Just as expected, nothing out of the ordinary can be seen or heard in this empty forest of the night; his footsteps are the only sounds that break the silence, and the only light coming from his surroundings is the moon above, casting its pale glow upon the trees and the ground.
Danny walks aimlessly, his eyes scanning the darkness, searching for a suitable spot to lay his weary head, a place to escape the discomforting, cold floor he had to experience back in his bedroom.
It was a somewhat traumatic experience for him to endure throughout his stay, but he knows it was the right thing to do, sacrificing his own comfort for the sake of another person's well-being.
Even if she is a special needs type girl, he still felt it was his duty to provide for her, to ensure her safety and happiness, if it meant suffering himself. While Danny had second thoughts of pushing her aside, he still refused to do such a thing. Knowing that he is stronger than his own selfish impulses.
Yawning, Danny stops walking, standing in the middle of the clearing, his gaze lifted upwards to the star-studded sky, the celestial bodies twinkling like diamonds scattered across the expanse.
Taking deep breath, inhaling the crisp, cool night air, feeling it fill his lungs, the scent of pine and earth mingling with the faint hint of dampness around him. He can't help but continue to look in the heavens themselves, wondering how peaceful it must feel to just lay down here to watch the stars, letting the night breeze gently caress his skin.
Looking around, he notices there isn't much other than trees all over the place; nothing that could provide him with a decent shelter—no rocks, no caves, no fallen logs—just an endless stretch of forest.
The only thing that gives him a slight hope is the big oak tree standing tall nearby, its branches providing some sort of cover from the moon's luminous glow as its trunk offers a solid base to lean against. Seeing it as a possible solution, he approaches the tree, placing his back against its rough bark before leaning his head back.
Sitting down, the tree seems to offer a strange sense of comfort; its sturdy presence is a reassuring anchor in the midst of the dark, vast, and lonely woods. Danny closes his eyes, letting his weary body relax, the tension slowly draining from his muscles as he savors the peacefulness of the night.
With the soft creaking of the tree under the weight of his body, tranquility envelops him like a warm blanket, his breathing slowing to match the rhythm of the night where his face was exposed to the gentle caress of the wind itself.
He felt the world around him fade away, the troubles that plague his mind is quietening down at last, replaced by the soothing sounds of the forest; however, something else is missing, and he has already known it from the beginning ever since he stepped foot in here.
The lack of animals and insects, no crickets, no frogs, no birds singing—it was too quiet, unnaturally so, and he knows why. He knows that the reason behind this eerie silence is due to the fact that he is truly alone.
Its extremely depressing to think about it, learning how humanity is completely isolated from the rest of the world, forced to build their communities to survive and rely on the technologies they have developed to live a comfortable life.
The irony of it all is that this very technology that allows them to thrive also serves as a tool to isolate and segregate one another, creating an illusion of security when, in reality, they are more vulnerable than ever before, fighting against each other instead of solving world peace.
Thinking about it further, Danny grasps how many times humanity has killed several animals to the point of extinction. It is fair to say his own kind is before and now still at the top of the food chain because of their superior capabilities in terms of intellect.
The ability to use their arms in building wonders that the animal kingdom itself is incapable of doing. But what is it to say that they are the most intelligent beings in this universe? Stupid people exist, and so does stupidity in general, part of the evolution process, he supposes.
Opening his eyes, he looked up at the night sky despite nearly being entirely blocked by the gently moving branches and leaves of the tree. Although he can still make out the constellations, the familiar patterns of the stars that have been a constant in the lives of humans for millennia, timeless and eternal, he asked, "Is this mother nature's punishment for us?"
When humanity grows further, stronger, and faster, so does the earth's response to it—the natural disasters and wars happening all around the world, the growing gap between the rich and poor, the destruction of the environment, the pollution of the oceans and the air, the extinction of countless species, and so many more.
But as he continued to think deeper, he began to believe this was part of nature's way of keeping the balance.
By eradicating the weaker ones and allowing the stronger ones to rise, it's a never-ending cycle that keeps the world in check, preventing any single species from becoming too dominant or powerful and maintaining the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
But that doesn't explain the extinction of all animals with the exception of human males, who luckily had their bearings together in finding a solution.
Or probably it was her vengeance and punishment for the world that hurt her. She displayed her power by wiping out everything in her path, leaving only the strongest of the strong to survive, and that would be the last remnants of the male population.
Leaving the world in ruins is the perfect stage for the next chapter of human history to unfold, a new beginning in a desolate world where only the fittest can survive. It's cruel, selfish, and hard, but at least they have hope, unlike all the other animals or insects that died.
No matter what, if humans died like the rest, life always finds a way, just as dinosaurs in ancient times were extinct before new species came to walk on earth.
