Ivy's breath trembled as she stared at the two corpses lying still in the dirt.
What… is going on? She thought.
Why did Grizzler turn on them? Ivy stumbled backward, eyes locked on the bear.
Did they lie to him about the honey? No… it feels bigger than that.
More important than that…
Why is he coming toward me?!
His steps were slow, deliberate , like he already knew the answer she didn't.
I can't move. My legs… they're gone.
I feel drained…
I think that's it.
Ivy closed her eyes slowly.
The air thickened, every breath scratching her throat.
The ground tilted beneath her; the forest swam in and out of focus until his large arm swept the haze aside.
"A–are you okay, little deer?" – Grizzler's tone was gentle, almost afraid to break her silence.
For a moment, she thought the forest itself had reached out to steady her.
Then she saw it was him.
Why me… why?
The edges of her vision dimmed, colors bleeding into shadow.
His outline wavered, half beast, half blur.
Thud!
Ivy collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness.
"Little deer!" Grizzler reached out, but only air met his claws.
He looked down; crimson stained his claws.
"This blood… belongs to me," Grizzler muttered, eyes fixed on the dying leopard.
"So… it happened again." The words scraped out of him like stone.
"What?!" Grizzler lurched forward, legs trembling under his own weight.
"VEIN!" He stumbled toward the other dying leopard, his movements unsteady, nearly collapsing.
When Grizzler reached Vein's body, he swallowed hard; his throat felt dry.
"Vein, are you okay?! Answer me, Vein!" He pushed at the leopard's body.
What a massive power this bear has… I didn't know I could do this. What have I done to them? Grizzler bit his lip as the thought tore through him.
He knelt beside Vein, paws shaking.
"Idiot… Claw… you've doomed us all," Vein hissed as death consumed him.
Grizzler froze. How could he know?
Vein lifted his head slightly, eyes lost in a blurred vision.
"Not bad… leader." His head fell with a hollow sound.
The world seemed to blur with him , sound fading, color draining.
Only the rasp of Vein's breath remained.
On the other side, Gash lay on his side, a crooked smile clinging to his face, half-buried in the bloodstained earth.
His eyes were open, yet empty , as if still watching the fight that had already ended.
Grizzler's jaw trembled as he held Vein close.
"If I'd just let Grizzler kill me that night… no one would've died." He stared at the lifeless form in his arms.
His claws dug into the dirt beside the corpse.
The weight of what he'd done pressed down, heavier than any wound.
A memory , two small eyes , exploded into his mind, and Leila's face burned through the haze.
"I suppose I must do it again…" Grizzler murmured, the words tasting like ash.
The night felt empty, the mountain watched in silence as he laid them to rest.
He rose slowly to his paws, the silence settling over him like a cloak.
He buried the two leopards side by side, their forms sinking beneath the cold earth.
The scrape of claws and falling soil stirred Ivy; her eyes fluttered open, seeing the bear digging into the ground, then closed.
He paused for a moment, staring at the fresh mounds.
His voice trembled. "Rest, Vein… Gash…" he whispered, his paw brushing the earth.
He lowered his head. "...brothers… may the mountain hold you better than I did."
Some fireflies drifted through the trees, their light reflecting in Grizzler's eyes, gleaming with grief.
"I'm… so… tired…"
He sank to the ground, the forest's faint light resting on him.
Dawn broke quietly, until a voice shattered it , "I'm sooo hungry!"
"I'm starving…" the mountain lion muttered, prowling through the misty woods.
As the mountain lion passed, he spotted the body of a deer sleeping peacefully.
"Hoho? What am I seeing before my eyes?!" The mountain lion froze mid-step, drool glinting on his fangs.
"Fly!! Brothers!! Fly for your lives!!" The birds in the trees scattered in panic. The sudden commotion turned the forest into wings and sound.
"Claw… I'm sorry… I was too curious…" Ivy murmured, lost in her dream.
The moment her legs twitched, the mountain lion staggered back.
"Oof! She scared me ! I thought for a second my breakfast would run away!"
Ivy's voice, soft and half-asleep, slipped into the morning air.
He chuckled under his breath, tail swaying lazily.
"Guess fate's letting me starve a little longer," he muttered, glancing at the sky.
"But there's nothing stopping me from eat—" As the lion lowered his head, his fangs hovering just above Ivy's neck, he froze.
His voice died as his eyes caught the shadow behind her.
The word tore out of him like a growl swallowed by fear. The lion blinked twice, his ears twitching in disbelief.
"WHAT?!"