The side of his face was numb. It was cold, so very cold. His fingers dug into the snow, grasping handfuls that hardened into ice within his palms. Slowly, he opened his eyes, finding himself half-buried beneath a shroud of white. A thin sword lay a few meters ahead, its silver edge glinting faintly under the pale light.
Ethan Rakaru, dazed and silent, pushed himself off the frozen ground. Each breath escaped him in misted gasps, shallow and uneven. Half his face burned crimson, while the skin of his hands had turned a faint, lifeless blue.
Above, four full moons hung in the heavens, their ghostly glow washing over the small clearing. The surrounding forest stretched endlessly, an expanse of white and silver. Every branch, every leaf, lay hidden beneath thick layers of snow.
Kneeling amidst the frost, Ethan breathed deeply, his dulled thoughts slowly stirring awake. He looked around once more—the same clearing, yet different. This time, there was no darkness lurking at its edges.
The forest was still. The woods were silent and cold, but not shrouded in shadow. No Huntress veiled in darkness awaited him, no shadowy beast of many horns prowled around, biding it's time to strike.
And there was no gaping wound in his chest, no spear of black, unknown origin piercing through his heart. There was only a single word echoing in his weary mind.
"… What?"
Only his slow and uneven breath remained as his tired body sank back into the snow. His eyes fought against the returning darkness, but his mind faltered, surrendering to the vivid echoes of a past too real and too painful to dismiss.
Ethan closed his eyes. The cold embraced him once more. Soon, the moons vanished, veiled by thick, ominous clouds that wept fresh snow. And beneath that silent, endless white, Ethan Rakaru was buried.
—-
"Hmmm…"
A low grunt escaped his lips as he gazed up at the darkened skies. The night had long passed, yet the world still slept beneath a dim, gray gloom. The sun hid behind a veil of heavy clouds, and once more, snow began to fall. He had to be quick, for if he delayed any longer, he wouldn't make it back in time.
Gripping his axe, the man began to chop. With his immense strength, felling a tree and hauling it back to the village was an easy task. He was special, towering and broad-shouldered, as expected of a Bearman.
His entire frame was built of sheer muscle; from his ankles to his neck, there was no doubt he was the mightiest among his kin. Whether it was the thick layers of fur and hide he wore to withstand the brutal chill of the Beast God's Forest, or simply his natural build, only his wife truly knew.
In mere moments, the tree gave way under the bite of his axe. Ravu stepped back as a cascade of snow tumbled down, and with it, the tree followed, crashing softly into the frost below.
That would have to do. Normally, he would cut down a few more, but the air had shifted—the forest whispered of a storm. He could feel it in his bones, in the way the winds turned colder, sharper. A blizzard was coming.
"May the Beast God have mercy."
He uttered a prayer under his breath, then hoisted the tree over his shoulder with ease and let out a whistle, a call for his companion. A dire wolf answered soon after, its gray-white fur blending with the snow. Ravu had saved the creature once from the brink of death, and since then, they had been inseparable.
The wolf, Tirmi, had yet to reach his full size, still only half as large as Ravu himself. The Bearman often dreamed of one day riding him through the frozen woods, but that day was far from now.
Ravu whistled again, and Tirmi's ears twitched. The wolf was staring into the forest, nose buried in the snow, sniffing intently. Ravu paused, trusting the beast's instincts more than his own.
But the minutes stretched, and impatience began to settle in. The storm was closing in—he needed to return to his wife and children before it broke.
Then, suddenly, Tirmi stiffened. The dire wolf raised his head, a low, uncertain howl escaping his throat. His paws shifted toward the woods, again and again, urging his master to follow.
"Hmmm…"
Ravu frowned, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. The next thing he saw was his companion dashing into the forest, vanishing between the trees. Alarm surged through him as he dropped the tree from his shoulder and bolted after his friend.
But though he was strong, speed was not his forte…