not hard enough to stop him.
But maybe...
...just enough to slow his fall.
Samuel swallowed.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
Just a little further to the right...
If he'd been just a little less lucky...
Then his lifeless body would have been lying down there somewhere.
He closed his eyes briefly.
His breath trembled.
- "I was..."
- "So close."
A long, drawn-out screech cut through the gorge.
Samuel immediately jerked his head up.
His heart nearly stopped.
The two creatures.
They were still circling between the massive rock walls.
They looked tiny from down here.
But they were getting closer.
The larger creature drew a wide arc.
Its six eyes scanned the rocky ledges.
Samuel instinctively pressed himself against the wall.
- "Please..."
- "Fly on."
For a moment, they actually seemed to have overlooked him.
Then the smaller creature turned its head.
All six eyes fixed on him at once.
Samuel felt the blood freeze in his veins.
The animal let out a sharp cry.
The second one reacted immediately.
Both spread their wings at the same time.
They were heading straight for the ledge.
- "Damn..."
Samuel jumped to his feet.
The pain in his arm no longer mattered. His eyes frantically scanned the narrow ledge, but he found nothing. No way out. No way to climb up. Nothing.
The creatures were getting closer.
Samuel could already hear the thunderous beating of their wings. The wind they created reached him before he could even see them.
He turned hastily toward the rock face. His eyes scanned the bare stone, searching for every unevenness, every possibility, no matter how small.
Then …
for a moment, he thought he must have been mistaken.
Between two jagged ledges lay a narrow shadow.
Samuel stepped closer.
It wasn't a hollow.
Not an ordinary crevice.
Behind it lay only complete darkness.
A cave entrance.
So narrow and inconspicuous that he would never have noticed it from a few meters away.
Without a second thought, Samuel squeezed his way inside. The rough rock scraped against his injured arm. He clenched his teeth and stifled a cry of pain.
Just as his body had completely disappeared into the darkness, one of the creatures darted past the entrance. The powerful gust of air whipped up dust and small stones, which rolled deep into the cave.
Samuel pressed himself motionless against the cold rock wall.
Outside, the creatures were circling.
They had seen him.
And they knew exactly where he had disappeared.
Samuel hardly dared to breathe.
His back pressed against the cold rock. The darkness of the cave swallowed him almost completely. Just a few steps behind him, the darkness grew so thick that even daylight could no longer reach the ground.
Outside, the creatures continued to circle.
The flapping of their four wings echoed off the rock walls. Sometimes the sound swelled, then receded again as they circled above the ledge, waiting patiently.
Samuel slowly closed his eyes.
He knew the creatures were still there.
And he also knew they wouldn't just disappear.
- Please...
- Just fly away.
A shrill cry cut through the gorge.
The second one answered immediately.
The sounds were getting closer.
Samuel instinctively tensed his whole body.
A shadow flitted across the entrance.
Then another.
Suddenly, the three-parted beak of one of the creatures snapped open right in front of the cave opening.
Samuel flinched.
The two black tongues hissed as they probed the air.
The creature did not, however, stick its head inside.
It remained hovering in front of the opening.
Six eyes stared into the darkness.
Samuel didn't even dare to blink.
His heart was pounding so loudly that he was convinced the creatures must be able to hear it.
Seconds passed.
Then the creature let out a deep sound and withdrew again.
Samuel still wasn't breathing.
He listened intently.
The flapping of wings slowly faded away.
Not far.
Just far enough for it to be swallowed up by the wind again.
Only after what felt like an eternity did Samuel slowly let out the breath he'd been holding.
His knees went weak.
He slowly slid down the rock face until he was sitting on the cold ground.
His left arm throbbed incessantly.
Every heartbeat seemed to make the pain worse.
Samuel carefully pulled his sleeve back a little further.
The wounds looked worse than before.
The blood was no longer running in thin streams down his forearm, but was pooling in individual drops and falling onto the stone.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Samuel winced.
"If this keeps up..."
He had to stop the bleeding.
He slowly pulled the backpack off his shoulders.
Even that small movement made him wince in pain.
He unfastened the buckles with his right hand.
Among the few remaining food items lay an old linen shirt.
It had originally belonged to Gustov.
Samuel hadn't worn it in days.
For a moment, he simply held the fabric in his hand.
Then he shook the thought from his mind.
Now was not the right time for memories.
He set the knife to work.
With several quick cuts, he cut off a long strip of fabric.
Then he carefully wrapped it around his forearm.
As soon as the fabric touched the open scrapes, his whole body tensed up.
- "Ah..."
He clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw began to ache. Slowly, he pulled the fabric tighter around his injured arm.
Even tighter.
Until the blood could barely seep through the makeshift bandage.
Using just one hand, he tied the knot as best he could. It wasn't particularly neat, but it held. That was all Samuel could ask for at that moment.
He leaned his head heavily against the cold rock. His breathing slowly calmed as he listened again.
Outside, the animals were still circling.
Every now and then, their deep screeches echoed through the gorge, making the rock walls tremble.
They were waiting.
Or they were guarding their territory.
Samuel didn't know.
He only knew that he didn't stand a chance out there.
His gaze wandered deeper into the cave. Just a few meters ahead of him, the darkness swallowed up every single detail. The entrance let in only a narrow strip of light, which quickly vanished into the black interior.
Everything beyond it lay hidden.
Samuel picked up a small stone and weighed it briefly in his hand. Then he carefully tossed it into the darkness.
The clack echoed through the cave.
Once.
Again.
Then silence fell.
Samuel furrowed his brow.
The cave was apparently much larger than he had initially assumed.
Then he felt it.
A cold draft suddenly brushed across his face.
Samuel paused.
The wind wasn't coming from the entrance.
Not from outside.
It was coming from inside the cave.
Very faintly.
But unmistakably.
- "It goes on."
His fingers tightened around the knife's handle.
He glanced back at the entrance once more.
Outside, the two creatures continued to circle patiently among the rocks.
Escape was impossible.
Slowly, Samuel turned his head forward again.
Before him lay only darkness.
Unknown.
Silent.
Perhaps more dangerous than anything waiting outside.
But for the first time since he had entered this world, he had no choice left.
Either he would wait here until the creatures caught him...
...or he would go deeper into the darkness.