The wolf had come.
Yet Yu Sheng could not make out the wolf's exact appearance—he could only hear the sounds of branches snapping and grass and plants being brushed aside, coming nonstop from behind him. At times, he could even smell the rotten, fishy stench of decay mingled with blood in the air. A chill spread through the forest, like winter relentlessly pursuing and drawing closer, gradually stripping away all life and warmth.
The howls rang out again, one after another, rising from every tree, every bush, and every shadow around him. The wolf pack was right beside him, surrounding its prey and steadily tightening the net.
"Run! Don't stop! Run!"
The squirrel had already climbed from Yu Sheng's neck to the top of his head. The little rodent waved its claws desperately forward and let out a shrill cry.
"Run to the path! Run to somewhere with lights! Run to somewhere the wolves don't dare go!"
Yu Sheng could not resist looking back, but all he saw was the dim, densely packed forest, filled with overlapping shadows. Vaguely, there really did seem to be something chasing him through the forest's shadows, yet he still could not see a single wolf.
But that presence was right behind him. He could even begin to feel the currents of air stirred up as those foul-smelling, gaping jaws breathed beside him.
"Where are the wolves?" he shouted despite himself. "I can't see them!"
"Not seeing them is a good thing! If you can't see them, that means they still can't catch you!" the squirrel shrieked. "It'll be awful once you see them. They'll keep chasing you, and chasing, and chasing, until you can't run anymore, until you become a tired adult... Adult... Wait! You're an adult!"
The squirrel seemed to have suddenly realized