An unknown forest lay shrouded in silence, broken only by the thick stench of blood saturating the air.
In one shadowed clearing, five human bodies were strewn across the forest floor. Their forms were twisted and broken, their clothes torn and soaked in dark, drying crimson.
Deep wounds carved into their flesh told a violent story. One that had ended only moments ago. Their limbs lay limp and lifeless, their eyes staring blankly into nothingness, as if frozen in their final moments of terror.
But a little distance away from them lay another human body.
He was alive. His chest rose and fell as he breathed.
He was a young man in his twenties. His hair was messy and snow-white in color, smooth, soft, and silky. His skin was fair, and he had an extremely handsome face. His eyes were closed.
After a few seconds, his eyelids began to flutter open. A pair of beautiful crystal-blue eyes struggled to make out what was in front of him. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't understand what was happening.
Slowly, the haze faded. A clear blue sky came into view, along with tree branches overhead, their leaves gently fluttering in the breeze.
'Where am I?'
A sudden pain shot through his body.
"Gah—!" he groaned in pain.
He tried to push himself up. Using his hands for support, he managed to sit upright.
There was a cut across his chest. His gray-colored leather outfit was torn, and warm blood was still streaming from the wound. His face had several scratches, and wounds covered his body.
A scorching pain ran through him.
'What's this?!' he thought in confusion, staring at the fresh blood streaming from his chest. A deep cut had been carved across it.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
His heart began to beat faster. Fear crawled down his spine.
"I am hurt—!"
Munch!
Munch!
Munch!
Before he could think any further about his situation, a munching sound attracted his attention. His head turned to the right.
'What?!'
His eyes widened in shock.
Multiple dead human bodies lay there, lifeless and bloodied.
Near them stood a huge bear.
No, it wasn't any ordinary bear he had seen on a mobile screen or on TV. It was far bigger than any normal bear. A huge horn protruded from its forehead. Its fur was dark black, and its eyes glowed red.
It was eating one of the dead bodies, tearing it apart, digging its massive jaws into the stomach, and devouring the flesh.
"Keck—!"
Seeing that scene, the young man felt like vomiting. He covered his mouth with his right palm.
But the sound was louder than his muttering.
The monster stopped chewing on its human meal. Its head snapped toward the source of the sound. Its glowing red eyes locked onto the human who was still alive.
GROWLLL!
It growled loudly upon spotting the living human.
The man's eyes widened. A primal chill ran down his spine.
'Shit!'
His body was injured and wracked with pain. Yet, at this moment, the pain didn't matter. The monster growled at him. It was ready to dash forward.
Just before that happened, he got up from the ground, spun on his feet, and started running away from the bear monster in the opposite direction.
Stomp!
Stomp!
Stomp!
He ran through the forest, weaving past tall, twisted trees. He didn't look behind him. He just kept running.
Meanwhile, behind him,
ROAAARRRR!
The monster followed him furiously, raging as it gave chase.
'Hah!... What's happening? Where am I? How did I come here? Why is there a real monster here?'
The young man had been in his bedroom just a few hours ago. How had he ended up here, in such a dire situation?
The young man running for his life was none other than Aron.
Thump!
Thump!
He had never seen such a thing before, except in movies or games. But now, a real monster was chasing him.
Was he in some kind of dream?
"Ahh!" He groaned in pain.
Every step sent agony through his body, making it clear that he wasn't dreaming.
'This can't be a dream.'
He turned his head back.
The monster was much closer now.
"NO!"
He ran faster. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as his blue eyes remained focused straight ahead.
ROAAARR!
The monster was already close. It leapt over his head.
'No! No! I can't die!'
He threw himself to the left.
BOOM!
The bear's claws slammed into the ground where Aron had been standing moments ago. The impact cracked the earth.
Aron rolled across the ground multiple times before struggling back to his feet.
"Damn! This body!" he cursed his injured body. It was really hard to move with a body like this.
He didn't look back and ran in another direction.
The monster didn't let him escape. It chased after him again, even more furious than before.
ROOOARRRR!
The bear monster was faster than before. It was already catching up to him.
It swung its right arm and slammed it into Aron's right rib cage.
Crack.
The sound of something breaking echoed through the forest.
"Arggh!"
The blow was so strong that the young man was thrown aside, crashing loudly into a tree.
Thud!
"Aaarghh!" he screamed in pain.
The impact nearly knocked him unconscious. He struggled to remain focused.
His left hand clutched his rib cage where he had been struck.
'My bones... they're broken inside.'
The realization sent a chill through him. His head throbbed, and the veins on his forehead bulged.
He was losing blood as time passed. His breathing was ragged. He needed to do something. Otherwise, he might die.
He sat there with his back against the tree trunk, his legs stretched out in front of him. He barely had enough strength to move.
What should he do?
It was becoming increasingly difficult to think straight. One of his cheeks was swollen, and his eyelids could barely stay open.
The monster looked at him.
Growl!
It growled while gazing at the half-dead body in front of it.
The monster opened its mouth wide. Its teeth were large, jagged, and pointed. They were meant to tear enemies or prey apart.
It brought its gaping mouth down toward Aron, ready to bite him and end his life on the spot.
'I need to do something... I need to... I can't.'
He thought weakly.
He pushed himself up. The fear of death, that final instinct, surged through his body.
He moved before he could even think.
His right hand shot forward. He didn't know what he was doing, but it felt as if his body had done this countless times before.
Something warm circulated through him from his abdomen. It was unknown, yet familiar, as if it were an essential part of him.
Something began to form in front of his hand.
The air trembled around it. Coldness spread outward. He could feel it clearly—the chill, the coldness forming before his hand.
Out of nowhere, something resembling a blue crystal appeared. It was long, bigger than his fist, with a sharp, solid tip.
His hand was already inside the monster's wide-open mouth.
Everything happened in just a few seconds.
Aron's half-closed eyes snapped open. He could guess what was forming in front of his extended hand.
'...Ice?'