"Hurry, go to that big tree up ahead!" Blackie urged. "There's a hole at its base, sneak in now!"
Without questioning the urgency in Blackie's tone, Aziel hurried toward the huge tree Blackie mentioned.
The tree was indeed enormous, its trunk easily as wide as a carriage, its bark a tapestry of age and weather.
Reaching the base, he spotted the hole, cleverly concealed behind a tangle of thick, gnarled roots. It was barely visible, hidden within the shadows.
He slipped right into it without a second thought.
The space was tight, barely enough to accommodate his entire body, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Dust and forest soil filled his nostrils, but he ignored the discomfort, focusing on the sounds outside, straining to hear the pursuit that had sent them scrambling for cover.
"What is it, Blackie? What are we hiding from?" he whispered softly, trying to keep his voice as low as possible.
"Wait," Blackie replied shortly. "Look outside."
Aziel peeked out through the gaps of the tree roots.
His eyes widened instantly.
Not far from his hiding place, stood an incredibly bizarre creature.
The creature loomed, towering at nearly three meters tall. Its upper body was built like a muscular bear, but its long, spindly legs resembled those of a deer. From its left shoulder sprouted a fluffy owl wing, while its right shoulder bore the claw of a dragon wing. Its arms were unnaturally long, its bony fingers twitching and clawing at the empty air.
But the most horrifying part — the thing that sent a chill down the spine — was its head.
It had a human head.
Its bulging eyes twitched unnaturally, its mouth stretched into an unnatural grin, revealing a row of yellow, decaying teeth.
Suddenly, the creature began to spin in place, wildly crashing through the bushes while kicking small stones into the air. It acted like a madman.
"PAPA!!" the creature repeatedly shouted in a hoarse voice. "Where are you, Papa? PAPA, ANSWER ME!"
It kept rambling, the same words repeated over and over, interspersed with frightening laughter and confusing roars of anger.
Goosebumps rose on Aziel's skin.
What kind of creature is that? He hadn't heard any noises earlier. Where did this creature come from?
"Blackie," Aziel whispered again. He didn't want the creature to hear him. "What is that thing?"
"That's a Crazy Beast," Blackie replied. Since Aziel is the only one who can hear its voice, the ring didn't bother whispering to him.
"Crazy Beast?"
"Yes, Crazy Beast. But unlike the Beasts that I've told you before, they're a bit different."
"Different in what way?" Aziel asked.
"Like I explained before, Beasts are trees or animals that changed because of Mana. But Crazy Beasts are a bit different. In fact, they don't even belong to this world. They came from another world."
"Another world? Where exactly did they come from?"
Blackie remained silent for a moment, then it answered.
"Well... it's definitely another world, but even I don't really know exactly where it is. Crazy Beasts come from the Abyss. The Abyss is this huge, endless pit that appeared about 20 years ago. It just showed up out of nowhere, starting with tremors and earthquakes, and eventually forming a massive crack that became this giant hole on the surface of the world. The thing is, there are many Abysses now, and they've shown up all over the world. So far, no one has figured out the mystery behind the appearance of the Abysses and these Crazy Beasts."
Aziel kept his eyes on the Crazy Beast.
He wondered why it looked so strange, like a jumble of different creatures all mashed together. And the was the most startling part was that human head.
"Are all Crazy Beasts that strange-looking?"
"Yes. All of them are creepy. They each possess a unique appearance, like a crazy mix of different animals, but with human heads. It's both creepy and fascinating to look at. Their behavior's are just like crazy persons. One minute they're angry, the next they look super sad, laughing and crying all over the place without any warning."
While Blackie spoke, Aziel couldn't take his eyes off the Crazy Beast.
The creature continued to wail, "Papa!! Don't leave me alone!"
"Is he looking for his dad or something? Maybe if we help it find its dad, it'll just leave us alone?" Aziel wondered.
"Yeah yeah… you're right, it's looking for its dad. When it was a kid, its dad ditched it. And now it's trying to find it dad again. I can't believe you actually thought that about a creature whose name is literally 'Crazy' Beast."
The Crazy Beast continued to go berserk, its colossal arms thrashing wildly on the surrounding trees. The sharp cracks of shattering wood and the thunderous crash of falling trees ripped through the forest's silence.
Suddenly, the Crazy Beast stopped its rampage.
It stood still, its head tilting back to the sky, sniffing the air as if trying to catch some scent. Then, it began to move.
Its direction... was toward here?
The Crazy Beast walked with large, swift strides, the bushes and branches cracking under its feet.
Aziel held his breath. He sat still in the hole beneath the big tree, trying his best not to move or make any noise.
The sound of the Crazy Beast's footsteps grew louder, filling Aziel's ears.
He could feel the ground vibrating beneath him. The creature was very close.
Then, the sound stopped right outside the tree where Aziel was hiding.
Aziel froze.
He could sense the presence of that large creature just behind the trunk of the tree, only inches from his body.
He dared not breathe, dared not move.
He hoped the Crazy Beast couldn't smell him and would just go play far away.
The moments passed like eternity.
Aziel tried to slow his heartbeat, trying to calm his breath. He focused on his hearing, trying to catch any small sound.
Though the Crazy Beast had stopped its rambling, Aziel could still hear its heavy breathing, a ragged, rasping sound that filled the air, and the sound of its massive feet crunching the dry leaves scattered around the giant tree.
After what felt like an eternity, punctuated only by the beats of his own heart, Aziel heard movement again.
This time, a subtle shift in the soundscape; the heavy breathing lessened, the crunching of leaves receded, replaced by a quieter, more deliberate steps.
It was moving away from the tree.
Gradually, the footsteps and heavy breathing faded, growing more distant until only the wind rustling through the trees remained.
Aziel stayed silent, every muscle coiled tight, waiting. He held his breath and kept listening. He didn't think he should move. Not yet.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. He strained his ears, searching for the faintest sound of movement.
Silence.
Only the wind, gentle and unbothered. Distant birdsong. Nothing else.
Slowly, Aziel began to peek out from the gaps of the tree roots. He was cautious, watching his surroundings.
There were no signs of the Crazy Beast. The forest before him looked calm, as if nothing had happened.
Carefully, Aziel started to crawl out from his hiding spot.
One step, two steps.
He fully emerged from the hole, standing tall in front of the large tree that had concealed him. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Safe. I was safe.
But just as he was about to step away, his eyes caught something behind the big tree.
Something… that hadn't been there before, as far as he could remember.
Slowly, Aziel turned his head back.
Behind the big tree, and right behind him, stood the Crazy Beast.
It was looking at him, its bulging eyes staring at him with a smile that was... absolutely terrifying.
"Finally found you, Papa..." the Crazy Beast said with a strange, hoarse voice, its grin growing wider.