So, it is likely that if humans ever become extinct, a new dominant will arise to rule the planet, and the story of humanity would be nothing more than a footnote in the grand tome of evolution, a cautionary tale of hubris and folly, just as any other sapient life forms that came before them. It's depressing to think about, but it's the harsh reality of the world they live in.
Closing his eyes again, Danny let the melancholic thoughts wash over him of the impermanence of all things. As he let his mind go into slumber, the young man suddenly heard a twig snapping into two. His eyes snapped open, making his heart race in his chest before adrenaline quickly took its course.
"What?" Alerted but confused at the same time, he cannot tell if it was just his imagination playing tricks with him, making him go insane from the lack of sleep he is getting because of Unity.
"Hello?!" He called out, learning forward with eyes open, "Anyone there?" Danny feels like he needs to stay up and confront the threat, but he isn't sure if this is just his mind playing games with him, seeing it as a waste of time.
Remaining in his spot for what feels like minutes, he then let out a sigh of relief after getting his confirmation, "It's just my exhausted self," telling himself to just ignore it and continue to rest. , "I'm not going crazy, at least not yet," he chuckled to himself, shaking his own head in disbelief.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard it again, but this time it was different. Slow, approaching footsteps of someone walking around the clearing, the sound of leaves crunching beneath their feet, drawing closer and closer.
Forcing his senses heightened, every fiber of his being was more than ready to spring into action regardless if he was going insane or not. "Screw this," gritting his teeth in frustrated manner, it made him appear in the open instead of trying to hide, one of the stupidest things a person can do when confronted with a potential stalker.
Danny stood up and stepped forward, standing tall before taking a few more steps until he was visibly in the clearing area, where the big tree behind him was away from his clutches.
Standing silently, he didn't say a word or make any movement, waiting for the person to be in his sight, his eyes scanning the darkness, searching for any sign of life, the moonlight casting eerie shadows on the ground, making him feel like he was in a horror movie.
"This can't be real," he whispered, unable to tell if it was a hallucination or an actual stalker around the vicinity, as either possible outcome is downright horrific regardless of the options.
He shouldn't feel threatened by this, whoever or whatever he is dealing with. Danny knows, in fact, that his powers will sort it out by themselves, for being cautious in a world that is still foreign to him is a smart thing to do, including when it comes to unknown entities lurking in the shadows.
"I have a gun with me!" A very bold but false statement, a bluff in an attempt to intimidate the potential threat, and a desperation to assert dominance over this situation without resulting in further violence.
The footsteps immediately ceased, creating a heavy silence in anticipation of what was to come. Then, a man's laugh echoed through the night, sending chills down Danny's spine from the moment he heard a person talking, "you're a brave one, aren't you? Come out here alone in the dark."
A voice suddenly came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, the words dripping with sinister amusement: "It didn't take long for me to find you in just mere hours; I'm after all one of the best guys when it comes to tracking down my prey."
Hands clenched into fists, "Who are you?! What do you want?" Demanding answers with a mix of anger and fear as the cold night air felt like ice against his skin with the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, "If you don't leave immediately, I won't hesitate to call my boys!"
Another bluff: although he has no idea what his friends are currently doing at this time, "they'll tear you apart, piece by piece, and feed you to the wolves," he spouted, hoping to instill some sense of fear in the mysterious figure.
A low chuckle emanated from the darkness. "Your gang?" The voice dripped with mockery: "Is it the sick, crippled, and weak cowards in the hospital you are currently staying in?" The voice taunted, having nearly complete knowledge of his prey's whereabouts.
"Oh, how pathetic. A bunch of invalids. That's your whole army, isn't it?" Amusement laced the words, each syllable dripping with disdain. "You really think they could protect you from me?" Carrying a tone of confidence, "I am the master of this domain, and you are nothing but a lost little lamb in the woods. I always get what I want."
Danny swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest as the reality of the situation began to sink in. This was no hallucination, no figment of his exhausted imagination. Its person threatening to kill him, and he is completely at their mercy.
"Show yourself then," forcing a confident smile in hopes of looking braver than he feels, "If you are so powerful, then reveal yourself; let me see the face of a man that is stalking me in the dark acting all foreboding and dangerous." folding his arms together, he narrowed dangerously ahead.
Awaiting the assailant to stand in front of him face-to-face, giving him the chance to see who he is dealing with, "well? Are you chicken or what?!" taunting the mystery figure, "Come on, show me that fearless face of yours; let's have a look at the big bad wolf that wants to eat me alive!" Danny's voice rose in volume as he continued further in his speeches.
"I've had enough of this game; it's time for the real deal, so bring it on, you coward!" Acting like some tough son of a bitch would probably get him killed in a gruesome manner, but at least he is fighting back, refusing to be a victim or weakling in that matter.
