My feet fly underneath me as the sounds of creatures clambering behind me grows closer. The wind whistles in my ears and causes my cloak to billow behind me. A pungent smell fills the air as I get closer to my goal. A deep, rhythmic thumping sound fills the air and my brain throbs with each beat. I can feel sharp stones being crushed by my heavy boots and the air has an indescribable thickness to it.

My pursuers won’t let up no matter how fast I run, and my heart feels as though it has the density of tungsten. I won’t be able to keep this distance much longer. Many dead trees go past in a blur during my mad dash. I grab hold of one and scramble up it as quickly as possible. Just as I get myself propped up on a branch, a pack of dark creatures shoot past. I hold my breath until I can’t hear them anymore, and then a bit after that too.

“Are you still with us Artemis!” The communication device in my ear blares, finally breaking my trance.

“Still kicking.” My voice comes out of my mouth before I can even start thinking again. “I was able to climb up a tree and they ran past.”

The voice on the other side starts recapping me on my mission but I can barely hear him over my laboured breathing and even if I could, I wouldn’t listen. The resonant beating in the distance makes my eyes sting and my body shake. After a moment, I notice that my friend has stopped speaking.

“Copy that, Hermes.” I reply, assuming he’s done.

“You don’t have to do this V; you can still turn back now.” A touch of concern now in the voice.

“It has to end… and you know giving up isn’t really my style, I am the God of the Hunt after all.”

“We can call ourselves Gods all we want, that doesn’t make us immortal.”

“I’ve got this Michael… signing out.” And with that I click my earpiece off.

I take a few more moments to catch my breath before sliding down the tree. I can see the glow of the heart from here. All sorts of weapons adorn my figure, from hunting knives to bows, from poisons to explosives. Something is bound to work.

I slip through the forest and as I get closer to the heart of the infestation. A giant bulbous growth about the size of a standard two-story house and glowing an unnatural light blue. It resides in the ruins of the hospital laboratory where it was created. An unlucky accident that involved a doctor trying to create a more effective cure to intestinal worms and accidentally mutating it into, that. I don’t really know the details; the news reports were more focused on the subsequent bombing.

The bulbous growth had latched onto its creator, killing him. A fitting death I suppose.

“The Parasitic Heart” as it was dubbed, started absorbing any animals who touched it. After absorbing the poor victim, it spat them out as horrifically disfigured creatures. They come in 26 different forms, all disturbing and deadly in their own right. Long story short, the few thousand humans remaining on this lonely planet, fight for survival every single day.

Many have tried to kill the heart, obviously those didn’t turn out so well. The corpses of those brave soldiers were never found.

I finally arrive at the ruins in which it calls home. There are dark blue vines snaking around the walls all leading towards the centre. The air felt difficult to breathe in and the halls are unnaturally dark, considering the holes in the ceiling and the fact that it was midday. It is almost as if the void is not merely the absence of light but instead some viscous liquid filling my lungs. The beating of the heart is almost unbearable this close, and agonising rhythm that brings pain with each thump. My body is on fire, and I can only drag my legs behind me now. There are no parasites this close to the epicentre of this awful reality. Small blessings and all that.

What would have been a short walk before this place was overtaken, turned into an Odyssey of its own. The corridors holding a resemblance to a Labrinth. I can see my life slowly flashing before my eyes. Doesn’t that only happen to people when they’re about to die. I’m not going to die; I refuse to die. I am so close.

The entrance to the once pristine laboratory is now the polar opposite. There is the muck of years of gathered neglect adorning the passage, as well as some goop that can’t be described with any existing words. I walk through the gates of Hell to finally appreciate the heart in all its terrible glory.

It lords over me and feels even bigger than its already enormous size. Around it is seven white cracks that glow with the same glow as the growth in the centre of the room.

“Seven. That’s the same amount of people who have tried to take this thing down. I wonder what that number means” I don’t even realise that I’m speaking aloud. My head just hurts so bad.

I remember my goal and get ready to take the final strike. I fumble around a moment to try and find an appropriate weapon. I decide on my bow an arrow, it has served me well so far. It should be the one to take this horrific beast down.

I wind up my bow, arrow stretched back as far as it will go. Just as I’m about to take my shot, my last semblance concentration wavers, the arrow falls from my grip. It lies on the floor, useless. The beating of the parasitic heart has increased in frequency, and it started glowing brighter. I try to regain my focus. Light fills my vision.

And then it all went black.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading my first chapter, it makes me very happy!

This is being written to help me improve my writing skills. Idk if I will continue the story. How about this, I'll do one of those YouTuber sub goals. If a whole 10 people like this I'll continue writing. Is that too ambitious, idk.

Any advice you have or any written mistakes you find I would like to know. Drop a comment if you do have literally anything to share.

Once again, thank you for reading!