When morning came, they resumed their climb.
The mountain was steep.
The drop beneath them was endless.
Ric and Ranar had it much easier than everyone else. Their bodies were far stronger, allowing them to scale the rugged slopes with relative ease.
The other children struggled.
The higher they climbed, the thinner the air became. Every breath grew heavier than the last, their lungs burning as they forced themselves onward.
Even so...
They were children of these mountains.
They had spent their lives clawing out a miserable existence here.
Compared to starvation...
Compared to monsters...
Compared to the cold...
This was simply another hardship to endure.
Step by step...
They persevered until they finally reached the second path.
Gunter climbed up first. Planting both feet firmly on solid ground, he leaned over the edge and offered each of them a hand, pulling them one after another onto the narrow mountain trail.
